EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FINANCE AND BUSINESS SERVICES
CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
Central Adelaide Local Health Network
We acknowledge and pay respect to the First Nations Kaurna people upon whose ancestral land the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) provides services.
We acknowledge the relationship and deep feelings of attachment between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and country, and we acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the many lands from which our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers travel to receive services.
Executive Summary
- Strategic executive leadership role shaping financial sustainability and business services for South Australia's largest health network
- Lead a $3.4 billion portfolio with direct oversight of a $2.6 billion core budget and a multidisciplinary team of 100 FTE
- Drive integration, performance, and innovation to support excellence in clinical care and service delivery
THE OPPORTUNITY
Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) is seeking an outstanding executive leader to take on the role of Executive Director, Finance and Business Services. As South Australia's largest health network, CALHN delivers world-class care through excellence in clinical practice, research, and innovation. With more than 17,000 employees, CALHN's mission is guided by its values of being People First, Future Focused, Ideas Driven, and Community Minded — values that underpin its commitment to providing exceptional, safe, and connected healthcare for patients and communities.
Based in Adelaide, this role offers the benefits of living in a vibrant and affordable city known for its cultural festivals, thriving dining and wine scene, and easy access to stunning beaches, picturesque hills, and internationally acclaimed wine regions. Adelaide's short commutes, quality education options, and balanced lifestyle make it an attractive destination for senior professionals and their families.
THE ROLE
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the Executive Director, Finance and Business Services provides bold strategic and operational leadership across CALHN's finance, performance, and business services portfolios. The role shapes the network's financial sustainability and strategic agility through oversight of a $3.4 billion portfolio, ensuring resources are optimised to deliver maximum impact for patients, staff, and the community.
Key accountabilities include leading financial governance and strategic resource allocation, embedding a culture of performance accountability, driving system integration between business services and clinical programs, and ensuring CALHN remains adaptive and future-focused. The role spans financial management, business services, performance reporting, procurement, contract management, business development, operational support, and enterprise improvement.
THE CANDIDATE
The successful candidate will need to demonstrate:
- Proven success in leading strategic financial management within large and complex organisations, preferably in the public or health sector;
- The ability to build trust and credibility with senior stakeholders; deep knowledge of financial governance and compliance; and
- A track record in leading high-performing teams and delivering business transformation.
For a confidential discussion, please get in touch with:
Ms Sarah Buckler PSM
Principal Consultant
M. +61 (0)429 486 740
E. sbuckler@hardygroupintl.com
Central Adelaide Local Health Network
Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) is South Australia's largest health network, covering almost 30% of the South Australian population.
We deliver public health services through two major Adelaide hospitals and a range of rehabilitation and mental health facilities. We also deliver specialised community and clinical support services across SA.
Our ambition is to shape the future of health in South Australia through world-class care and world-class research. This is key to achieving our vision of becoming one of the top five performing health services in Australia and one of the top 50 performing health services in the world.
Our Sites and Services
Central Adelaide Local Health Network includes South Australia's major quaternary hospital the Royal Adelaide (RAH), The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH), the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre, and the Repat Health Precinct. CALHN also delivers mental health and primary health care services at Glenside.
We support the health and well-being of the South Australian community through our world-leading sites and specialised community and clinical support services.
Our services not only cater for the health needs of residents from Adelaide's eastern, central and western metropolitan areas, our highly specialised capabilities also provide world-class care to people from rural and remote regions, as well as interstate and overseas.
Our statewide clinical services include Breastscreen SA, SA Pathology, SA Medical Imaging and SA Pharmacy and our community health services include SA Dental, SA Prison Health and Donate Life SA.
Explore all our sites and services.
Our Vision
To shape the future of health with world-class care and world-class research - to become one of the top-five-performing health services in Australia and one of the top-50-performing health services in the world within five years.
Values
Our values and behaviours were defined by our workforce and are the core principles we are all expected to abide by. They reflect our network's aspirations for appropriate workplace behaviour and will play a role in helping build a positive workplace culture. The values and behaviours are our 'being' and help us remain true to our purpose – giving our patients the best possible care.
