Department of Health

The Department of Health holds an annual recruitment round for part-time board director and chair positions for:

  • public health services, including Ambulance Victoria, HealthShare Victoria and the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare) and
  • public hospitals, including multi-purpose services and early parenting centres.

These positionsExternal Link provide an opportunity for members of the Victorian public to contribute to the strategic leadership of health care delivery to the community.

The department is committed to growing and strengthening boards to reflect the rich diversity of Victorian communities.

Current positions

The Department of Health is pleased to invite applications for the 2024 part-time board director positions for the Forensicare board.

Potential board directors (including those seeking reappointment) can apply online via the Join a public boardExternal Link website. This link will take you to the current board vacancies. On this page search for 'Forensicare', which will be listed as follows: Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare) – Board Directors.

Reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process will be provided upon request.

Applications for the 2024 recruitment round have closed for other board positions. The next annual recruitment is expected to commence in late October 2024.

Public health service boards

Public health services include Victoria’s major metropolitan and regional health services such as:

  • Austin Health
  • Monash Health
  • Goulburn Valley Health
  • Latrobe Regional Health.

Public hospital boards

Public hospitals include:

  • Victoria’s rural public hospitals, such as Beaufort and Skipton Health Service, Mildura Base Public Hospital and South Gippsland Hospital
  • Multi-purpose services, such as Alpine Health and Orbost Regional Health
  • Early Parenting Centres (2 are included) – The Queen Elizabeth Centre and Tweddle Child and Family Health Service.

For the complete list of public health services and public hospitals, visit our Public hospitals in Victoria page.

Diversity on boards

We are committed to growing and strengthening boards and committees to reflect the richness of diverse Victorian communities. It is our responsibility to ensure the leadership of our health system is culturally competent, inclusive, accessible, and safe.

We encourage applications from all Victorians with interest and expertise in public health, including:

  • Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
  • people from all age groups and abilities
  • multicultural diverse communities
  • people who identify with LGBTIQA+ communities
  • people who live in rural and regional Victoria.

Board Director Capability Framework

The Framework

The Board Director Capability Framework (the Framework) has been developed to help board directors and chairs understand what is important in building an effective board to oversee the Victorian public health services.

It also informs potential board members about the personal attributes and range of capabilities needed to serve on a Victorian public health service board.

Attributes and capabilities of board directors

Board directors, as leaders of public health services, are an integral part of the Victorian health system.

Appointed by the relevant portfolio Minister, directors are selected for their attributes and capabilities that contribute to good governance and support a culture of inclusiveness and integrity.

All the attributes outlined in the Framework are essential, however some capabilities will depend on the strategic outlook of the organisation and may be prioritised by a board based on its strategic focus.

We also recognise that board directors will continue to develop their capabilities from their personal and professional experience while on a public health service board.

Eligibility requirements

The eligibility requirements are underpinned by the principle of supporting a culture of integrity, transparency and actively managing conflict of interest.

The following criteria apply to applicants who are Victorian Public Sector employees:

  • Current employees or contractors of the Department of Health (including an employee on secondment to the department) are not eligible for these board appointments.
  • Current employees of a health service are not eligible for appointment to the board of their employing health service.
  • Current employees are eligible for appointment to the board of another health service (subject to employer approval) unless that health service has announced plans to explore an amalgamation with their employing health service.
  • Former employees of a health service are eligible for appointment to the board of that health service if their employment ended more than 18 months before the closing date for applications.

Employees of the Victorian Public Service are employees of:

  • Victorian Government departments
  • Statutory authorities (including public health services, public hospitals and multi-purpose services), and
  • other entities (but excluding local government and universities)
  • Please note that health board chairs and directors are classified as public officials and not Victorian Public Sector employees.

The document - Board Eligibility criteria for Victorian public sector employees - provides further information for Victorian Public Sector Employees, including guidance for eligibility for remuneration:

Term of appointments

All recommendations for appointment and reappointment are based on what serves the best interests of the entity (and the community) and not the individual.

While there is a maximum number of years or terms that can be served on a board, it is not guaranteed that existing chairs and directors will automatically be reappointed to serve the maximum allowable tenure.

The document - Tenure of board directors, provides further guidance for boards and directors (including chairs):

The department collects personal information as part of the application process. By submitting an application, you are consenting to the department collecting and using the information as outlined in the Personal Information and Privacy Consent Form.

If you choose not to disclose information that is required to assess eligibility and undertake probity checks, the progress of the application may be affected. Please read the Personal Information and Privacy Consent Form before starting your application:

Reviewed 20 February 2024

Health.vic

Contact us

Health Service Governance Unit Department of Health

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