Operations Director / Director of Nursing, Monash Medical Centre Clayton
CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
Monash Health
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Executive Summary
- Lead operations at one of Victoria’s largest and most complex teaching hospitals, delivering world‑class emergency, medical, surgical, and specialty care.
- Drive clinical and operational excellence across multi‑disciplinary teams in a major tertiary facility, fostering innovation and continuous improvement.
- Shape the future of Monash Medical Centre Clayton, influencing service design, cultural development, and patient‑centred models of care.
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 Medical Centre (MMC) Clayton is a major teaching and research hospital providing a broad range of specialist medical, surgical, emergency, intensive care, allied health, and palliative care services. As part of the Hospitals and Clinics Division, this role offers a career‑defining opportunity to lead the operations of one of Victoria’s key tertiary facilities, ensuring seamless delivery of complex, patient‑centred care in a high‑volume, multi‑disciplinary environment. 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 for an accomplished leader to make a significant impact within a complex and progressive health organisation.
THE ROLE
Reporting operationally to the Divisional Director, Hospitals and Clinics, and professionally to the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, the Operations Director / Director of Nursing provides strategic and operational leadership across Monash Medical Centre Clayton. This includes oversight of emergency and intensive care, general and specialty medicine, and surgical services, with accountability for safe, high‑quality care, workforce engagement, and financial and operational performance. The role sets the cultural and behavioural framework for the hospital, fostering collaboration across multidisciplinary teams and driving innovation in models of care to meet the complex needs of the community.
THE CANDIDATE
You are an experienced senior nurse leader with substantial expertise in managing complex hospital operations within large health services. With current AHPRA registration as a Registered Nurse and postgraduate qualifications in management, leadership, or health administration (or actively working towards them), you bring strong skills in clinical and operational governance, strategic planning, and financial management. You are a collaborative and innovative leader, committed to driving cultural excellence, enhancing patient experience, and fostering high‑performing teams.
HOW TO APPLY
For a confidential discussion about this role, you are welcome to contact Stuart Cavill, Divisional Director Hospitals and Clinics, on M: +61 (0)414 329 531 or E: Stuart.Cavill@monashhealth.org. Alternatively, you can speak with Rhodie Miller, Principal Consultant at HardyGroup, on 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
About the Monash Medical Centre Clayton portfolio
Monash Medical Centre (MMC) is a major teaching and research hospital providing a comprehensive range of specialist surgical, medical, allied health and palliative care services. MMC also provides emergency care and specialist services, including intensive care.
The Operations Director/Director of Nursing (DON) Monash Medical Centre Clayton will be accountable for leading and managing the operation of the portfolio.
The specific accountabilities will include the delivery of agreed service profiles, financial performance within budget, and ensuring the highest levels of quality and safety. The delivery of these will be supported by managing risk, patient safety and clinical governance within the Program and ensuring that effective systems are in place to support a high standard of practice.
This role will be integral in setting the behavioural framework and culture of the site and will be responsible for the effective management of employees and their development, supporting clinicians to identify opportunities for new services and changes in the way we provide services.
Role Specification
Responsibilities and Accountabilities Specific to Operations Director / Director of Nursing MMC Clayton
The Operations Director / Director of Nursing MMC Clayton, is responsible for the following specialities and services within this portfolio:
- Emergency & Intensive Care Operations
- Adult Emergency Department
- Intensive Care Unit
- Clinical Nurse Consultants
- General Medicine Operations
- Ward 40
- Ward 41
- Ward 42
- McCulloch House
- Clinical Nurse Consultants
- Specialty Medicine Operations
- Ward 32
- Ward 44
- Medical Infusion Unit
- Clinical Trials Centre
- Diabetes
- Clinical Nurse Consultants
- Surgery Operations
- Ward 33
- Ward 34
- Ward 54
- Neurosciences
- MMC Day Procedure Unit / Transit Lounge
- Clinical Nurse Consultants
In addition to the responsibilities and accountabilities required of an Operations Director / Director of Nursing position, the role will also be responsible for:
- leading high performing teams within Monash Medical Centre Clayton to provide consistent, comprehensive, collaborative care for our local community.
- To provide comprehensive and effective operational leadership across all clinical teams at Monash Medical Centre Clayton.
- Holds a strategic leadership portfolio aligned with a Program Medical Director, ensuring coordinated clinical and operational priorities across the service.
Site Base: Monash Medical Centre Clayton, Clayton, Melbourne VIC
Division: Hospitals and Clinics
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_5219
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 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 Stuart Cavill, Divisional Director Hospitals and Clinics, on M: +61 (0)414 329 531 or E: Stuart.Cavill@monashhealth.org. Alternatively, you can speak with Rhodie Miller, Principal Consultant at HardyGroup, on M: +61 (0)422 816 557.
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
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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.