People first
- I am there for my patients and colleagues when they need me most.
- I put myself in my patients and colleague's shoes to understand their needs.
- I go out of my way to make sure my patients and colleagues achieve the best outcome and have a great experience.
- I respect uniqueness in my colleagues, our patients and their families
Future focused
- I embrace leading practices and use them to evolve our ways of working.
- I lead and support change to improve patient and organisational outcomes.
- I am continually looking out for opportunities to improve.
Ideas driven
- I look and listen to ensure I fully understand the problem and find a solution.
- I look for ways to break down barriers and 'silos' to hear new perspectives and solve complex problems.
- I invest in my own learning and look for opportunities to explore and introduce new ideas.
- I am interested in critical research and how it informs thinking.
Community minded
- I put my hand up to lead work that matters.
- I am accountable and focused on value. I value and champion diversity.
- I embrace collaboration and constructive partnerships.
Strategic Ambition
As we look ahead, we are excited about our future, and are committed to shaping the future of health in South Australia with world-class care and world-class research.
We will work towards connecting care with our partners to wrap holistically around our patients both within our facilities and the community and strive to create a workplace where our people are encouraged and supported to achieve the extraordinary, every day.
Our strategic ambitions are a means to ensure we deliver on our world-class care and research goals and will help us to achieve our vision of becoming one of the top-five-performing health services in Australia and one of the top-50-performing health services in the world, within five years.
Our strategic ambitions recognise our commitment to care, community, investment, research, technology and importantly, recognise the influence of our world-class workforce on our ability to achieve our vision.
Our strategic ambitions are the outcome of extensive consultation and collaboration with our consumers, executive leadership and staff.
Safe and Connected
CALHN's 'safe and connected' approach aims to ensure the safety of both staff and patients, while also fostering connections among teams, leaders, and throughout the patient journey. This approach is integrated into all aspects of CALHN's operations, from decision-making to patient care, with a focus on continuous improvement and performance elevation.
Safe and Connected focuses on 6 areas:
- Aligned goals;
- Organisational rhythm;
- Problem solving;
- Standard processes;
- Clinical excellence; and
- Connected leadership
Click picture for PDF version
Safe and connected healthcare with Emma McCahon - Our People, a CALHN Podcast
In this episode, CALHN's CEO, Dr Emma McCahon, shares her journey in healthcare, from initially aspiring to be a vet to leading one of South Australia's largest health networks. She discusses her experiences in paediatrics, rural and regional medicine, and her approach to leadership, emphasising the importance of creating a supportive environment for healthcare teams. The episode explores CALHN's 'safe and connected' approach and future opportunities for the network.
Role Specification
The Executive Director, Finance and Business Services is a key enabler of CALHN's mission—to deliver world-class, high-performing care through excellence, innovation and connected leadership. This role provides bold strategic and operational direction across CALHN’s finance, performance, and business services portfolios, ensuring the network uses its resources to deliver maximum impact for patients, staff, and the broader community.
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and working in close partnership with health system leaders, the Executive Director plays a pivotal role in shaping the network's financial sustainability and strategic agility. The role leads a diverse portfolio spanning financial management, business services, performance reporting, procurement, contract management, business development, operational support, and enterprise improvement.
With a strong focus on integration and alignment, the Executive Director ensures that finance and business services are responsive to the needs of clinical programs and designed to support proactive decision-making across the organisation. By embedding a culture of accountability, data-driven performance, and commercial insight, the role enables CALHN to remain adaptive, future-focused, and strategically aligned.
The position leads a team of around 100 FTE and manages a $3.4 billion financial portfolio—comprising direct oversight of CALHN's $2.6 billion core budget, peripheral oversight of $0.8 billion in Statewide Clinical Support, and strategic support to the AusHealth Board. Through this leadership, the Executive Director ensures CALHN's financial and operational functions are resilient, effective, and positioned to drive innovation and value across the health system.
The key outcomes required of the role include:
- Provide future-ready financial leadership across CALHN, empowering teams to deliver exceptional care, meet performance targets under the Service Performance Agreement, and maximise the impact of every dollar spent.
