Principal Psychologist

Forensicare; Sydney; On-site; AUD 123,000 - 148,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging

Superannuation

Relocation support

Job summary

Forensicare in Victoria is seeking two Principal Psychologists to lead psychological services across key care pathways in Men’s and Women’s pathways. You will provide clinical and operational leadership, shape a redesigned service, and drive system-level change while supporting workforce capability and clinical excellence.

You will manage a team of psychologists, supervise education programs, and collaborate across disciplines to ensure high-quality, recovery-oriented care across inpatient,

Qualifications

• Requires 10+ years in clinical leadership roles.
• Registration with the Psychology Board of Australia or eligible for PsyBA transition.
• APAC-accredited psychology training sequence (AoPE) in Clinical/Forensic Psychology.

Responsibilities

• Deliver advanced assessment, formulation, and intervention for complex forensic cases.
• Provide leadership, supervision, and consultation to psychologists and teams.
• Lead therapeutic programs and continuous service improvement initiatives.
• Oversee day-to-day service delivery and clinical governance.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships to support integrated care.

Skills

Advanced clinical leadership

Forensic psychology expertise

Stakeholder collaboration

Research experience

Education

Masters or Doctorate in Psychology

AoPE in Clinical/Forensic Psychology

Job description

Permanent Full time (Part-time also considered) | Salary: P4 - $123302.40 - $148319.60 + salary packaging+ superannuation | (salary to increase with ME enterprise agreement)

Location: Thomas Embling Hospital | Your next opportunity awaits in Victoria. Relocation support is available, making it easier than ever to join our team.

Help shape the future of forensic mental health care and lead impactful psychological services within our specialist statewide service.

About Forensicare

Forensicare is Victoria’s specialist forensic mental health service, providing care across inpatient, community, and prison settings. We deliver recovery-oriented services that integrate hope, social inclusion, and collaboration. Our work spans clinical care, research, and professional education, supporting individuals with mental illness who have offended or are at risk of offending.

Due to a re-design of how we deliver psychological services in Thomas Embling Hospital, we are excited to have the opportunity to recruit two experienced Principal Psychologists to join our leadership team and manage the delivery of psychological services across key care pathways. These include:

Men’s Community Pathway – supporting transition and recovery into the community

Women’s Pathway – working across both community and custodial trajectories

The Role

As a Principal Psychologist, this rare and exciting opportunity will enable you to provide clinical and operational leadership within one of the designated streams, ensuring delivery of high-quality, recovery-oriented psychological services. You will help to shape a redesigned service, lead system-level change, and influence forensic mental health practice

Reporting to the Hospital Lead (Psychology), you will lead a team of psychologists to deliver psychological services within one pf the specified pathways. You will collaborate across disciplines, oversee evidence-based interventions, and drive service improvement while supporting workforce capability and clinical excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver advanced assessment, formulation, and intervention for complex forensic cases
• Provide leadership, supervision, and consultation to psychologists and teams
• Lead therapeutic programs and continuous service improvement initiatives
• Oversee safe, effective day-to-day service delivery and clinical governance
• Build strong stakeholder relationships to support integrated care

About You

You are a highly experienced psychologist with a passion for forensic mental health and leadership. You bring strategic insight, advanced clinical expertise, and a commitment to recovery-oriented care.

Key Selection Criteria

• Minimum 10 years’ experience with advanced clinical leadership skills.
• Hold general registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia(PsyBA)or,for overseas-trained psychologists,be eligible for a PsyBA transitional program to attain general registration.
• Has completed a minimumof aLevel3 and4 APAC-accredited Psychologytraining sequence (i.e., Masters or Doctorate)inoneor moreof the followingAreasof Practice Endorsement (AoPE): Clinical Psychology,ClinicalNeuropsychology, and/orForensicPsychology.
• Must have or be eligible for an Area of Practice Endorsement (AoPE) in clinical psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and/or forensic psychology, orbeeligibletocommence a Registrar program in one or more of theseAoPEs.
• Psychologists with Forensic AoPE alone will need to demonstrate the necessary education, training, and experience in clinical psychology needed to work in forensic mental health settings
• Registration with AHPRA and Board-approved Supervisor status.
• Proven ability to manage and evaluate psychology education programs.
• Strong knowledge of mental health and criminal justice systems.
• Demonstrated experience in research and scholarly work.

For any further questions about the role, you can contact Nik Loft – Hospital Lead Psychologist - *********@forensicare.vic.gov.au

Influenza and Immunisation Evidence

This position is subject to a Police Check

Salary packaging and novated leasing options