Position overview
The Office of the General Manager of Canberra Hospital provides strategic, operational and administrative support to the Canberra Hospital General Manager. The Office supports the General Manager to provide operational, financial and clinical leadership of the Canberra Hospital campus, including clinical services, facilities and patient support services. The Office works in close collaboration with the executive teams across CHS, other directorates and health services.
The Office is located on the Canberra Hospital campus and consists of a Director and Executive Assistant. The Executive Assistant position reports to the Director. The Executive Assistant supports the day-to-day operations of the office and performs key functions relating to office management, administration tasks and projects.
Working closely with the Executive Assistant, the Assistant Director provides high‑level operational, strategic and executive support within the Office of the General Manager. Reporting to the Senior Director, the position works in close partnership with the Offices team, clinical leaders, operational managers and colleagues across directorates to achieve outcomes
To be successful in this role, the incumbent will demonstrate highly developed written and oral communication skills, the ability to operate with agility in a dynamic and fast‑paced environment, and the capacity to rapidly acquire and apply knowledge across a range of complex operational and strategic contexts.
Key Responsibilities
Under limited direction of the Senior Director, you will:
- Provide high-level executive and operational support to the Office of the General Manager, contributing to the effective functioning and continuous improvement of the Integrated Operations Centre.
- Coordinate and prepare briefings and correspondence on behalf of the Office of the General Manager in relation to divisional, cross-divisional, cross-directorate and government business. This includes but is not limited to:
- Internal minutes.
- Consumer feedback and engagement.
- Human Rights Commission.
- Cabinet submissions.
- Ministerial and Assembly material.
- Union correspondence
- Engage, develop and maintain effective relationships with relevant internal and external stakeholders across CHS and other directorates, as well as the community sector and peak bodies.
- Support the Offices governance structures, including meetings, decision logs, actions tracking and performance monitoring/reporting.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and programs addressing core business of the Office of the General Manager, including planning and managing key projects as required.
- Prepare documents, reports and presentations to support the Office of the General Manager to achieve its strategic and operational objectives.
- Monitor and maintain the relevant registers, recommendations and tracking documents to support high quality service provision, preparation of evidence to close recommendations and actions through appropriate governance.
- Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.
Competencies
Specific competencies include but are not limited to the following.
- Ensure knowledge of and compliance with legislative, financial and administrative frameworks, government decision-making processes and agency guidelines and regulations.
- Contribute to the development of team objectives for short-term tasks and strategic planning for longer-term initiatives.
- Contribute to managing change and uncertainty in the workplace.
- Prepare correspondence of a complex nature.
- Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to ensure positive consumer outcomes.
- Make decisions, with direction form more senior staff, on tasks/assignments with considerable complexity and sensitivity.
Qualifications
Specific qualifications include, but are not limited to, the following.
Essential
- N/A
Desirable
- Tertiary level qualification (or equivalent) in a relevant field or equivalent experience.
Experience
Specific experience includes but is not limited to the following.
Essential
- Several years’ work experience in a similar role and role environment.
Desirable
- Previous experience working within a health administration area supporting Executive level officers.
- Experience using HPE Content Manager (also known as TRIM).
- Experience and understanding of Ministerial and consumer feedback processes.
- Have an understanding of the various Enterprise Bargaining Agreements to support consultation processes.
- Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.
- Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, and all other related frameworks.
Prior to commencement
Appointment to this position is conditional on being granted and retaining appropriate clearances:
- Undergo a pre-employment National Police Check.
Important information
All employees are required to:
- Adhere to the Canberra Health Services Values and the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct.
- Act in accordance and comply with all relevant Safety and Quality policies and procedures.
CHS is leading the drive to digitally transform health service delivery in Australia through the implementation of a territory wide Digital Health Record. Computer literacy skills are required, which are relevant to this role as you will be responsible for completing required documentation and becoming a proficient user of the Digital Health Record and/or other Information Technology systems; once proficient, you will need to remain current with changes, updates, and contingencies.
What you Require (Key Selection Criteria)
These are the key selection criteria for how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resumé and experience.
- Proven experience in the preparation and coordination of high-level and high-quality documentation, correspondence, reports and presentations in a health or similar environment.
- Demonstrated exceptional organisational and time management skills with the ability to be proactive, flexible and manage competing priorities in a changing and high-pressure environment.
- Demonstrated high-level interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to liaise, consult and negotiate with stakeholders internally and externally to achieve outcomes.
- Proven experience project management, research and analytical skills with the demonstrated ability to be solutions focused, identify and make sound judgements on sensitive and/or complex issues.
- Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, Work Health and Safety and the positive patient experience. Displays’ behaviour consistent with CHS’s values of reliable, progressive, respectful, and kind.
Work environment description
The following work environment description outlines the inherent requirements of the role and indicates how frequently each of these requirements would need to be performed. Please note that the ACT Public Service is committed to providing reasonable adjustments and ensuring all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace.
| Administrative | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Telephone use | Frequently |
| General computer use | Frequently |
| Extensive keying/data entry | Frequently |
| Graphical/analytical based | Frequently |
| Sitting at a desk | Frequently |
| Standing for long periods | Never |
| Psychosocial demands | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Distressed People e.g. Emergency or grief situations | Occasionally |
| Aggressive & Uncooperative People e.g. drug / alcohol, dementia, mental illness | Occasionally |
| Unpredictable People e.g. Dementia, mental illness, head injuries | Occasionally |
| Restraining e.g. involvement in physical containment of clients/consumers | Never |
| Exposure to Distressing Situations e.g. Child abuse, viewing dead / mutilated bodies; verbal abuse; domestic violence; suicide | Never |
| Physical demands | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Distance walking (large buildings or inter-building transit) | Occasionally |
| Working outdoors | Never |
| Manual handling | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Lifting 0 - 9kg | Occasionally |
| Lifting 10 - 15kg | Never |
| Lifting 16kg+ | Never |
| Climbing | Never |
| Running | Never |
| Reaching | Occasionally |
| Kneeling | Never |
| Foot and leg movement | Occasionally |
| Hand, arm and grasping movements | Occasionally |
| Bending/squatting | Never |
| Bend/Lean Forward from Waist/Trunk twisting | Never |
| Push/pull | Occasionally |
| Sequential repetitive movements in a short amount of time | Occasionally |
| Travel | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Frequent travel – multiple work sites | Never |
| Frequent travel – driving | Never |
| Specific hazards | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Working at heights | Never |
| Exposure to extreme temperatures | Never |
| Operation of heavy machinery e.g. forklift | Never |
| Confined spaces | Never |
| Excessive noise | Never |
| Low lighting | Never |
| Handling of dangerous goods/equipment e.g. gases; liquids; biological. | Never |
| Slippery or uneven surfaces | Never |
Directorate: Canberra Health Services
Division: Office of the General Manager
Business Unit: Office of the Professional Leadership
Position number: P71526
Position title: Assistant Director in the Office of the General Manager
Classification: Senior Officer Grade C
Location: Canberra Hospital, Garran
Reporting relationships: Direct Manager: Senior Director
Manager + 1: General Manager
Canberra Health Services (CHS) is focussed on the delivery of high quality, effective, person-centred care. We provide acute, sub-acute, primary and community‐based health services, to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and surrounding regions. More information can be found on the CHS website.
Our Vision: creating exceptional health care together
Our Role: to be a health service that is trusted by our community
Our Values: Reliable, Progressive, Respectful and Kind