Operations Director - Patient Flow and Emergency Management
CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
Monash Health
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Executive Summary
- Lead system‑wide patient flow, access, and emergency management across Victoria’s largest health service, optimising care delivery for over 3.8 million episodes annually.
- Drive strategic oversight of infection prevention, immunisation, and emergency preparedness across multiple sites.
- Shape Monash Health’s operational resilience through innovative models of care, business continuity, and integrated service delivery.
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. This newly created leadership role within the Hospitals and Clinics Division provides a unique opportunity to oversee key service enablers critical to the health service’s operations. Responsible for patient flow and bed access across Monash Health’s hospitals, the portfolio also includes infection prevention, immunisation services, customer services and admissions, security, and emergency management. This is a pivotal role ensuring seamless patient care across the service network while strengthening Monash Health’s readiness for future challenges. 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 to the Divisional Director, Hospitals and Clinics, the Operations Director provides strategic and operational leadership across patient flow and emergency management functions. This includes oversight of nursing coordinators, patient transport, security, infection prevention, immunisation, and business continuity strategies. The role is accountable for ensuring safe, efficient, and high‑quality service delivery, optimising patient access across the continuum of care, and driving operational performance. It also plays a key role in enhancing Monash Health’s emergency preparedness, fostering a culture of safety, and supporting effective communication across clinical and operational teams.
THE CANDIDATE
You are an experienced healthcare leader with a strong track record in operational management within complex, multi‑site health services. With tertiary qualifications in nursing, allied health, or a related discipline (and AHPRA registration or professional eligibility), you bring expertise in patient flow, emergency management, and organisational resilience. You are a collaborative and decisive leader, skilled in managing risk, driving system improvements, and fostering high‑performing teams. 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 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
Information specific to the Patient Flow and Emergency Management 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.
Role Specification
Functions, responsibilities and accountabilities of the Operations Director Patient Flow and Emergency Management in addition to those on the overarching Operations Director position description
The Operations Director Patient Flow and Emergency Management, is responsible for the following specialities and services within this portfolio:
- Patient Flow Operations
- Nursing Coordinators
- Bed Access
- Patient Transport
- Infection Prevention
- Monash Immunisation
- Security Services
- Emergency Management and Business Continuity
- Customer Services and Admissions
In addition to the responsibilities and accountabilities required of an Operations Director position, the role will also be responsible for:
- Lead high performing teams across the health service to provide comprehensive and quality care for our local community.
- to provide comprehensive and effective operational leadership across all clinical teams at Monash Health.
- Develop and implement strategies to promote and support effective and responsive communication between all services across the care continuum.
- Effective leadership, direction, decision making and communication across key health service access and flow and Daily Operating Rhythm forums.
- Ensure all Emergency Management and Business Continuity strategies are contemporary for Monash Health.
- Ensure all Infection Prevention Procedures are met across Monash Health.
- Lead Monash Health Immunisation team.
Specific key criteria for this position in addition to those on the overarching Operations Director position description
- Desirable emergency management training certificate.
- Refer to overarching Operational Director position description for key selection criteria.
Site Base: Multiple sites - Melbourne, Victoria
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_5224
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.
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