DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL, HEALTH WORKFORCE
CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
Queensland Health
Queensland Health acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land across Queensland, and pays respect to First Nations Elders past and present.
Executive Summary
- Lead strategic workforce planning and development to shape the future of clinical health services across Queensland, driving impactful outcomes for communities statewide.
- Collaborate with senior clinical leaders, government agencies, universities, and industry partners to address workforce challenges and innovate health service delivery.
- Champion health equity for First Nations people, fostering system-level improvements and shared accountability to achieve meaningful change
THE OPPORTUNITY
As Deputy Director-General, Health Workforce, you will provide high-level leadership across Queensland Health’s workforce strategy, aligning health service planning with future demands and performance priorities. Reporting directly to the Director-General and serving on the Executive Leadership Team, you will guide a diverse portfolio of professional offices and strategic initiatives to address critical capability challenges. This role offers a unique platform to drive whole-of-system workforce transformation, influence care models through evidence-based planning, and deliver improved, equitable health outcomes for all Queenslanders.
THE ROLE
The Deputy Director-General, Health Workforce provides strategic leadership to lead the planning and development of system-wide clinical workforce planning strategies to improve health services across Queensland.
Reporting to the Director-General, and as a member of the Queensland Health Executive Leadership Team, the role is responsible, through the relevant professional lead, for providing professional leadership and expert advice regarding opportunities to improve clinical and health care services system-wide.
The successful candidate will need to demonstrate:
- Excellent knowledge of contemporary, best practice approaches in health workforce planning and development.
- Experience working within a complex system or organisation with devolved accountability and responsibility that require a detailed understanding of system leadership, risk management, strategic direction-setting and the challenges facing modern health care service delivery.
- Expertise in health and workforce planning process including an in-depth understanding of population base health planning analysis.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills in negotiation, consultation, facilitation and written and oral communication within a complex environment characterised by diverse stakeholder groups and wide-ranging competing priorities.
For a confidential discussion, please get in touch with:
Sarah Buckler
HG Queensland State Manager
M. +61 (0)429 486 740
E. [email protected]
Paul Ingle
HG Chief Executive
M. +61 (0)402 796 125
E. [email protected]
The Health Workforce Division is a newly created division within the Department of Health. It plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of Queensland’s public health system by leading the strategic planning, capability development, and support of the clinical workforce across all Hospital and Health Services (HHSs). With a whole-of-system remit, the division is responsible for workforce strategies that ensure the availability, sustainability and quality of clinical services across Queensland’s decentralised and diverse health landscape.
The division comprises key professional offices and workforce strategy functions, including:
- Office of the Chief Medical Officer
- Office of the Chief Nurse Officer
- Office of the Chief Midwife Officer
- Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer
- Office of the Chief Dental Officer
- Office of the Chief Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Officer
- Office of Rural and Remote Health
- Workforce Strategy Branch
- Centre for Leadership Excellence
Together, these branches form an integrated platform for advancing clinical workforce planning, professional leadership, rural and remote service development, and health equity initiatives - including strengthening First Nations workforce participation and leadership. The division works in close collaboration with Hospital and Health Services, tertiary education providers, industry partners and national agencies to inform evidence-based policy and practice.
Our Values
These five values underpin behaviours that will support and enable better ways of working and result in better outcomes for Queenslanders.
Role Specification
The Deputy Director-General, Health Workforce provides strategic leadership to lead the planning and development of system-wide clinical workforce planning strategies to improve health services across Queensland.
Reporting to the Director-General, and as a member of the Queensland Health Executive Leadership Team, the role is responsible, through the relevant professional lead, for providing professional leadership and expert advice regarding opportunities to improve clinical and health care services system-wide.
The position leverages an in-depth understanding of the capability issues facing the public health system. The position leads Health Workforce Division and maintains the needs of clinicians and non-clinical cohorts as well as the needs of the community. The position maintains key relationships with senior clinical leaders, Hospital and Health Services, universities and colleges, industry partners, government agencies and international professional bodies. The position also leads special projects as requested by the Director-General and fulfills responsibilities affiliated with range of boards and statutory bodies.
The Department of Health (the Department) has a diverse set of responsibilities, and a common purpose of providing highly effective health system leadership. The Department is responsible for the overall strategic leadership and direction of the public health system in Queensland. We strongly believe in the need to work with people that value the goals of our organisation and who will thrive in our workplace.
- Adhere to defined service quality standards, health and safety policies and procedures relating to the work being undertaken to ensure high quality, safe services and workplaces.
