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* Clinical Research Director - Discovery & Innovation Unit
* Provide strategic clinical leadership to grow and strengthen research at Austin Health
* Fixed term 5-year appointment, part time (up to 24 hours per week)
* Located at the Austin Hospital in Heidelberg
Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education and research across three campuses in the north-east of Melbourne and statewide. We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our goal to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives.
About the Discovery & Innovation Unit
The Discovery & Innovation Unit provides organisational leadership, governance, and operational support for all research activity conducted at the health service. We ensure research across the organisation meets the highest standards of ethical conduct, scientific integrity, legal compliance, and accreditation requirements. We oversee research ethics and governance, contracts, research agreements, clinical trials coordination, research integrity, and compliance reporting functions.
Through collaboration with the clinician-researchers, research partners, universities, industry sponsors, and government bodies, the Discovery and Innovation Unit plays a central role in enabling safe, high-quality, and impactful research that advances patient care, clinical practice, and scientific discovery.
We are committed to fostering a thriving research culture that supports innovation, engages and protects research participants, and builds research capacity for the future.
About the role
As the Clinical Research Director, Discovery & Innovation Unit, you will:
* Provide strategic clinical leadership to grow and strengthen research at Austin Health, with a focus on clinician-researcher development, research excellence, and fostering a vibrant research culture.
* Advise on clinical research priorities, oversee HREC Chairs for ethical review governance, and lead initiatives such as fellowships and targeted grants.
* Work in partnership with the Director of Operations, Discovery & Innovation Unit, who holds the responsibility for the end-to-end delivery of research governance, compliance, ethics, contracts, and reporting functions. Research Operations ensures institutional adherence to legislation, accreditation standards, and funding agreements.
* Provide clinical leadership and advisory input into research operations to align operational systems with clinical research needs.
About you
You will be someone who has a demonstrated commitment to ethical leadership and to fostering a culture of research excellence, transparency, and compliance in a public health service context. You will further bring with you:
* Demonstrated senior-level experience in health and medical research leadership.
* Extensive evidence of a sustained record of peer-reviewed publications, successful research grant leadership, and translational impact.
* Comprehensive understanding of Australian research legislation, policy, and accreditation frameworks.
* Strong strategic acumen with the ability to build and implement clinician-researcher development programs, fellowships, and targeted research investment aligned with institutional priorities.
* Track record of strategic leadership, translating research strategy into operational programs.
* Exceptional interpersonal and negotiation skills, with the ability to engage effectively across all levels of the organisation and with external partners.
Our benefits
Working at Austin Health means enjoying a strong sense of purpose, engaging in meaningful work every day. Our people also receive a variety of rewarding benefits, including:
* Greater take-home pay through generous salary packaging benefits, for living expenses, meals and holiday accommodation.
* A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounts on fitness memberships and health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program.
* Mentoring and career development opportunities.
* Onsite childcare at Austin Hospital, easy access via public transport and car parking options.
Work with us
We are committed to cultural safety and health equity for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People. We celebrate, value, and include people of all backgrounds, genders, identities, cultures, bodies, and abilities. We welcome and support applications from talented people identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, people with disability, neurodiverse people, LGBTQIA+ and people of all ages and cultures.
If you feel this role is right for you, we encourage your early application. Even if you don't meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. What matters most is your passion, your drive and your willingness to learn and contribute. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place prior to the closing date. This means we reserve the right to close a job ad prior to the advertised closing date.
All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory National Police Check and if required, a Working With Children Check. If you have any queries about this opportunity or require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, you are welcome to reach out to: Agapi Elias, Executive Assistant to Cameron Goodyear - Deputy CEO/Chief Operating Officer, at or
Interested in finding out more about this opportunity? Read the position description for further details.
Application closing date: Friday 3 October 2025