Position overview

Infrastructure and Health Support Services (IHSS) are an integral part of Canberra Health Services (CHS), delivering essential facility, infrastructure, and support services that enable Canberra Hospital and community-based health services to operate safely and effectively.

As part of IHSS, the Environmental Cleaning Services (ECS) team is responsible for delivering high-quality cleaning services across Canberra Hospital and community-based facilities. The service is essential in the effective operation of the overall health service by ensuring clean, safe and welcoming environments that contribute to clinical operations and a positive experience for everyone who uses our facilities.

The ECS Senior Director is responsible for the leadership, direction and management of the environmental cleaning service across a complex, multi-site healthcare environment. Under broad direction, the role leads this major operational function with significant responsibility for service delivery outcomes, workforce capability, governance, and effective management of human and financial resources, and quality assurance in the delivery of safe, high-quality and responsive services.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Provide leadership, direction and oversight of ECS across a complex healthcare environment, ensuring the delivery of safe, high‑quality, patient-centred services that are aligned with organisational objectives and compliant with legislative and policy requirements.
2. Oversee service performance, quality assurance and compliance, ensuring Work Health and Safety (WHS), risk management, and infection prevention and control requirements are embedded and continuously improved, with appropriate reporting and escalation to executive where required.
3. Manage the ECS team with the support of the Operational Director and setting clear service standards, performance expectations, and effective allocation of human and financial resources.
4. Drive service improvement, innovation and transformation, including workforce development, service redesign and implementation of reform initiatives to enhance quality, safety and efficiency.
5. Lead high-level stakeholder engagement and representation, including negotiating and influencing outcomes with clinical teams, executives and governance forums on complex and sensitive issues.
6. 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:

• Demonstrated senior leadership and management capability, with a proven ability to lead a major function or complex service environment, set operational direction, allocate resources, and deliver outcomes aligned to organisational priorities while fostering a positive workplace culture.
• Highly developed communication, negotiation and influencing skills, with the ability to represent the organisation at senior levels, lead complex stakeholder engagements, and negotiate outcomes.
• Proven leadership and accountability for organisational governance and compliance frameworks, including workplace health and safety, with the ability to establish, monitor and continuously improve systems, culture and practices to meet legislative and policy obligations.
• Demonstrated capacity to exercise judgement in highly complex environments, including interpreting legislation, policy and national standards and guidelines, and making timely decisions to resolve complex operational and workforce challenges.
• Exceptional ability to lead organisational change and transformation, including shaping strategic direction, influencing system-wide reform, and ensuring sustainable, responsive and high-quality services that meet patient, community and workforce needs.
• Demonstrated understanding and application of the principles of patient confidentiality and privacy.
• Ability to respond to and prioritise competing and often urgent matters in a calm and efficient manner while also maintaining high work standards and accuracy.

Qualifications

Specific qualifications and experience include, but is not limited to, the following.

Essential

• Management qualification (or equivalent) or a minimum of five years’ experience in a senior leadership role.
• Knowledge of or the ability to gain an understanding of Infection Prevention and Control processes within a health care facility.

Desirable

• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Experience

Specific experience includes, but is not limited to, the following.

Essential

• Proven experience in leading and managing large service delivery teams preferably in a health care environment.
• Administrative and computer skills, with the ability to use a variety of computer applications, and work within data bases and records management systems.
• Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework and all other related frameworks.

Desirable

• Prior experience in a cleaning or similar industry will be highly desirable.

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.

1. Demonstrated experience and achievement in a leadership and management role with a track record of delivering in complex environments, preferably in a health care environment or other highly regulated sector requiring strict standards compliance.
2. Proven record of managing significant human and financial resources, including strategic workforce planning, budget management, and ensuring efficient, accountable and sustainable service delivery in a complex and dynamic environment.
3. Highly developed interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills, with demonstrated ability to influence, represent and negotiate at senior levels across government, clinical and stakeholder environments on complex and sensitive issues.
4. Demonstrated experience of continued improvement and implementation of, quality systems, risk management, change management, efficiencies, and workplace cultural improvement.
5. 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.