Executive Director, Medical Services and Clinical Governance

• Perform a critical role in providing leading statewide healthcare to women, babies, children and young people by shaping and fostering values based leadership and consumer centred organisational culture.
• Take a rare opportunity to be part of a progressive and innovative leadership team at the forefront of an exciting transformation as we progress towards the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
• Shape medical workforce, clinical governance, safety and quality across South Australia’s leading statewide tertiary women’s and children’s health service.
• Live and work in one of the world’s most liveable cities with beautiful beaches, world class festivals and sporting events, premium food and wine regions, and an easy commute that supports better work-life balance.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Women’s and Children’s Health Network (WCHN) is South Australia’s principal provider of specialist paediatric, obstetric, neonatal and gynaecological services and the lead agency for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. It delivers acute, sub-acute and community-based services across the continuum of care and supports families not only from South Australia, but also from the Northern Territory, Far West New South Wales and Western Victoria.

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Executive Director Medical Services and Clinical Governance (EDMSCG) is an integral member of the Senior Executive Leadership Team. The portfolio combines medical leadership with enterprise responsibility for governance, safety, quality and clinical risk.

Based in Adelaide, the role offers the opportunity to contribute to a stable and aligned executive team while shaping statewide service delivery and playing a pivotal role in preparation for the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital. It is a rare opportunity to influence models of care, medical workforce strategy and governance systems at scale.

THE ROLE

The EDMSCG is accountable for providing overall clinical vision and direction to the organisation and ensuring that culture, systems and practice enable the delivery of excellent, evidence-based care.

Key elements of the role include:

• Acting as the principal medical authority within the organisation and ensuring medical perspectives inform executive strategy, policy and resource allocation.
• Leading enterprise clinical governance, safety and quality, including accreditation, risk management and continuous improvement frameworks.
• Providing professional leadership to Divisional Clinical Directors and senior medical staff.
• Overseeing medical workforce planning, job planning, performance management and succession planning to ensure sustainability and optimal workforce utilization.
• Leading medical education and training across the Network, including oversight of the Trainee Medical Officer Unit and partnerships with universities
• Partnering closely with the Executive Director of the New Women’s and Children’s Hospital project to support readiness, commissioning, system configuration and the transition leading up to 2031.

The role requires the capacity to balance strategic reform with operational credibility, and to embed a governance culture that embeds excellence and continuous improvement.

THE CANDIDATE

The successful candidate will be a senior medical leader with executive-level experience in complex tertiary environments and demonstrated capability in strategic health leadership. Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (FRACMA or AFRACMA) is strongly preferred.

Along with the essential criteria detailed in the role description the ideal candidate will bring:

• Gravitas, credibility and the interpersonal authority to lead senior clinicians and partner with and influence across disciplines.
• A proven ability to set enterprise clinical governance strategy and deliver sustained safety and quality improvement.
• Strong political acumen and system-level awareness, with the ability to engage effectively with government, unions, universities and external stakeholders.
• Experience leading cultural change, resolving complex workforce matters and building trusted relationships with the medical workforce.
• An enterprise mindset — able to operate beyond divisional silos and align medical leadership with organisational strategy and reform priorities.

This is a role for a confident, strategic and values-driven medical executive who can strengthen professional leadership, mature governance systems and partner effectively with the CEO and executive team to position WCHN for its next chapter.

For a confidential discussion, please get in touch with:

Janine Hammat
​HG Principal Consultant
​M. +61 (0)488 555 858 | E. jhammat@hardygroupintl.com

HOW TO APPLY

The closing date for applications is Sunday, 12 April 2026.

The reference number to include in your application is H26_5416.