Clinical Director, Oral Health Service

Employment Type: Permanent Full Time

Position Classification: Area Direct Oral Health Clinical Service Level 2

Remuneration: $243,696 + Superannuation + Salary Packaging

Hours Per Week: 38

Location: Newcastle

Applications Close: Sunday, 27th September 2026

Clinical Director Oral Health Service

Hunter New England Oral Health Service is seeking an experienced and motivated leader to join our executive leadership team as Clinical Director. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of public oral health services across one of Australia's largest and most diverse health districts.

Working in partnership with the District Manager Oral Health, you will provide strategic and clinical leadership to a geographically dispersed workforce, ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality and patient-centred oral health services to our communities.

About The Role

As Clinical Director, you will provide professional leadership across the Oral Health Service and play a key role in driving clinical excellence, innovation and service performance. You will lead clinical governance, workforce development, quality improvement and strategic service planning while maintaining a strong focus on patient outcomes, access to care and sustainable service delivery. This senior leadership position combines executive-level responsibilities with the opportunity to maintain clinical practice and influence the future direction of public oral health across Hunter New England.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic clinical leadership across the Hunter New England Oral Health Service
• Lead clinical governance, patient safety, quality improvement and accreditation activities.
• Partner with the District Manager Oral Health to deliver organisational priorities and Ministry of Health performance targets.
• Drive workforce planning, recruitment, retention and professional development strategies.
• Lead initiatives that improve patient access, patient flow and service efficiency.
• Provide expert advice on complex clinical matters, incidents, complaints and risk management.
• Foster a culture of excellence, accountability, innovation and patient-centred care.
• Build strong partnerships with universities, Aboriginal Medical Services, private practitioners, community organisations and other key stakeholders..

About You

• Extensive clinical experience and advanced competence in general dentistry, including management of complex cases.
• Proven senior leadership experience within a clinical service environment.
• Strong clinical governance, quality improvement and patient safety expertise.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing workforce performance.
• A demonstrated ability to deliver strategic change, service improvement and innovation.
• Knowledge of public oral health services and NSW oral health priorities.
• Outstanding communication, stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills.
• A commitment to developing a positive workplace culture and delivering exceptional patient outcomes.

Requirements

• Registration with the Dental Board of Australia.
• Eligible to drive in NSW with a current unrestricted NSW Drivers Licence and willingness to travel for work purposes

Additional information

• An eligibility list will be created for future permanent full or part time vacancies.
• To be eligible for employment in this position you must be an Australian Citizen, or permanent resident of Australia, or a New Zealand citizen with a current New Zealand Passport, or hold an appropriate visa that allows you to live and work in Australia. Employment of a temporary visa holder will only be offered in line with the conditions and expiry date of your visa.
• We are unable to accommodate visa sponsorship for applicants requiring a visa for this position.

Information For Applicants

Applicants will be assessed against the essential requirements and selection criteria contained within the position description (link below). For assistance addressing selection criteria visit: https://bit.ly/3vL5fq2

Stepping Up Website is a resource designed to help indigenous job applicants apply for positions in NSW Health. For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/HNEHealthSteppingUp

This is a Category A position. Recommended applicants will be reviewed for compliance with NSW Health policy directive PD2024_015: Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination against Specified Infectious Diseases for Category A positions prior to offer. All new employees must agree to comply with the requirements outlined in the policy.

Salary Packaging: is beneficial to most Hunter New England Health employees and may increase your take-home pay! Salary package a range of personal expenses including novated motor vehicle leases, relocation expenses, and HECS/HELP debt.

Hunter New England Health employees may be eligible for a range of benefits such as allocated days off (ADO) for full time employees, long service leave, paid maternity leave, and salary packaging options including meal expenses.

For role related queries or questions contact Nathan Mulley on Nathan.Mulley@health.nsw.gov.au

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