Operations Director Mental Health
CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
Monash Health
We respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and commit to building a brighter future together
Executive Summary
- Lead Victoria’s largest mental health and wellbeing service, delivering integrated, recovery‑oriented care across inpatient, community, and specialist programs.
- Drive service reform, innovation, and workforce development in alignment with state and national mental health policy and legislative frameworks.
- Shape the future of mental health care through partnerships with consumers, carers, clinicians, and government to deliver trauma‑informed, person‑centred services.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Monash Health is Victoria’s largest and most comprehensive health service, providing safe, high‑quality care across more than 40 locations to a rapidly growing and diverse population. Monash Health Mental Health is the largest mental health and wellbeing service in the state, providing a full continuum of care – from inpatient to community and specialist programs – across the Casey, Cardinia, Greater Dandenong, Kingston, and Monash regions. Its extensive portfolio includes adult and older adult services, early‑in‑life mental health programs, forensic mental health, drug and alcohol services, a gender clinic, and specialist programs such as the Wellness and Recovery Centre. Recruitment for this role forms part of a recent broader organisational restructure at Monash Health, incorporating a more contemporary and future-fit leadership structure across all Divisions. This is a career‑defining opportunity to lead a complex, high‑impact portfolio at the forefront of Victoria’s mental health reform agenda.
THE ROLE
Reporting to the Divisional Director, Medicine, Aged, Community and Mental Health, the Operations Director provides strategic and operational leadership for Monash Health’s mental health program. This includes oversight of inpatient, community, and residential services across multiple sites and specialist programs. The role is accountable for ensuring safe, high‑quality, recovery‑oriented care, optimising service access and flow, and embedding trauma‑informed and person‑centred models of care. It also involves driving workforce development, operational performance, and financial sustainability, while partnering with government agencies, community organisations, and consumers to deliver innovative and integrated mental health services.
THE CANDIDATE
You are a senior healthcare leader with substantial experience managing large‑scale mental health services across inpatient, community, and specialist settings. With tertiary qualifications in health, nursing, allied health, or a related discipline (and AHPRA registration or professional eligibility), you bring a deep understanding of the Victorian mental health system, including the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022, relevant service frameworks, and compliance standards. You are an inclusive and reform‑focused leader, skilled at driving strategic change, building high‑performing multidisciplinary teams, and delivering safe, recovery‑oriented care that meets the needs of diverse populations. Postgraduate qualifications in management, leadership, or health administration are essential (or you are actively working towards them).
For a confidential discussion about this role, you are welcome to contact Andrew Slattery, Divisional Director, Medicine, Aged, Community & Mental Health on M: +61 (0)459 941 148
E: Andrew.Slattery@monashhealth.org or alternatively you can speak with Rhodie Miller, Principal Consultant at HardyGroup M: +61 (0)422 816 557
Please note: If you wish to apply for more than one vacancy at Monash Health, you will need to submit a separate application for each role via our portal.
Monash Health
Monash Health is Victoria’s largest and most comprehensive health service. For more than 170 years, Monash Health and its predecessors have provided safe, high-quality healthcare for people at every life stage.
With more than 24,000 employees, we provide care to south-eastern metropolitan Melbourne and rural Victoria from over 40 locations, via telehealth, within local communities and in people’s homes. Each year:
- We provide more than 3.8 million episodes of care to our community,
- More than 310,000 people are admitted to our hospitals,
- Close to 269,000 people receive care at our four emergency departments,
- We respond to more than 65,000 ambulance arrivals,
- We perform more than 82,000 surgical operations, and
- We birth more than 10,500 babies.
As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to a fair, non-discriminatory workplace that maximises the talent, potential and contribution of all.
Monash Health is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children, including those under the care and supervision of its services. Monash Health recognises the importance of, and its responsibility for, ensuring a safe and supportive environment which respects the rights of children and fosters their enrichment and wellbeing.
Monash Health’s approach to creating and maintaining a child safe environment is guided by the core belief that every child has access to world class care and support. Applicants must familiarise themselves with Monash Health’s Code of Conduct and Child Safety Policy available on our website.
