Surgical Outpatient Improvement Lead

Western Health | Surgery, Endoscopy & Anaesthesia Services (SEAS) Division

Footscray Hospital (with travel across Western Health sites as required)

Classification: HS4 | Health and Allied Services Enterprise Agreement

Full time Ongoing Opportunity | 12% Superannuation + Full Public Sector Salary Packaging

Redesign the Surgical Front Door. Transform Outpatient Access. Shape Care for Melbourne’s West.

The surgical journey does not begin inside an operating theatre. It starts months earlier at the outpatient clinic door—with the triage of a referral, the clarity of a care pathway, and the efficiency of clinic scheduling. When outpatient pathways are delayed or fractured, patient outcomes suffer and hospital capacity is strained.

At Western Health, our Division of Surgery, Endoscopy and Anaesthesia Services delivers more than 16,000 elective surgical procedures annually alongside a high-volume acute emergency program. To ensure our diverse community of over one million people accesses timely specialist care, we are delivering an ambitious service redesign program aligned with the landmark Victorian Specialist Clinic Reform.

As our Surgical Outpatient Improvement Lead, reporting directly to the Surgical Reform Manager, you will serve as the strategic and operational engine driving outpatient transformation. Working side-by-side with surgical unit heads, consultant surgeons, clinic managers, and digital health teams, you will turn complex waitlist and clinic utilisation data into real-world service redesigns—optimising referral triage, implementing innovative virtual care models, and eliminating access bottlenecks across all surgical specialities.

Your Scope & Systemic Impact

Working across Footscray, Sunshine, Williamstown, Bacchus Marsh, and Sunbury campuses, your portfolio includes:

- Outpatient Service Redesign: Lead end-to-end service improvement projects across surgical specialities, increasing clinic capacity,



streamlining patient flow, and reducing access delays.
- Referral & Pathway Optimisation: Redesign and standardise referral, intake, and clinical triage pathways to ensure patients are directed to the right surgical specialty or alternative care pathway the first time.
- Data-Driven Performance Insights: Analyse outpatient demand, clinic capacity, non-attendance rates, and waiting list data to uncover system constraints and develop evidence-based interventions.
- Alternative Models of Care: Partner with clinicians to design and deploy contemporary care models, including telehealth, digital virtual clinics, nurse-led clinics, and patient-initiated review pathways.
- Digital & EMR Modernisation: Leverage Electronic Medical Record (EMR) capabilities and digital health platforms to automate clinical workflows and improve the clinician and patient experience.
- Sustainable Change Governance: Lead redesign projects from business-case development through implementation, staff training, operational handover, and post-implementation benefits realisation.

Why Change Leaders Choose Western Health

- High-Impact Public Sector Influence: Lead reform initiatives backed by executive sponsorship that directly enhance patient equity and access across Melbourne’s fast-growing western corridor.
- Permanent Executive Career Foundations: Enjoy the security of a permanent, full-time HS4 public sector appointment with structured career development pathways.
- Maximised Take-Home Pay: Access competitive public sector salary bands,



supported by the legislated 12% superannuation guarantee and full public hospital salary packaging (up to $11,660 in tax-free general living expenses plus meal/entertainment card allowances).
- A Culture of Innovation: Collaborate with visionary clinical and operational leaders in a supportive environment dedicated to continuous improvement and psychological safety.
- Continuous Leadership Growth: Expand your career through bespoke executive learning pathways, project masterclasses, and leadership programs via the Western Health Learning Academy (WHA).

What You Bring

- Relevant Qualifications: Tertiary degree in Health Science, Nursing, Allied Health, Public Health, Business, Project Management, or a related discipline.
- Demonstrated Redesign Capability: Proven experience leading service redesign, continuous quality improvement, Lean/Six Sigma, or healthcare transformation projects within a complex hospital or health service setting.
- Analytical & Data Literacy: Advanced ability to synthesise complex healthcare activity, waitlist, and capacity data into clear operational insights, executive business cases, and actionable strategies.
- High-Level Clinician Engagement: Exceptional interpersonal, negotiation, and influencing skills to build high-trust partnerships with surgeons, nurse unit managers, operational directors, and administrative leaders.
- Policy & Reform Familiarity (Desirable): Practical knowledge of Victorian specialist clinic access policies, planned surgery guidelines, or EMR-enabled workflow optimisation.
- Compliance Checks: Satisfactory National Police Check, Working with Children Check, and Immunisation Clearance prior to commencement.

Step Into a Leadership Role Where Your Ideas Directly Transform Healthcare Delivery.

Applications close 11:59 PM on 14 October 2026.

For role-specific enquiries, please contact Richard Grygiel (Surgical Reform Manager) at [email protected].

📌 Surgical Outpatient Improvement Lead (Melbourne)
🏢 Western Health
📍 Melbourne