Fractional Specialist - Grampians Public Health Unit

Fixed Term Part Time  | 22.80 Hours per Week 

About the Role

The role of Fractional Staff Specialist with the Grampians Public Health Unit (GPHU) offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to a senior medical leadership position within a dynamic and values-driven team.

As a Staff Specialist, you will provide expert clinical judgement, leadership, and strategic input across a range of public health functions. This includes responding to notifiable communicable diseases, environmental and public health emergencies, and broader challenges such as climate change, prevention, and population health initiatives within the Grampians region.

Your work will be aligned with one or more of GPHU’s key focus areas: Health Protection, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and Population Health and its Social Determinants—representing the full scope of modern public health practice.

This position plays an essential role in shaping public health responses and supporting sustainable, equitable health outcomes for local communities. Our collaborative model centres on partnerships with stakeholders across sectors—within and beyond health and government—to foster local leadership, build resilience, and strengthen community capacity to address current and emerging population health challenges.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the clinical and operational functions of the Grampians Public Health Unit (GPHU), including strong engagement with local and statewide partners across health, government, and community sectors.
• Build and maintain strategic linkages between GPHU, regional and metropolitan PHUs, Department of Health, local government, and other stakeholders to strengthen health protection and population health efforts.
• Contribute to local government-level public health working groups and support the establishment of training capacity for clinical and support disciplines such as epidemiology and data intelligence.
• Provide expert medical advice in managing complex communicable disease outbreaks and lead strategic initiatives in health protection, disease prevention, and clinical epidemiology.
• Develop capacity in public health surveillance, research, literature reviews, and policy analysis, while addressing the social and structural determinants of health across the region.
• Participate in emergency preparedness and response activities, including on-call duties, and undertake other responsibilities consistent with the role to support public health outcomes.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Specialist registration as medical practitioner in Australia with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
• Fellowship of the Faculty of Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal Australasian College of Physicians or significant progress towards obtaining the AFPHM Fellowship by end of March 2026.
• Higher degree in research (e.g. PhD, MD)
• Experienced in outbreak investigations, case management, contact tracing, and implementation of prevention and population health programs.
• Proven ability to communicate complex public health issues effectively, even in crisis situations, and engage with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated involvement in research, clinical audits, and quality assurance, with strong analytical skills and the ability to translate evidence into practice.
• Skilled in problem solving, negotiation, and rapid decision-making, including under uncertainty; capable of leading multidisciplinary teams toward shared public health goals.
• Shows adaptability, initiative, and strong time management; committed to continuous professional development and open to feedback for role growth.

To see a full copy of the Position Description please click here.
 

Interested?

Click APPLY or if you wish to discuss the role prior to applying, contact Saman Farahangiz, Director Population and Public Health - GPHU on 0428901187 for a confidential discussion. 

If you are currently employed at Grampians Health, please ensure you sign in through the 'Employee Login' via the external Careers Page or access the Careers Page via the Intranet before applying

We're actively seeking candidates for this role and will review applications as they are submitted. Applications will close when the position is filled.

About Grampians Public Health Unit 

Established in January 2021, the Grampians Public Health Unit (GPHU) serves as one of Victoria's nine designated local public health units within the state-wide public health system. Hosted by Grampians Health, the GPHU operates with a distinct mandate and regional scope to provide comprehensive public health leadership across the entire Grampians catchment.

As the designated public health unit for the Grampians region, the GPHU is responsible for delivering public health functions across all 11 Local Government Areas within its catchment. This regional responsibility encompasses communicable disease control, health promotion, environmental, and disease prevention for more than 250,000 residents across the 47,000 square kilometer catchment. The GPHU's purpose is to promote health, prevent disease and protect the health and well-being of all communities throughout our region. We achieve this by leading work to regionalise the response to containing and controlling communicable conditions, as well as promoting health and wellbeing outcomes that matter to people, communities, and the environment across our extensive geographic catchment.

The GPHU works in close collaboration with the Victorian Local Public Health Network and the Department of Health. In fulfilling our comprehensive public health mandate, the GPHU coordinates regional responses to communicable diseases, leads preventative health initiatives, and promotes health and wellbeing across all communities throughout the Grampians region, working alongside diverse stakeholders in every part of our catchment. Our collaborative approach includes partnerships with leaders from all health services in the region, aged care and disability services, local government authorities, emergency services, community and cultural organisations, businesses and government departments who are motivated to lead health efforts in their own communities. This comprehensive regional approach ensures that public health initiatives reach all communities within the Grampians region through coordinated partnerships with stakeholders across the region.

About Grampians Health
Grampians Health provides healthcare to a large region at our campuses based in Ballarat, Dimboola, Edenhope, Horsham and Stawell. Our mission is to deliver sustainable healthcare tailored to evolving community and workforce needs. We strive to enhance services and careers, providing quality healthcare to rural and regional communities. Joining Grampians Health means being part of a diverse team, with a variety of career opportunities in acute, maternity, mental health, allied health, aged care and support services.

Ballarat Region
Ballarat is the largest centre in Western Victoria and the state’s fastest growing inland city.  Dubbed Australia’s most liveable city in 2020, Ballarat is home to first class education, fine dining and boutique shopping.  Uniquely located within easy access to Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo and the Western district, Ballarat is blessed with some of Australia’s most significant heritage buildings and natural landscapes. To learn more about Ballarat click here - Visit Ballarat

Diversity and Inclusion 
All appointments are subject to a satisfactory police records check, immunisation clearance and Working with Children check and/or NDIS Worker Screening Check.

All employees must be willing and able to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when required, which at a minimum is a surgical mask. Additional PPE requirements are role-dependent.

Grampians Health is a child safe organisation, committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. Grampians Health is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive workforce.

We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, mature age workers and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or questioning), intersex and asexual LGBTQIA+.