Principal Physiotherapist, Head Physiotherapy

Woodlands Health; Singapore; On-site; SGD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in Singapore seeks a Principal Physiotherapist to lead a multi-disciplinary team. The candidate will be responsible for managing complex patient cases, developing new services, and ensuring high clinical standards. Extensive experience in varied physiotherapy settings and leadership skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in inpatient, outpatient, community, and preventive care.
• Advanced expertise in specialty areas, including Orthopedics and Sports.
• Strong leadership and mentorship skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex cases independently and serve as a first-line practitioner.
• Develop and oversee new services and initiatives within the team.
• Ensure high standards of clinical practice and compliance with regulations.

Skills

Clinical assessment

Manual therapy

Exercise prescription

Team collaboration

Leadership

Education

Degree in Physiotherapy

Registration with health authorities

Job description

Overview

Woodlands Health (WH) envisions personalised and quality healthcare for the community of the future. It will co-develop and integrate services with community stakeholders and extend care beyond the hospital into the community and homes.

The Physiotherapist helps patients restore mobility, function and independence through detailed assessment of problems and individualized treatment. Physiotherapists manage a wide range of conditions, with expertise in mobilization techniques and manual therapy, exercise prescription, electrotherapy, balance and gait training, and education on health promoting strategies.

The Physiotherapist works within a multi-disciplinary team. Examples include collaboration with Sports Medicine Physicians to address sports-related injuries and Geriatricians in rehabilitation. A Physiotherapist must ensure a high standard of clinical practice and professional conduct and participate in continuous professional development and evidence-based practice.

As a Principal Physiotherapist, he/she should have extensive experience and knowledge in inpatient, outpatient, community and preventive care, with advanced expertise in their specialty area. The Principal Physiotherapist should understand departmental and hospital operations and be able to initiate and oversee planning, implementation and execution of new services and initiatives.

RESPONSIBILITIES

In Physiotherapy services, the Principal Physiotherapist must have general clinical competences and attain the specific area of competency for their specialty. Depending on rotation, the Principal Physiotherapist must have expertise in management of patients in one of these disciplines:

• Orthopedics
• Sports
• Cardiopulmonary
• Chronic Disease Management
• Geriatrics
• Musculoskeletal
• Women’s Health and Lymphoedema
• Pediatrics
• Others

He/she must be independent in the assessment, diagnosis, and management of complex cases and know when to seek guidance proactively when required.

The Principal Physiotherapist will be recognised as a specialist in their field and able to manage and assess walk-in patients as first-line practitioners. They must handle complex cases and know when to request a second opinion.

Competencies and Skills

• General Competency: Demonstrates in-depth understanding of related areas pertaining to their specialty
• Demonstrates in-depth understanding of general operational aspects of the department and hospital
• Initiatives in area-related processes and improvement projects
• Initiates planning, implementation and execution of new services within a multi-disciplinary team
• Demonstrates research and literature critique skills
• Possesses integrity and supervisory, coaching and mentorship skills
• Demonstrates effective leadership in projects and teams
• Demonstrates ability to troubleshoot and problem-solve

• Specific Skills and Competency: Possesses advanced knowledge, skills and clinical reasoning in their area
• Ability to develop and facilitate rehabilitative intervention plans and strategies
• Identifies and plans training needs of the team
• Identifies and sources advances in research and technology relevant to the area

Administrative Competencies and Duties

• Develop skills in self-management and compliance with medico-legal and governance guidelines
• Responsible for the department and individual caseload
• Plan and allocate manpower resources based on departmental needs
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date medical records
• Ensure team compliance to hospital policies
• Utilize hospital technology to improve processes and workflows
• Maintain and monitor departmental and hospital KPIs
• Coordinate processes and flows within teams
• Plan and develop services under supervision
• Assist in managing finances and workload to ensure cost-effectiveness and productivity
• Assist to evaluate manpower needs and recruitment of new staff
• Set directions for sub-team development with SWOT and leadership input
• Deputize in the absence of Supervisor/Manager
• Handle patient feedback and media inquiries
• Initiate and lead team/departmental projects
• Propose and formalize SOPs and policies in line with new developments

Demonstration of Teamwork and Professionalism

• Members of a multi-disciplinary team with professionalism and esprit de corps
• Lead patient and care-giver education
• Assist in managing team workload and coverage
• Participate in departmental meetings and ward rounds
• Liaise with other healthcare professionals inside and outside the hospital
• Develop good relationships with surgeons/doctors in the area
• Maintain patient privacy and professional behavior
• Delegate responsibilities and monitor progress
• Lead adherence to hospital and department policies
• Mentor/junior staff in department activities

Supervisory Role

• Supervise junior staff in supervisory and clinical skills
• Involve in appraisal of junior staff
• Supervise students and mentor junior staff in educator roles
• Guide area-specific patient education and in-service education

Quality Improvement

• Mentor others to adhere to quality service
• Contribute to departmental or service quality improvement projects
• Physiotherapist/Manager to seek advice and provide feedback on service delivery and improvement

Leadership Role

Manage Services & Resources

• Lead and manage complex relationships and stakeholders at institution/cluster/national level, including advanced service development

Clinical

• Steer clinical standards and development of specialized services
• Plan and develop specialized centres/programmes for the institution/cluster with stakeholders

Operational

• Understand operational aspects of the department and hospital
• Coordinate processes between teams to optimize operations
• Provide after hours and on-call therapist services as required
• Oversee maintenance of equipment, materials and resources
• Deputize in the absence of Supervisor/Head
• Plan and allocate manpower resources
• Assist in evaluating manpower needs and recruitment
• Assist in regulating finances and workload to ensure productivity
• Propose and formalize SWIs and policies for new service developments
• Capitalize on hospital technology to improve processes
• Maintain institution/cluster KPIs
• Report KPI trends and analyses to Senior Principal Physiotherapist/Head
• Assist in planning and organization of broad areas at division/institution/cluster

• Chair clinical/operational meetings, including inter-hospital/cluster initiatives

Coaching

• Supervise and mentor junior staff in supervisory skills

• Involve in appraisal and development of junior staff

• Lead complex programs/projects and influence policy and decision making within broad networks to achieve organisational goals and meet population health needs

Plan Influence and Lead Change

• Lead strategically to drive change within the profession and healthcare context to develop policy and practice, and to design new service models and technologies
• Identify future patient care needs and develop strategies
• Support leadership development in education, research, and innovation
• Work with education, research and innovation leads to align developments with future care needs