Our Values
Integrity: Honesty, open and transparent, admit mistakes, maintains confidentiality, fairness, builds trust.
Compassion: Empathy, sensitivity, concern for others, interacts with dignity, tolerance, anticipates needs
Accountability: Understands roles, uses resources wisely, delivers on time, timely decision making, achieves stretch goals, takes responsibility for performance
Respect: Builds relationships, courteous, listens and understands, gives, and receives feedback, sensitivity and understanding, values difference and individual worth
Excellence: Supports creativity and innovation, proactive and solution-focused, seeks out opportunities, embraces quality improvement, professionalism
Information specific to the Mental Health portfolio
Monash Health Mental Health is the largest mental health and wellbeing service in Victoria and provides a range of community, bed-based and specialist services covering the Casey, Cardinia, Greater Dandenong, Kingston and Monash LGAs (local government areas) for consumers, their families, and caregivers.
The Program has a number of clinical units including adult units (comprising adult and older adult services), an Early in Life Mental Health Service (comprising infant, child, and adolescent and youth services), Psychology and Specialist Services, Drug & Alcohol services and Gender Clinic.
The Operations Director Mental Health’s role scope encompasses all inpatient, community and residential based mental health services across all ages located within the community and at Casey Hospital, Dandenong Hospital, Kingston Centre, Monash Medical Centre Clayton and Monash Children’s Hospital.
Victorian Dual Disability Service
Our specialist community dual disability service is for people aged 16 years and over with mental illness and intellectual disability. We also have a state-wide residential facility for people with mental illness and intellectual disability or neurological disability. The service offers support and rehabilitation for adults aged 18-64 for around 6-12 months.
Alcohol and drug services
We provide a broad range of alcohol and drug services in the community, including a needle syringe program, a Hepatitis C service, and counselling services. We also have a community residential withdrawal unit.
Specialist services
We provide a number of specialist services, including psychological therapy services, an eating disorder service, and a gender dysphoria clinic. We also have a Perinatal Infant Inpatient Unit that provides mental health treatment and support for expectant mothers and mothers with newborn babies.
Role Specification
Functions, responsibilities and accountabilities of the Operations Director Mental Health in addition to those on the overarching Operations Director position description
The Operations Director Mental Health, is responsible for the following specialities and services within this portfolio:
Younger Persons Mental Health Operations
- Ward Oasis Child
- Ward Stepping Stones
- Ward Unit 2
- Early in Life Mental Health Services (ELMHS) Community services
- Youth Community Mental Health Services
Specialty Mental Health Operations
- Community Service – Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD)
- Community Residential Withdrawal Unit (CRWU)
- Wellness and Recovery Centre (WRC); eating disorders
- Forensic Mental Health (MH FACT)
- Forensic Community Service (FCS)
- Sexual Safety
- Gender Clinic
- Adult Autism Program
- Early Intervention Psychosocial Response (EIPS)
Adult and Older Adult Mental Health Operations
Clayton inpatient and community Mental Health Services
- Ward P Block
- Parent Infant Inpatient Unit (PIIU)
- Perinatal infant MH team (PIMHT)
- Community Services
Dandenong inpatient and community Mental Health Services
- Ward Unit 1
- Service Manger SECU - Unit 4 and SECU Diversion
- Community services
- Dandenong Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub
Casey inpatient and community Mental Health Services
- Ward E and Ward E Extension
- South Eastern Private Hospital (SEPH)
- Community services
- Transitional Support Unit (TSU) and Mental Health Intellectual Disability Initiative (MHID) -A/Stronger Together
Older Adult inpatient, community and residential Mental Health Services
- Ward Biala
- Ward Unit 3
- Community Services
In addition to the responsibilities and accountabilities required of an Operations Director position, the role will also be responsible for:
- Provide strategic and operational leadership of Monash Health’s mental health services across the care continuum (acute, community, and residential), ensuring high-quality, safe, and person-centred care aligned with legislative and policy frameworks.