- Provide strategic leadership and foster collaborative approaches within the Division and across the State’s health system to contribute to the achievement of the Department of Health strategic priorities.
- Lead the development of data and evidence-based alternative models of care, assessing trends and emerging issues at State, National and International levels, to provide expert advice and recommendation to effective planning across the health services.
- Review and evaluate current clinical planning and service strategies and models identify opportunities to resolve medical coverage and service delivery issues across the state.
- Provide expert advice to the Director-General, the Executive Leadership Team and stakeholder on critical issues, risks and opportunities in the planning of clinical services.
- Lead and oversee the development of workforce planning initiatives, including partnering with other health service providers, universities, industry partners both nationally and internationally, to share workforce insights to identify opportunities and to mitigate challenges of current workforce challenges.
- Determine future clinical workforce demands based on the strategic priorities established for Queensland Health and lead the development to achieve the best clinical performance outcomes possible.
- Ensure the operations of the Division are within budget, in accordance with Department of Health policy and whole-of-government requirements and aligned to the values of the Queensland Public Service.
- Drive measurable outcomes to achieve health equity with First Nations people by implementing system level improvements to support the delivery of Queensland Health’s First Nations Health Equity Strategies. In partnership with the Chief First Nations Health Officer, lead the First Nations health equity agenda and actively engage across the health system to share accountability to achieve health equity for and with First Nations peoples.
View the full scope of these in the Position Description.
Highly desirable:
- A degree (or eligibility for registration) as a clinician/health professional by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
- Relevant post graduate qualifications.
- Excellent knowledge of contemporary, best practice approaches in health workforce planning and development.
- Demonstrated experience working within a complex system or organisation with devolved accountability and responsibility that require a detailed understanding of system leadership, risk management, strategic direction-setting and the challenges facing modern health care service delivery.
- Expertise in health and workforce planning process including an in-depth understanding of population base health planning analysis.
- Demonstrated exceptional interpersonal skills in negotiation, consultation, facilitation and written and oral communication within a complex environment characterised by diverse stakeholder groups and wide-ranging competing priorities.
We are all leaders in the Department of Health, regardless of role or classification level. The department is committed to leadership at all levels of our organisation, in this role you will be required to display the following leadership behaviours:
- Leads strategically: thinks critically and acts on the broader purpose of the system.
- Makes insightful decisions: makes considered, ethical and courageous decisions based on insight into the broader context.
- Demonstrates sound governance: maintains a high standard of practice through governance and risk management.
- Drives accountability and outcomes: demonstrates accountability for the execution and quality of results through professionalism, persistence and transparency.
- Operates in a collegial and supportive fashion: assists all other QH executives in delivering on their personal accountabilities.
This position reports to the Director-General.
- Annual Budget: $122M
- Direct Reports: Ten
The total remuneration package range is from $323,399 - $419,034 per annum (total remuneration package)
Note: Where the successful candidate holds clinical qualifications remuneration may be negotiated
- New Government
- New Director-General
- Changing Health Landscape
- Increased demand for health
- Increasing Queensland population
- Rise of chronic conditions with no new revenue pathways
- Difficulty in attracting and retaining health workforce
- Keeping up with modern technologies and implementing so that Queensland Health remains at the forefront of best practice.
Service Location: Brisbane
Classification: HES 4
Reporting to the Director-General
It is a condition of employment for this role for the employee to be, and remain, vaccinated against the following vaccine preventable diseases during their employment (Health Employment Directive No. 01/16):
- measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
- varicella (chicken pox)
- pertussis (whooping cough)
- hepatitis B
- tuberculosis
The closing date for applications is Tuesday, 3 June 2025
The reference number to include in your application is H25_5153
Note: Please use the online platform to submit your application. It will not be accepted via email.
If you require assistance in submitting your application online, please get in touch with Executive Search Coordinator, Bradie Hammat: M: +61 (0)417 882 900 / E: [email protected]
Your application must include:
- 1.Cover letter addressed to the Principal Consultant;
- 2.A short-written response (maximum 2 pages, dot points acceptable) on how your experience, abilities, knowledge and personal qualities would enable you to achieve the key responsibilities and meet the skill requirements of the role; and
- 3.An up-to-date copy of your Curriculum Vitae.
It Is standard practice for HardyGroup to acknowledge receipt of your application no later than the next business day. We request that if you do not receive the acknowledgement, you contact the search coordinator listed above as soon as possible after the 24-hour business period and arrange to resend your application if necessary.
For a confidential discussion, please contact:
Sarah Buckler
HG Queensland State Manager
M. +61 (0)429 486 740
LIVING AND WORKING IN BRISBANE
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