Head of Unit – Emergency Department, Central Gippsland Health

Sale, Victoria | Full-Time (1.0 FTE) | Senior Medical Leadership Opportunity

About Central Gippsland Health

Central Gippsland Health (CGH) is a major provider of health and aged care services across the Wellington Shire, delivering integrated healthcare to communities throughout Central Gippsland and beyond.

Operating across Sale, Maffra and Heyfield, CGH provides a comprehensive range of acute, subacute, specialist and community-based health services. These include a 24-hour Emergency Department, Critical Care Unit, neonatal critical care services, operating theatres, oncology, dialysis, general medical and surgical services, and rehabilitation.

Sale Hospital's Emergency Department supports more than 18,000 presentations annually and is staffed by experienced medical, nursing and multidisciplinary teams. The department operates with an electronic medical record system and is recognised for Australasian College for Emergency Medicine Certificate and Diploma training.

With a strong commitment to clinical education, professional development and continuous improvement, CGH is focused on delivering secure, accessible and high-quality healthcare that responds to the needs of its regional communities.

About the Role

Central Gippsland Health is seeking an accomplished and forward-thinking medical leader to join the organisation as Head of Unit – Emergency Department.

Reporting to the Director of Medical Services, the Head of Unit will provide strategic, professional and operational leadership for the Emergency Department at Sale Hospital, with accountability for promoting safe, timely, effective, equitable and person-centred emergency care.

This senior leadership position combines clinical expertise with responsibility for service planning, workforce leadership, clinical governance, operational performance and continuous improvement.

The role is a full-time 1.0 FTE appointment, comprising 0.4 FTE dedicated to non-clinical leadership responsibilities and 0.6 FTE to specialist clinical practice within the Emergency Department.

Working closely with the Director of Medical Services, nursing leadership,



the CGH Executive and multidisciplinary colleagues, you will lead the development of high-performing clinical teams, strengthen governance and accountability, and drive improvements in patient access, flow, safety and service delivery.

A central focus will be combining technical leadership, including the application of evidence, clinical standards and reliable systems, with adaptive leadership that builds engagement, navigates complexity and enables sustainable improvements in culture and practice.

You will also contribute directly to emergency clinical care, medical supervision, shift leadership and on-call responsibilities, maintaining a strong connection between clinical practice and organisational leadership.

About You

You are an experienced senior medical specialist and credible clinical leader with the ability to inspire multidisciplinary teams, manage complex operational challenges and drive sustainable improvements in emergency healthcare delivery.

You bring strong clinical judgement, emotional intelligence and a collaborative leadership style, together with demonstrated experience in clinical governance, workforce development and service improvement.

You will have:

- Current registration as a medical practitioner with the Medical Board of Australia, without conditions or undertakings incompatible with the role.
- Specialist registration and fellowship of an appropriate Australian medical specialist college, such as FACEM, FACRRM or FRACGP (rural generalist), with FACEM preferred.
- Eligibility for appointment and credentialing at Central Gippsland Health.
- Demonstrated senior clinical leadership and management experience, including the ability to lead complex multidisciplinary teams.
- Proven capability in clinical governance, patient safety,



quality improvement, risk management and clinical audit.
- Experience managing, mentoring and developing senior medical staff, specialists in training and junior medical practitioners.
- Strong understanding of workforce planning, operational performance, resource management and service delivery improvement.
- Demonstrated ability to lead organisational change, engage stakeholders and build shared accountability for outcomes.
- Highly developed communication, negotiation, conflict-management and interpersonal skills.
- A commitment to person-centred care, cultural safety, professional standards and continuous leadership development.
- Postgraduate qualifications in health service management, clinical leadership, public health, quality and safety, business administration or a related discipline will be highly regarded, as will experience in regional or rural public healthcare.
- Importantly, you will be an emotionally intelligent and values-driven leader who can combine clinical credibility with strategic thinking, sound management practices and the ability to bring people together to achieve meaningful and lasting improvement.

Why Join Central Gippsland Health?

Lead a Critical Regional Health Service - Shape the strategic and clinical direction of emergency care at Sale Hospital.

Combine Leadership with Clinical Practice - Maintain an active specialist clinical role alongside dedicated leadership responsibilities.

Drive Service Improvement - Influence clinical governance, patient flow, workforce capability and the delivery of safe, high-quality emergency care.

Develop High-Performing Teams - Lead, mentor and support medical specialists, trainees and junior medical staff.

Contribute to Clinical Education - Support specialist training, professional development and partnerships with medical education providers.

Make a Meaningful Community Impact - Help strengthen access to emergency healthcare for communities across Central Gippsland.

Enjoy a Regional Lifestyle - Build a rewarding senior medical leadership career in Sale, within the Gippsland region.

📌 Head of Unit – Emergency Department (Sale)
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