Head of Department & Associate Dean, Clinical Sciences

Overview:

• Play a pivotal role in providing senior leadership for the Clinical Sciences disciplines in the School of Health and Biomedical Sciences
• Full time, 3-year fixed term position as Head of Department & Associate Dean, Clinical Sciences with underlying continuing Professorial position at Level E
• Salary Academic Level E ($219,084 p.a.) with leadership allowance + 17% Superannuation
• Based at the Bundoora campus, but may be required to work and/or be based at other campuses of the University

About the Role
As the Head of Department and Associate Dean for Clinical Sciences, you will provide strategic and scholarly leadership across all activities within the Department, including research, learning and teaching, and engagement. You will identify and drive growth in areas of high demand, while leading the disciplines of Nursing, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Pharmacy.

You will be responsible for leading, managing, and developing all academic staff within the Department, with a key focus on continually enhancing the staff experience.

As a member of the School Executive, you will play a central role in delivering the School’s strategic plans at Departmental level. Working closely with the Dean and fellow Executive members, you will provide leadership and direction across the Department’s activities.

The strategic plans for the School will see additional budgetary control and decision-making transfer into each Department. This is designed to provide Departments with more autonomy and enable them to make local decisions, as well as enhance innovation in teaching and research activities. This will place an emphasis on Heads of Departments planning areas for investment and delivering against agreed KPIs. Head of Department will also be expected to take on and manage risk.

To be successful in this position, you’ll have:

• Strong academic leadership and management skills with demonstrated ability to lead teams and deliver on strategic objectives.
• Established research record in a relevant discipline, with demonstrated capacity to lead and promote excellence in research.
• Proven record of teaching experience, with an understanding of contemporary learning and teaching priorities.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of industry priorities.
• High-level interpersonal, communication, influencing and negotiating skills including the ability to consult, network and build relationships within the organisation and externally.

Please view the position descriptions for further selection criteria.

Qualifications:

• PhD combined with knowledge and achievements that meet the professorial criteria
• Qualifications in relevant discipline

Please Note: Appointment to this position is subject to passing a Working with Children and National Police Check.

About the RMIT School of Health and Biomedical Sciences

The School of Health and Biomedical Sciences comprises three Academic areas (Clinical Sciences, Health Sciences, and Medical Sciences). Primarily based at the RMIT Bundoora campus, we undertake teaching and research across our disciplines of: Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory Medicine, Medical Radiations, Nursing, Osteopathy, Chinese Medicine, Chiropractic, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Physiotherapy, and Psychology. Our programs all included embedded Work Integrated Learning as an intrinsic part of student learning, both through professional practice placements in partner health industries and through the University’s student-led Health Sciences Clinic located at Bundoora.

The School’s research was ranked as well above world standard in clinical science, complementary and alternative medicine, medical physiology, microbiology and pharmacology & pharmaceutical sciences, and above world standard in psychology, public health & health service and medical & health sciences. We have a strategic focus on chronic disease and integrative health care with globally distinctive research strengths in respiratory health, neuroinflammation, translational immunology and infection, cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, and cross-cutting themes of: Lifestyle Medicine, Digital Health, Indigenous Health, Ageing in Health & Disease, and Medical Devices, Diagnostics and Prognostics. Research and Learning and Teaching innovation within the School is supported by a world class simulated hospital, digital human anatomy facility, state-of-the-art equipment and fully equipped laboratories and medical radiations facilities as well as a significant number of national and international partners.

Details of the School can be found at:

https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/our-education/academic-schools/health-and-biomedical-sciences

To Apply

Please submit your application by clicking the ‘Apply’ link at the top of this page. Your application should include:

• A current CV (including a full list of research outputs and publications)

• A Cover Letter

• A separate document addressing the Key Selection Criteria for the Head of Department and Associate Dean position

For further information about this position, please see the Position Description hyperlinked below or contact Professor Ross Vlahos via email at deanshbs@rmit.edu.au

For further information regarding recruitment processes, please contact Jennifer Pham, Senior Talent Acquisition Advisor via email at jennifer.pham2@rmit.edu.au Please do not share your application to this email address.   

Position Description – Head of Department and Associate Dean

Position Description – Professor (Level E)

Please note, if you are viewing this advert from an external site, please click ‘apply’ and you will be redirected to RMIT's Jobs website to access the Position Description at the bottom of the page. Due to recent upgrades, position description links may not work on LinkedIn advertisements.  

#Li-Hybrid

Applications Close:

5 Nov 2025 11.59 pm

RMIT is an equal opportunity employer committed to being a child safe organisation. We are dedicated to attracting, retaining and developing our people regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and age. Applications are encouraged from all sectors of the community and we strongly encourage applications from the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community. 

At RMIT, we are committed to supporting adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, as well as during employment. We actively support and encourage people with disability to apply to RMIT (including alternate formats of application forms). To discuss adjustment requirements, please contact Dani, via talentsupport@rmit.edu.au or visit our Careers page for more contact information - https://www.rmit.edu.au/careers.

We are a Circle Back Initiative Employer – we commit to respond to every applicant.