CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
The Royal Children's
Hospital Melbourne
The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which the RCH is situated, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
Executive Summary
- Lead a high-impact executive portfolio at one of Australia’s most respected paediatric hospitals
- Shape the future of children’s health
- Join a values-driven organisation with a culture of collaboration, purpose, and excellence
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), one of the most advanced paediatric health precincts globally, is seeking an exceptional leader to join its Executive Team as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). With a proud 150-year legacy and an annual budget of over $1 billion, RCH is Victoria’s leading paediatric healthcare provider and a national leader in complex tertiary and quaternary care. This role presents a unique opportunity to influence strategic direction, drive financial sustainability, and contribute to innovations that shape the future of child and adolescent health.
THE ROLE
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and serving as a key advisor to the RCH Board, the CFO leads a high-performing corporate portfolio spanning Finance, Procurement, Infrastructure, ICT, Payroll, and Digital Services. With oversight of a $27 million operational budget and 270 FTE, the CFO is responsible for ensuring financial governance, enabling strategic resource allocation, and supporting high-quality clinical services. The role requires collaborative leadership with our partners, Department of Health, and Public-Private Partnerships, ensuring the organisation is well-positioned to meet current and future demands.
The successful candidate will need to demonstrate:
- Proven executive leadership in a large, complex healthcare or service delivery organisation
- Deep expertise in financial governance, budgeting, and strategic planning
- Capacity to lead non-finance portfolios including digital transformation, infrastructure, and procurement
- Experience working with Board and Executive Teams to drive long-term financial sustainability
- Strong working knowledge of public sector financial frameworks and healthcare funding models
- Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and change management skills
- A values-led leadership style that aligns with RCH’s culture of curiosity, courage, inclusion, and kindness
For a confidential discussion, please get in touch with:
Rhodie Miller
HardyGroup Principal Consultant
M. +61 (0)422 816 557
E. rmiller@hardygroupintl.com
The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) has been providing exceptional care to children, young people and their families for more than 150 years.
The Royal Children’s Hospital is Victoria’s major specialist paediatric hospital, caring for children from across the state as well as from Tasmania, southern New South Wales and beyond.
Located within the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct, RCH is part of a globally recognised hub of more than 45 health, research and education institutions. It is a founding partner of the Melbourne Children’s Campus—alongside the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, the University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics and the RCH Foundation—working together to improve health outcomes for children through care, research and training.
RCH delivers a comprehensive range of paediatric and adolescent health services, including tertiary and quaternary care for the most complex and critically ill patients. It is Victoria’s designated state-wide major trauma centre for paediatrics, a Nationally Funded Centre for cardiac and liver transplantation, and the only provider in Australia of paediatric heart transplant services and CAR T-cell therapy.
With more than 6,000 staff and an annual operating budget of $1 billion, RCH manages over 300,000 specialist clinic appointments, 90,000 emergency presentations and 20,000 elective surgeries each year. It also leads several state-wide services including paediatric rehabilitation, palliative care, forensic medical assessment and newborn hearing screening.
The organisation is a trusted advocate for children and families, with a strong focus on supporting vulnerable children, youth mental health, and health promotion. RCH is committed to child safety and fosters a values-led culture with high staff engagement and a focus on continuous improvement.
Our vision
At The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), our vision is a world where all kids thrive.
We believe all children and young people should have the same opportunity to realise their potential.
Our role
To deliver on our vision, we work together to put children and young people at the heart of our care, research, and learning. We do this by:
- Creating and delivering the safest, most accessible, most playful, kid-centric care in the world.
- Cultivating a workforce that reflects the community we care for and nurturing our people, so they thrive and grow.
- Promoting the importance of the health and wellbeing of every child and young person.
- Conducting world leading paediatric research that transforms kids’ health.
- Sharing specialist knowledge and skills locally and globally to advance learning.
- Being a leading sustainable health service that contributes to a better world.
Our values
The RCH values unite and help us to achieve our vision and deliver on our role. Our values guide the way we work together and engage with children and young people, their families and our community.
Role Specification
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) contributes to the Executive management of the RCH leading finance and key corporate functional areas. This role is accountable for good governance, appropriate financial management practices and a consistent standard of accountability and financial reporting, including regular attendance at the RCH Board, Finance and Audit Committees. The CFO will provide key leadership in the delivery of LHSN Statement of Expectations in the domain of shared services.
The CFO will contribute to the development of the overall RCH Strategy and plans and will take carriage of Sustainability and Commercialisation strategies. The CFO will support, challenge and mentor their colleagues in pursuit of the organisation's objectives, excellence and mission.
The role is a key member of the Executive and is required to provide insight and intelligence in a collegial fashion to influence outcomes. As a pivotal advisor to the board, CEO and to the critical stakeholder collective, the incumbent will represent the interests of the hospital and create strong constructive relationships across the board.
