Assistant Director of Clinical Services

Job Description

This is a key senior nursing leadership position for an accomplished and collaborative perioperative leader who combines strong clinical expertise with commercial awareness, operational discipline and the ability to lead.

Working closely with the Director of Clinical Services and hospital executive team, you will provide visible leadership across the perioperative patient journey, ensuring safe, contemporary and patient-centred care while driving operational performance, workforce capability, productivity and sustainable service growth.

About the Role

As Assistant Director of Nursing – Perioperative Services, you will have responsibility for the operational and strategic leadership of perioperative services.

You will provide leadership across:

• Clinical quality, safety and governance
• Theatre and Cath Lab operational performance
• Workforce planning and optimisation
• Patient flow and DOSA efficiency
• CSSD performance and sterilising governance
• Financial and resource management
• Clinical capability and succession planning
• VMO engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration
• Accreditation and regulatory compliance
• Strategic planning and service development
• Continuous improvement and innovation

Strategic Priorities

A key focus of the position will be translating strategy into measurable operational improvement. Priorities will include:

• Optimising theatre utilisation and productivity
• Enhancing the surgical patient journey
• Growing surgical and procedural services
• Workforce strategy and capability
• Data-driven performance management
• Quality and clinical governance
• CSSD optimisation
• Innovation and models of care

About You

You will be an experienced senior nursing leader with substantial perioperative experience and the confidence to lead a complex, high-performing clinical service.

To succeed in this role, you will bring a strong clinical skillset with demonstrated leadership experience. You will have exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage, motivate and influence a range of stakeholders at all levels to achieve positive outcomes. You will be expected to demonstrate a proven track record in developing and fostering a team culture and enhancing the leadership skills of your team consistent with our Ramsay Way values.

Essential Criteria:

• Current registration as a Registered Nurse with AHPRA
• Significant clinical experience within perioperative nursing
• Demonstrated leadership experience within an acute hospital perioperative environment
• Strong operational management and problem-solving capability
• Experience managing workforce, budgets, resources and performance
• A strong understanding of clinical governance, accreditation, risk and quality improvement
• Demonstrated ability to lead change and service improvement
• Highly developed communication, negotiation and stakeholder-management skills
• The ability to build productive relationships with VMOs and multidisciplinary teams
• A leadership style that is visible, accountable, collaborative and supportive
• Postgraduate qualifications in perioperative nursing, leadership, management or a related discipline would be highly regarded

The successful candidate will create a perioperative service where patients receive safe and coordinated care, staff feel supported and accountable, surgeons and proceduralists experience reliable service delivery, and operational performance supports sustainable hospital growth.

You will have the opportunity to influence not only the day-to-day performance of the department, but the longer-term strategic direction of perioperative services.

What’s in it for You:

At Ramsay, we care for our people by offering benefits that truly support your career, wellbeing and lifestyle, including:

• Grow your career with recognition programs, employee referral bonuses, scholarships, free access to LinkedIn Learning and the Ramsay Leadership Academy
• Save more every day with Ramsay Rewards, giving you exclusive deals at 100+ retailers, restaurants, travel providers and more
• Enjoy peace of mind with lower hospital cover costs and higher extras limits on services like General and Major Dental, plus pharmacy and allied health discounts
• Find balance through flexible rostering options, flexible leave and access to free, confidential counselling and wellbeing support 24/7
• Increase your take-home pay through novated leasing, plus discounts on leisure travel, gyms and lifestyle services.

Why Join Ramsay:

At Ramsay Health Care, “people caring for people” is at the heart of everything we do. We are:

• Australia’s largest private hospital operator, with over 74 sites and 35,000 staff
• A values-led workplace where you’ll be supported personally and professionally
• A place with flexible, permanent and career-growth opportunities nationwide.

Qualifications

Additional Information

• Must provide or complete a National Police Check conducted within the previous 12 months.
• According to the role, Ramsay may require a Working-With-Children Check and proof of immunisation against infectious diseases.

Apply:

All applications must be lodged online.

Applications close: 23 November 2026

Application Reference: JR116750

Please Note:

Ramsay Health Care is committed to Child Safety. Details of our commitment are set out in our Code of Conduct, available at www.ramsayhealth.com.au.

Applications made by recruitment agencies will not be considered.