- Deliver bold strategic advice on funding models, asset planning, and resource optimisation—translating complex systems into actionable insights that drive smart, forward-looking decisions.
- Produce high-impact executive reporting and strategic financial analysis to inform the CEO and Executive Team, ensuring resource alignment with CALHN's operational and health system objectives.
- Elevate financial governance by championing transparency, reliability, and excellence in data management, systems integrity, and compliance practices.
- Embed performance accountability through fit-for-purpose frameworks that link strategy to delivery—driving performance uplift across every business unit.
- Lead a culture of continuous improvement through data-driven performance reporting, KPI monitoring, and strategic initiative tracking to support agile decision-making.
- Advance contemporary budgeting practices that facilitate strategic resource allocation and empower CALHN to meet SA Health's evolving priorities.
- Align operational strategy with business enablers such as workforce, digital infrastructure, asset and capital programs, and procurement—ensuring seamless integration and efficiency.
- Offer commercial insight to support high-impact decisions in risk management, compliance, and value creation.
- Oversee strategic operations including non-clinical services, facilities, and capital infrastructure, driving alignment, innovation, and service excellence.
- Maintain a trusted partnership with the AusHealth Board and CEO, contributing strategically to governance, commercial performance, and enterprise alignment.
Essential skills, experience and knowledge include:
- Demonstrated success in leading the strategic financial management of a large, complex organisation during periods of reform and change, with a focus on improving effectiveness, accountability, and long-term financial sustainability.
- Proven ability to build trust and credibility with senior internal and external stakeholders, including clinical staff and government agencies, by effectively influencing, negotiating and communicating financial strategy and priorities aligned to organisational goals.
- Extensive experience in the analysis, evaluation and presentation of financial and operational data to executive and board-level audiences, delivering actionable insights that enhance business performance and decision-making.
- Deep understanding of financial governance, audit, and compliance frameworks (preferably within the public or health sectors), with a proven ability to develop robust financial systems and processes that withstand scrutiny and manage organisational risk.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing finance teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement and shared accountability to support service delivery excellence.
- Substantial experience in the strategic oversight of procurement, contract management, and commercial activities within a complex environment, ensuring compliance with public sector frameworks, value for money, risk management, and the delivery of quality outcomes through effective sourcing strategies.
The Executive Director, Finance and Business Services reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer.
Key Relationships:
Internal
- Chief Executive Officer (Direct Line)
- Executive Leadership Team
- Director, Finance Services and Procurement (Direct Report)
- Director, Financial Management and Improvement (Direct Report)
- CALHN Governing Board, predominately through the Finance & Investment sub-Committee
- Strong working relationship with the local health network Program Leadership Teams, clinicians and other service key stakeholders.
External
- Strong working relationship with the Chief Finance Officer, Department for Health and Wellbeing and the integrated Finance services.
- Strong working relationship with the Deputy Chief Executive Officer Performance and Commissioning, Department for Health and Wellbeing
- Strong relationship with Board and Chief Executive Officer, AusHealth.
- Functional relationship with other SA Health local health networks and services.
- Key representative for CALHN in SA Health and SA Government network groups and Finance stakeholder groups.
The Executive Director, Finance and Business Services will lead through transformation in a dynamic health system the following items, but not limited to:
- Working a complex multi-stakeholder environment and building lasting, high-trust relationships across the CALHN Board, Department for Health and Wellbeing, Treasury & Finance, and AusHealth.
- Supporting system reform and realignment by providing strategic financial insight that enables sustainable service redesign in step with SA Health's evolving reform priorities.
- Undertaking finance transformation by embedding a modern governance culture focused on budget ownership, financial literacy, and devolved accountability across CALHN.
- Ensuring enterprise resilience by having financial strategies that remain adaptive, risks are well-managed, and a culture of performance underpins all decision-making.
Staffing: 100 FTE
CALHN Annual Budget: $2.2 Billion (core)
Service Location: Adelaide
Delegations:
- Financial in accordance with CALHN's Delegation of Authority Document
- Human Resources in accordance with CALHN's Delegation of Authority Document
Remuneration: SAES2. A total remuneration package will be negotiated with the successful candidate dependent upon skills and experience. Further details can be discussed with the Principal Consultant.