The delivery of effective financial management, operational analysis and the budgeting process, internal allocation of financial resources to support business partnering processes, ensuring adequate financial control systems are in place, safeguarding of assets, and managing financial risk appropriately, are core to the role. The incumbent will also provide leadership and direction to a number of Corporate Service departments to ensure that clinical operations are appropriately supported in achieving their objectives.
The RCH is seeking a CFO to lead its finance and corporate service functions and support the executive team in delivering on strategic and operational priorities. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and working closely with the Board and Executive, the CFO is accountable for financial management, reporting, compliance, procurement, infrastructure, payroll and support services. The role also oversees the digital and ICT portfolio on an interim basis.
The CFO contributes to whole-of-hospital planning, provides input into strategic and business decisions, and plays a key role in supporting clinical operations through sustainable and compliant financial management. The role also holds executive responsibility for shaping RCH’s commercial and sustainability strategies and supporting partnerships across the Melbourne Children’s Campus and broader health sector.
Strategic Leadership and Organisational Capability
- The CFO must role model the values of the organisation and provide leadership within their remit as well as across the organisation in a positive, collegiate and constructive fashion
- The role must establish and build strong collaborative working relationships across the organisation as well as with key stakeholders including but not limited to the Department of Health, our Campus partners, the Local Health Service Network (LHSN) and Public Private Partnership (PPP)
- The CFO is required to ensure that all related activity is performed in line with the Financial Management Act 1994 and supported by the Standing Directions of the Minister for Finance who will specify matters that must be complied with by public bodies, and who provides advice and general guidance on best practice in complying with the requirements
- Our aspiration to remain one of the world’s leading paediatric hospitals means extending our reach to regions and beyond, not through direct care but by being open to partnership and sharing our expertise. The CFO will create a sustainable financial strategy to realise this vision
- The CFO will:
- Lead and collaborate with the Executive and organisation on financial sustainability with a focus on revenue generation and efficiency strategies
- Lead the cultural shift to transition the organisation to sustainability mindset and practice including business literacy, cost containment accountability, redesign and waste elimination
- Provide strategic Finance leadership by contributing to the RCH strategic and business planning processes
- Lead and manage budget cycles and processes across the RCH. Lead and oversee the monitoring of financial performance at the RCH while at all times working with other executive to ensure high quality care
- Improve the influence of RCH in state-wide and national financial policy development and planning through effective relationships with key stakeholders such as the Department of Health
- Build and maintain collaborative relationships with external stakeholders and outsourced service providers to ensure the ongoing identification of opportunities that improve the RCH financial environment
- Facilitate effective relationships with the Campus and Precinct partners, the hospital’s infrastructure provider under the Public Private Partnership and other relevant organisations to support the objectives of RCH
- Ensure corporate functions are best practice, innovative and support the health service to deliver its goals
Finance
- Oversee the Finance Department’s design and delivery of organisation-wide policies, processes and systems which ensure all cost centre managers have access to the best possible resources and are educated to interpret and understand financial reports and put in place actions to ensure the RCH meets its financial objectives
- Regularly review financial delegations to ensure that cost centre managers are empowered to work efficiently consistent with distributed leadership
- Analyse and monitor operational and financial performance and promote strategies for continuous improvement
- Lead and oversee the annual accounts process to ensure that the RCH meets all reporting timelines and attains favourable audit results
- Facilitate the implementation of financial improvement strategies directly related/assigned to Finance and Corporate
- Develop functional budget plans for sign off by CEO, in line with Executive colleagues, Divisional objectives and RCH financial policies and procedures
- Manage own expenditure within budget
- Actively seek opportunities to find alternative funding sources
- Ensure sound business practices are observed and that systems and procedures meet legal, industry and hospital requirements
- Facilitate effective relationships with the RCH’s internal and external Auditors
- Monitor and advise on changes to financial practices and legislation and their application to RCH and ensure RCH has an effective Financial Compliance and Taxation strategy and plan in place, and ensure that appropriate legal compliance is maintained
Procurement and Supply
- Oversee the RCH’s procurement performance, action tenders and negotiations to improve efficiency and maximise savings
- Work in collaboration with Health Services Victoria to maximise benefit and product quality from State contracts
- Consolidate all sundry suppliers where appropriate to ensure a full optimisation of buying capabilities
- Review and negotiate all service provider contacts as required
- Ensure compliance with relevant internal and State procurement policies
- Maintain a robust set of internal controls around procurement procedures
- Ensure procurement systems and processes remain contemporary and fit for purpose and oversea contract management processes
Facilities
- Assist the State to manage relevant contract terms and obligations of the Private Public Partnership
- Monitor the performance of any outsourced service providers and maintain an effective working relationship
- Develop long term plans for optimal asset management and sustainable space utilisation at 50 Flemington Road and other RCH properties
- Work with other key stakeholders both on and off campus to ensure facilities are fit for organisation purpose and requirement
- Ensure minor and major capital works are undertaken in a timely and efficient manner having regard for Hospital operations
Support Services
- Oversee the management of the Support Services function including ensuring relevant accreditations are maintained
- Ensure outsourced third-party providers have appropriate commercial SLAs in place e.g. Linen, Waste
ICT
- Lead the Information and Technology function to deliver and maintain contemporary fit for purpose enabling technology and a forward-looking digital strategy
- With the CDO, deliver contemporary digital platform for both clinical and non-clinical services as budget permits
- With the CDO, deliver appropriate support and ensure interface with EMR and emerging CHA are able to function optimally, and maximise the value of data to the organisation
- With the CDO, monitor and ensure appropriate cyber security measures are in place
Payroll
- Manage and oversee the outsourced Payroll Service provision by Royal Melbourne Hospital
- Through KPIs, ensure that RCH staff are paid their entitlements on time and in accordance with the obligations under multiple complex Enterprise Agreements
- Sponsor and lead major payroll/rostering system projects in collaboration with RMH leaders and take executive account manager responsibility with major vendors
- Ensure that an effective and collaborative interface exists between Finance, P&C, RCH Payroll Team and RMH Payroll team
Other duties
- Ensure that business practises are observed and continuously improved
- Systems and procedures meet safety, quality, legal, industry and hospital requirements
- Perform other duties and respond to other RCH priorities and projects as required
View the full scope of these in the Position Description.
