Director, Aeromedical & Special Operations
NSW Ambulance
Support one of the world's most respected aeromedical services and shape the future of critical care and specialised access for over 8 million people across NSW
About NSW Ambulance
NSW Ambulance is one of the largest and most modern ambulance services in the world and stands at the forefront of emergency medical care. It is a division of NSW Health and provides emergency and non-emergency clinical care, retrieval, and specialist patient transport services to a population of over 8 million, delivered by its 8,000 staff through 250 locations across metropolitan and regional NSW.
Aeromedical & Special Operations is a core service delivery directorate of NSW Ambulance and provides specialist coordination, response, treatment and multi-modal transport for pre-hospital incidents, medical retrievals, long distance medical transports, search and rescues and major incidents. We utilise both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft with a statewide fleet of 13 helicopters, 7 fixed wing aircraft and 8 road retrieval ambulances and transport 12,000 patients per year. We are recognised as a thought leader in the sector.
Our Special Operations Unit provides medical support to specialised groups and safely accesses and treats patients in isolated, remote or difficult environments that would normally be outside the scope of normal ambulance operations, including aquatic incidents, vertical access, confined spaces, HAZMAT incidents and working with the NSW Police Force Tactical Operations Unit
About the Role
Due to internal promotion, there is now the need to appoint an exceptional Director Aeromedical & Special Operations. In this high profile, strategic role reporting to the Executive Director Aeromedical & Special Operations, you will:
* Lead and direct service delivery, determining operational priorities, standards and performance measures to ensure strategies are aligned with organisational objectives and outcomes are optimised for patients;
* Ensure the Aeromedical & Special Operations Directorate has the capacity and structure to respond to critical care and other specialist emergency operations, in accordance with agreed performance standards;
* Provide strategic leadership for the development and implementation of change management initiatives, ensuring the Aeromedical & Special Operations Directorate delivers a world class patient journey;
* Lead the development and review of corporate governance, probity and risk management functions and frameworks;
* Foster a culture of innovation, quality improvement and safety;
* Inspire and unite diverse teams of clinical, aviation and support professionals through 5 direct reports and a budget of $289 million, cultivating a high-performance culture that attracts and retains exceptional talent;
* Work closely with the NSW Ambulance executive leadership team, NSW Ministry of Health, Local Health Districts, community groups, other emergency services and a diverse range of external stakeholders.
About You
You're a proven executive leader with a distinguished track record in managing large-scale operations within health, aviation or emergency services / special operations settings. You bring the strategic insight, executive presence and systems thinking capability required to impact complex, state-wide service delivery.
Your capacity to work collaboratively across multi-disciplinary teams is matched by your ability to inspire and energise people to achieve new standards in care, safety and quality. You combine strong strategic capability with genuine passion for healthcare and its impact on communities. Your communication and stakeholder engagement skills are exemplary.
Applying for This Role
Please download the Candidate Information Pack, which includes comprehensive information about the organisation and role.
Please submit your CV and a short statement (no more than 2 pages) in response to the two targeted questions below:
* Describe a complex operational leadership challenge you've managed within health, aviation or emergency services / special operations. Specifically address how you balanced service excellence, safety imperatives, stakeholder expectations and financial constraints while maintaining operational continuity.
* Describe a recent role which demonstrates how you coach your team, build capability and elevate the performance of the team, sharing what elements of your management style helped you achieve this.
Essential Requirements
The successful candidate will possess:
* Appropriate tertiary qualifications and extensive experience as part of a senior / executive management team in a substantial service delivery organisation, ideally within the health, aviation or emergency services / special operations setting.
This is an ongoing, full-time, Band 1 role. An attractive remuneration package within the range of $233,641 to $258,587 per annum (SOORT 2025), with annual performance reviews, will be negotiated with the successful applicant.
The role will be based from the NSW Ambulance State Operations Centre at Sydney Olympic Park.
Please contact Rob Macmillan, Partner, Derwent Search at should you have any additional questions about the role.
Please click here to apply for the advert through the Health Career Portal.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and flexible environment which reflects the community and customers we serve. We actively promote the employment of women, people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQ+ community and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
If you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and would like assistance with your application or to obtain more information on how to apply, please visit our Stepping Up initiative.
To be eligible for employment in these roles you must be an Australian citizen, or a permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen, or hold a valid visa with permission to work in Australia.
NOTES:
* The selection methods for this role are in accordance with the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 and employment arrangements for the NSW public sector.
* Applicants must respond to the two targeted questions and submit an up-to-date resume. For further guidance, refer to Applying for a role in the NSW Public Service.
* Applicants will need to demonstrate their proficiency in the capabilities outlined in the Role Description. These will be assessed through the recruitment process to determine their suitability for appointment. For further information, refer to the NSW Public Sector Capability Framework.
* Take the focus capabilities from the role description and use the Capability Application Tool to access practice interview questions.
* Click here for information on NSW Health
Applications close: Friday 27 February :59pm)