Special Conditions / General Requirements:
- A contract term up to three years.
- It is mandatory that no person, whether or not already working in SA Health, may be appointed to a position in SA Health unless they have provided a satisfactory current Criminal and Relevant History Screening, as required by the SA Health Criminal and Relevant History Screening Policy Directive.
- Appointment is subject to immunisation risk category requirements. There may be ongoing immunisation requirements that must be met.
- Managers and staff are required to work in accordance with the Code of Ethics for South Australian Public Sector, Directives, Determinations and Guidelines, and legislative requirements.
- Maintain a safe working environment by adopting appropriate management practices and have an understanding of, experience in, and ability to manage legislative requirements of the Work Health and Safety Act 2012.
- Work within the legislative requirements of the Public Sector Act 2009 and the Work Health & Safety Act 2012 (SA), Return to Work Act 2014 (SA), Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Act 2012 (SA) and other relevant Acts and Regulations.
- Achieve performance targets that are negotiated and mutually agreed with the Chief Executive Officer.
PRE-EMPLOYMENT PROBITY CHECKS
Information on a person's suitability for appointment is obtained for all appointments. Potential appointees will be asked whether there are any reasons why they should not be appointed such as: Information on a person's criminal history and other associated probity checks will be sought from those candidates whose application has progressed to shortlisting for interview.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
HG complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), all applications are treated by HG in strict confidence, however in submitting an application you are extending permission to share your application with the Selection Panel.
Personal Information will be used to assess your suitability for appointment to this Position's Health Services. As part of the selection process, personal information will be dealt with in accordance with HG's Privacy Policy and the Information Privacy Act 2009.
The closing date for applications is Sunday, 14 September 2025
The reference number to include in your application is H25_5241
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.
- 4.Pre Employment Declaration
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 fantastic opportunity, please contact:
Ms Sarah Buckler PSM
Principal Consultant
M. +61 (0)429 486 740
E. sbuckler@hardygroupintl.com
LIVING IN ADELAIDE
Adelaide enjoys a reputation for remarkable liveability thanks to its pleasant climate, manageable size and relaxed South Australian pace.
With warm summers, mild winters and generally clear skies, the city balances sophisticated urban living with a laid-back lifestyle, all framed by easy access to coastal and wine-region escapes.
The city has a vibrant cultural identity, with festivals, local music and a strong dining scene thriving across neighbourhood precincts. Known as the Festival State, South Australia hosts a packed calendar of cultural and culinary celebrations, including the world's second-largest Fringe Festival, Adelaide Festival, and Tasting Australia. The city also holds international and national sporting events, with the iconic Adelaide Oval as a centrepiece for sport and entertainment.
Adelaide Oval roof climbers take on the challenge during an Ashes cricket test (Credit)
Leafy suburbs offer both charm and community spirit, and many people appreciate the short commuting distances, affordable housing, and the distinctive character of areas such as North Adelaide, Norwood, Unley and the beachside suburbs of Glenelg and Henley Beach.
Golden hour at Glenelg Beach (Credit)
The Adelaide Botanic Gardens are a green serene paradise in the middle of the city (Credit)
Nature is never far away. Just 20 minutes from the city centre are pristine beaches, hills made for hiking, and the surrounding park lands that wrap around the CBD. Beyond Adelaide, regional South Australia offers dramatic landscapes, national parks, and abundant wildlife - from rugged coastlines to outback ranges and hidden caves.
Education is well catered for across metropolitan Adelaide, with a mix of high-quality public and private schools and several world-class tertiary institutions including the University of Adelaide, University of South Australia and Flinders University.
A barrel at Yalumba Wines, Angaston (Credit)
Food and wine are central to life in Adelaide, with a proud reputation as one of the Great Wine Capitals of the World. The city is home to top chefs, boutique producers, and the iconic Adelaide Central Market - one of the largest undercover fresh produce markets in the southern hemisphere.
With its blend of social vibrancy, natural beauty, culinary excellence, education and liveability, Adelaide offers a welcoming and well-balanced setting in which to live, learn and thrive.
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.