- Relevant tertiary qualifications, preferably to post-graduate level essential, including membership to either the Institute of Chartered Accountants (CA), CPA Australia, or equivalent
- Background in large, complex health, public sector or corporate organisations
- Proven ability and achievements in leading a major Finance department or division in a complex service delivery environment essential
- Experience in leading non-Finance support teams
- Extensive experience in providing financial and strategic advice as a member of an executive team
- Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing strategic and business plans
- Proven track record of financial performance over a sustained period
- Demonstrable experience in working with a Board
- Demonstrated ability in leading and managing budgeting processes in a large organisation
- Solid understanding of Accounting Standards and Taxation requirements as they apply to a health service
- Experience with or a knowledge of Victorian public sector funding; health funding desirable
- Ability to foster positive relationships across the organisation and with relevant external stakeholders
- High energy, resilient leader and problem solver
- Excellent communication and collaborative leadership skills
- Strategic thinker combined with strong analytical skills
- 1.Strategic Financial Leadership
Proven executive experience leading finance and corporate services in a large, complex organisation, with a strong track record in driving financial sustainability, budget management, and measurable performance outcomes. - 2.Health Sector Knowledge and Change Leadership
In-depth understanding of healthcare systems and funding, with demonstrated success leading significant reform, driving innovation, and embedding a culture of performance and accountability. - 3.Stakeholder Engagement and Influence
Highly developed communication and influencing skills, with experience advising Board and executives, and building productive relationships across government, health networks, and public-private partnerships. - 4.Governance, Risk and Compliance
Strong knowledge of financial, legislative, and audit frameworks, with the ability to manage enterprise risk, ensure compliance, and uphold governance standards in a high-performing environment. - 5. Analytical Thinking and Commercial Acumen
Demonstrated strategic and analytical skills, with the ability to develop robust business cases, identify funding opportunities, and drive commercially sound decisions that support organisational goals.
- FTE: 270
- Annual Budget: $27M
- Direct Reports:
- Director Finance
- Director Management Accounting
- Director Procurement and Supply
- Director Payroll
- Director Infrastructure
- Chief Digital Officer
To be discussed with the Principal Consultant.
Service Location: The Royal Children’s Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville
Classification: HEER Executive Salary
Employment Status: Full Time, Fixed Term - 3 Years
- Employees are required to undertake a National Criminal Record Check and a Working with Children Check prior to commencing employment
- Employees are required to maintain a valid Working with Children’s Check throughout their employment
- Employees are required to maintain compliance with RCHs “Staff Immunisation - Prevention of Vaccine Preventable Diseases” procedure
Quality, Safety and Improvement
RCH employees have a responsibility and accountability to contribute to the organisation’s commitment to Quality, Safety, Excellence and Improvement by:
- Acting in accordance and complying with all relevant Safety and Quality policies and procedures
- Identifying risks, reporting and being actively involved in risk mitigation strategies
- Leading relevant improvement programs
- Complying with the requirements of the National Safety & Quality Health Service Standards
The closing date for applications is Sunday, 31 August 2025
The reference number to include in your application is H25_5182
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: bhammat@hardygroupintl.com
Your application must include:
- 1.Cover letter addressed to the Principal Consultant;
- 2.A written response addressing the key selection criteria; 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:
Rhodie Miller
HardyGroup Principal Consultant
M. +61 (0)422 816 557
E. rmiller@hardygroupintl.com
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One of Melbourne's many art-covered alleyways. Credit
Flinders Street Station at night. Credit
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Our synergistic business model of Executive Search and Recruitment integrated with Executive Leadership and Learning is our unique point of difference.
It ensures our clients can count on us for the lifecycle of their organisations leadership journey and why we are regarded as the leading trans-Tasman partner agency by clients.
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