- Lead service performance, planning, and reform, ensuring access, flow, and responsiveness meet clinical demand while aligning with state and national mental health reform initiatives.
- Ensure effective workforce management, including recruitment, retention, and development of the multidisciplinary team, fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusion, wellbeing, and continuous professional growth.
- Oversee financial, clinical, and operational performance, ensuring budget accountability, efficient resource utilisation, and achievement of KPIs, while driving service improvement and innovation.
- Build and maintain partnerships with consumers, carers, clinical leaders, government agencies, and
Specific key result areas of the Operations Director Mental Health in addition to those on the overarching Operations Director position description
- Refer to overarching Operational Director position description for key selection criteria.
Specific key criteria for this position in addition to those on the overarching Operations Director position description
- Required: understanding of the Victorian mental health system including Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022, funding models, service frameworks and compliance standards.
- Refer to overarching Operational Director position description for key selection criteria.
Site Base: Multiple sites (including residential and community locations) -Melbourne, Victoria
Division: Medicine, Aged, Community and Mental Health
Term: 5-year Health Executive Employment and Remuneration (HEER) contract
Please note: If applying for multiple vacancies at Monash Health, a separate application is required for each role via our portal. You may submit a single cover letter outlining the roles applied for, and reuse Selection Criteria responses where appropriate. Please also address any role-specific criteria, if applicable.
The closing date for applications is Friday, 15 August, 5pm
The reference number to include in your application is H25_5214
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, Aldie Zuñiga: M: +61 494 101 082 /
E: azuniga@hardygroupintl.com
Your application must include:
- 1.Cover letter addressed to the Divisional Director;
- 2.A written response addressing the selection criteria including role specific selection criteria (maximum 2 pages)
- 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 about this role, you are welcome to contact Andrew Slattery, Divisional Director, Medicine, Aged, Community & Mental Health on M: +61 (0)459 941 148 | E: Andrew.Slattery@monashhealth.org alternatively you can speak with Rhodie Miller, HardyGroup Principal Consultant.
Rhodie Miller
HardyGroup Principal Consultant
M. +61 (0)422 816 557
E. rmiller@hardygroupintl.com
LIVING AND WORKING IN MELBOURNE
Regularly ranked among the world’s most liveable cities, Melbourne offers a vibrant lifestyle that combines cultural sophistication with a relaxed Australian atmosphere.
Often referred to as the nation’s cultural capital, the city is renowned for its festivals, food, music, theatre, and art. From the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and White Night to Moomba and the Australian Open, there is always something to see or do.
Melbourne’s streets are a blend of heritage architecture and modern design. Its famous laneways are dotted with cafés, street art, and hidden galleries. Popular landmarks include Federation Square, the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Melbourne Zoo, and the National Gallery of Victoria. Beyond the city, residents can easily access scenic destinations such as the Dandenong Ranges, Mornington Peninsula, and Great Ocean Road.
One of Melbourne's many art-covered alleyways. Credit
Flinders Street Station at night. Credit
A wide variety of housing options are available, from contemporary city apartments to spacious suburban homes. Neighbourhoods have their own unique character, whether it’s the beachside charm of St Kilda, the urban energy of Fitzroy, or the family-friendly feel of suburbs to the east. Melbourne also offers a reliable public transport system, including trams, trains and buses, making it easy to navigate.
Families benefit from access to quality education, with a mix of well-regarded public and private schools, as well as some of Australia’s top universities. The city’s multicultural population adds to its welcoming and inclusive feel, offering a strong sense of community.
Melbourne combines culture, lifestyle, and liveability, making it an ideal place to settle and enjoy all that a world-class city has to offer.
ABOUT US
HardyGroup’s (HG) mission is simple
Find and Grow Great Leaders - and we have been doing exactly that for more than 30 years in public and private health, primary, community and aged care as well as the broader public service.
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.
When engaging HG you can be confident in a deeply personalised experience and service as nothing matters more to us than relationships and results.