About the Role:
The Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) is seeking an experienced nurse leader to take on a short-term contract opportunity as Nursing Director, Division of Medicine at Lyell McEwin Health Service — one of South Australia's busiest metropolitan hospitals, serving a growing and diverse community in Adelaide's north.
The Medical Division comprises a diverse range of specialist services, including Cardiology, Oncology, Renal, Endocrinology, Respiratory, Stroke and Hospital Avoidance teams. We are seeking an accomplished nursing executive with a strong commitment to transformational leadership, clinical excellence and service innovation. If you are a visionary leader passionate about shaping the future of healthcare and delivering high-quality, person-centred care, we invite you to apply for this exciting leadership opportunity.
Your Scope and Responsibilities
Reporting to senior executive leadership, you will provide strategic and operational nursing leadership across the Division of Medicine, driving safe, high-quality patient care outcomes at scale. Your key responsibilities will include:
- Leading and supporting nursing teams across medical wards to deliver consistent, evidence-based care
- Driving workforce planning, performance, and professional development across the division
- Partnering with medical, allied health, and operational leaders to improve patient flow and service delivery
- Contributing to divisional governance, accreditation readiness, and quality improvement initiatives
What You Bring
- Demonstrated senior nursing leadership experience within an acute inpatient or medical setting
- Proven ability to lead large, multidisciplinary nursing teams through change and complexity
- Strong understanding of clinical governance frameworks and accreditation standards relevant to SA Health
- Experience in workforce and budget management at a divisional or equivalent level
- A track record of building collaborative relationships across clinical and operational stakeholders
To be eligible for this position, you must be registered or eligible for registration as a Nurse/Midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and who holds, or who is eligible to hold, a current practicing certificate
About You:
In this role you will have strong interpersonal and communication skills which will enable you to successfully problem solve, resolve conflicts and negotiate, including the ability to engage in difficult conversations, whilst building and maintaining relationships. An ability to effectively manage multiple, diverse and competing priorities and demonstrated resilience within a stressful and complex environment is essential to this role.
You will be joining a dynamic and expanding Local Health Network that is committed to delivering contemporary, innovative and high‑quality health services within modern facilities.
This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to a passionate, highly driven, dedicated and progressive team.
About Adelaide:
Adelaide is consistently recognised as a city that artfully combines its compact charm and world-class cuisine with picturesque nature escapes. Ranked one of the worlds “Most Liveable Cities” and “Most Beautiful Cities”, Adelaide provides something for everyone combining a wonderful mix of nature with nearby beaches, rolling hills and wildlife and culinary delights with fine dining restaurants, award-winning cafes, bustling food markets and booming boutique bars. Events like the LIV Golf, SANTOS Tour Down Under, Adelaide Fringe and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival add extra appeal to living here.
About Us:
The Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) is a leading provider of public healthcare services in South Australia, and one of the largest employers in northern Adelaide.
NALHN serves over 400,000 people in northern Adelaide with a comprehensive range of high-quality healthcare services, including emergency, surgical, obstetric, neonatal, paediatric, oncology, geriatric, palliative care and rehabilitation, and mental health care, as well as primary health care services with a focus on community health promotion and chronic disease management.
With a commitment for ongoing upgrades to our facilities and the introduction of new services, our priority is delivering exceptional health and wellbeing services that enhance the quality of life for our community.
With over 7,500 employees, NALHN emphasises quality care and a supportive work environment guided by respect, integrity, and accountability. Our core values foster excellence, innovation, and equitable health outcomes.
At NALHN Everyone Has a Story, Everyone Matters, Everyone Contributes and Everyone Grows.
Our Local Health Network Sites and Services:
NALHN provides a range of hospital (inpatient), outpatient, community and home-based services across multiple sites in Adelaide’s north and north-eastern suburbs, including Aboriginal health, mental health, and GP services.
Lyell McEwin Hospital – the major hospital in northern Adelaide for emergency care, complex and multi-day surgery, medicine, obstetric, paediatrics and outpatient services.
Modbury Hospital – a general hospital with emergency care, elective surgery, medicine, outpatient and sub-acute services, rehabilitation, geriatric and palliative care.
Mental Health Services – adult and older persons mental health services and statewide forensic mental health services, across hospital and community settings.
Watto Purrunna Aboriginal Primary Health Care Services – provides culturally responsive primary healthcare services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in-hospital and across four community sites.
Primary Health Care Services – including GP Plus sites at Elizabeth, Modbury and Gilles Plains.
Benefits of working at NALHN:
From salary packaging to flexible working arrangements, a large range of opportunities for movement and career progression, you’ll find there are lots of benefits of working with Northern Adelaide Local Health Network.
Salary packaging is an option for saving money by paying for some of your everyday expenses from your salary before it is taxed.
Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants from interstate or overseas.
NALHN supports and fosters a culture in which employees feel they belong and feel safe at work. The culture aims to encourage all people to use their talents and to be valued and rewarded for their contributions.
SA Health is committed to providing an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity and inclusion for all employees. We strongly encourage applications from people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, culturally diverse backgrounds, members of the LGBTIQA+SB community and people who live with disability and/or neurodivergence.
We are committed to making workplace adjustments to provide a positive and supportive work environment. You are encouraged to let us know if you have any support or access requirements during the recruitment process and beyond to ensure you can perform at your best.
The South Australian public sector promotes diversity and flexible ways of working including part-time. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the flexible working arrangements for this role.
Appointment will be subject to a satisfactory Criminal History Check.
Check(s):
Immunisation Risk for this position is – Category B (indirect contact with blood or body substances)
SA Health Services are required to implement the Addressing vaccine preventable disease: Occupational assessment, screening and vaccination policy in the workplace.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are encouraged to apply. Job Ref: 952910
Enquiries:
Trudy Smith-Sparrow
Divisional Director, Nursing
Phone: 0477 733 328
E-mail: trudy.smith-sparrow@sa.gov.au
Application Closing Date:
6 November 2026 – 11.55PM
Role Description and Further Information:
952910 - Nursing Director - RN5.2 - Division of Medicine - Role Description.pdf
* Refer to the SA Health Career Website – How to apply for further information.
