Director of Clinical Governance & Patient Safety

Lead clinical governance, patient safety and quality improvement across a trusted Northern Territory health service.

St John Ambulance NT is seeking an experienced and values-driven Director of Clinical Governance & Patient Safety to provide strategic leadership and assurance across our clinical governance, patient safety, quality improvement and clinical risk systems.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, this executive leadership role is responsible for ensuring our clinical services are delivered safely, effectively and in line with regulatory requirements, professional standards and organisational policies.

This is a key leadership opportunity for a senior health professional who is passionate about patient safety, clinical quality, system improvement and supporting safe care across complex operational environments.

About the role

The Director of Clinical Governance & Patient Safety will lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of St John NT’s clinical governance framework and provide independent assurance to the CEO and Board on patient safety, clinical risk, regulatory compliance and organisational clinical performance. 

The role will work closely with internal leaders, clinicians and external stakeholders to strengthen governance systems across pre-hospital, emergency communications, remote, retrieval and interagency clinical environments.

Key responsibilities

In this role, you will:

• Lead the organisation’s clinical governance framework, safety systems and quality improvement programs.

• Provide strategic advice to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team on clinical safety, quality and risk.

• Oversee clinical incident management, investigation processes, Root Cause Analysis, open disclosure, mortality and morbidity review, and organisational learning.

• Monitor clinical risk registers, safety trends, dashboards and performance indicators.

• Provide clinical governance reporting and assurance to Executive and Board committees.

• Support clinical audit, credentialling, scope of practice and competency management systems.

• Ensure alignment with the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards and relevant legislation.

• Promote a culture of transparency, learning, cultural safety and continuous improvement.

• Build strong relationships with NT Health, AHPRA, hospitals, regulatory bodies, education providers, the Coroner’s Office and partner emergency service agencies.

About you

You will be an experienced senior healthcare leader with a strong background in clinical governance, patient safety, clinical quality improvement and risk management.

You will bring strong systems thinking, sound judgement, excellent stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to communicate complex clinical governance matters clearly to executives, clinicians and external partners.

Selection criteria

To be successful, you will have:

• Relevant health professional registration.

• Extensive senior leadership experience in healthcare, patient safety or clinical quality improvement.

• Demonstrated experience in clinical incident management and investigation processes.

• Experience implementing clinical governance frameworks and safety systems.

• Strong written communication skills, including governance reporting and policy development.

• Experience using clinical incident management systems and governance reporting tools.

• Advanced skills in data analysis and reporting.

• Strong stakeholder engagement, influencing and leadership capability.

A postgraduate qualification in clinical governance, healthcare leadership, patient safety or a related discipline will be highly regarded.

Additional requirements

The successful applicant will be required to hold or obtain:

• NT Manual Driver’s Licence.

• Ochre Card / Working with Children Clearance.

• National Police Clearance.

• Satisfactory pre-employment medical clearance.

Some after-hours work may be required during periods of peak operational demand.

Our values

St John NT is a trusted, purpose-led organisation with a proud history of serving the Northern Territory community.

Our values guide the way we work:

Respect | Integrity | Collaboration | Empathy

This is an opportunity to contribute at a whole-of-organisation level, supporting sustainable services, strong leadership and meaningful community outcomes.

What we offer

• An attractive remuneration package will be negotiated with the successful candidate

• Six (6) weeks annual leave plus 17.5% leave loading

• Salary packaging up to $15,899, plus $2,650 in entertainment benefits

For a Position Description, please email: [email protected]

If you’re ready to drive enterprise performance and strategic outcomes as Director of Clinical Governance & Patient Safety at St John Ambulance NT, we encourage you to apply.

Please include your cover letter and resume with your application.

Applications will be reviewed as received, and early applications are encouraged. The position closes on 26 June 2026