Position Overview

The Process Improvement Officer supports the work of the College of Medicine and Dentistry in identifying and implementing process improvement opportunities to enable optimal services to be delivered to internal and external customers. The Process Improvement Officer will direct multiple projects, assist in development of staff and play a key role in influencing change within and across College program areas. Communication and liaison with College suppliers and staff at all levels to influence desired improvement outcomes is a key requirement for the role.

The Process Improvement Officer will be required to champion and deploy business and process improvement methodologies and toolsets across the College, build capability through knowledge sharing and coaching, develop process improvement credibility by engaging effectively with stakeholders, deploy appropriate methodologies and toolsets and create and maintain a reputation as the internal consultant of choice by College management for any problem solving or design initiatives.

Division of Tropical Health and Medicine

The Division of Tropical Health and Medicine encompasses human and animal health professional areas and related biomedical science disciplines. The Division has a particular focus on the health of rural, remote and Indigenous Australian communities and tropical medicine.

The Colleges of the Division include:

• Medicine and Dentistry
• Healthcare Sciences
• Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences

College of Medicine and Dentistry

The College of Medicine and Dentistry aims to promote health and strengthen healthcare for the communities of northern Australia and beyond, through socially accountable health professional education, discoveries, partnerships, advocacy and leadership. It delivers unique education and training to produce health professionals who aspire to make a difference in rural and regional Australia. The College promotes, fosters, supports and administers quality teaching and research in Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, with a focus on the needs of rural, remote and underserved communities, tropical medicine and the health of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders.

JCU is also the only university contracted by the Federal Government to deliver the Australian General Practice Training Program, providing GP training across 90 percent of Queensland. Through the program the College aims to address the critical shortage of doctors in regional, rural and remote Queensland communities.

The Federal Government’s Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) program supports the College to increase student training in rural and remote areas both through clinical schools and placement opportunities. Under the RHMT program, the College also administers the Regional Training Hubs initiative in partnership with regional hospital and health service providers and GP clinics, to support and grow a specialist medical workforce for regional Queensland.

General Practice Training

General Practice Training is delivered through the College with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health, to deliver the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) program in north western Queensland.

The AGPT program is a postgraduate vocational training program for medical graduates who are pursuing a career in the specialty of General Practice. The program provides training towards Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).

It offers a distinctive approach to the delivery of training dedicated to meet the priority needs of the region, and improve the primary health of rural, remote and underserved communities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training Program

The Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) program is an initiative of the Federal Government to increase training and placement opportunities for health professional students in rural and remote areas, with a view to providing them with the confidence and competence to consider a career in those areas.

Within the College of Medicine and Dentistry, the RHMT program supports the activities of rural clinical schools, and medicine and dentistry students on rural and remote placements. In addition, the RHMT program supports the Regional Training Hubs initiative with the aim of increasing opportunities for medical trainees (interns, junior doctors and registrars) to complete as much of their postgraduate and vocational training as possible in regional and rural areas. This initiative works closely with Directors of Clinical Training and medical education units in the Hospital and Health Services to identify more training posts and support interns and junior doctors into regionally based registrar posts in a range of medical specialties.

Organisational Charts

James Cook University

Principal Accountabilities

1. Lead process improvement initiatives across the College to deliver efficiencies and benefits to internal and external customers.
2. Present findings and recommendations to sponsors and key stakeholders.
3. Challenge stakeholders to maximise opportunities from process improvement initiatives.
4. Promote and develop a continuous improvement culture across the College.
5. Champion the need and benefit by utilising a structured approach to business process improvement.
6. Identify improvement opportunities and manage improvement requests across the College.
7. Deliver process improvement training including coaching and supporting College staff and colleagues in the use of tools and methodologies.
8. Document and monitor business processes, business rules, metrics and standard operating procedures as a result of improvement initiatives.
9. Support the GP Training Program and other project teams with program-specific process improvement initiatives.
10. Support the University's commitment to the principles of reconciliation, which exemplify respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and the valuing of justice and equity for all Australians.
11. Demonstrate a commitment to the University values.
12. Support the principles of the TropEco program and engage in commitment to JCU sustainability goals and objectives.

Descriptors

There are generic responsibilities that apply to all James Cook University staff. Your specific level descriptor can be found within the Enterprise Agreement.

Generic Accountabilities 

There are generic responsibilities that apply to all James Cook University staff.

1. The Process Improvement Officer is required to observe the lawful and reasonable directions, policies and decisions of the University Council, understand and comply with the Enterprise Agreement, the Statutes and Rules of the University, and other appropriate University authorities, as in force from time to time.
2. The Process Improvement Officer is required to demonstrate a personal commitment to ensure personal safety and the safety of others and contribute to the continuous improvement of our WHS performance. This includes the effective implementation and compliance with James Cook University WHS policies, procedures and safe systems of work, together with all relevant legislation, duties and obligations.
3. The Process Improvement Officer is required to exercise proper discretion in all matters affecting the well-being of the University which involve public writing or speaking in accordance with the University’s Code of Conduct. 

Special Conditions

• It is a requirement of this position to travel to other College locations in North Queensland which may include overnight stays.
• It is a requirement of this position to work after hours on occasion.
• It is a requirement of this position to hold a current ‘C’ class Queensland Driver License.

Selection Criteria

Selection and appointments will be assessed against selection criteria.

Essential

1. Degree qualification in IT, project management or equivalent and relevant process improvement experience in a similar role or an equivalent combination of experience and/or education and/or training.
2. Demonstrated ability to assess and document project outcomes, manage workflow and prioritise to ensure deadlines and targets are met.
3. Demonstrated ability to collect, analyse and utilise data to provide an evidence base to recommend changes and ensure continuous improvement in program activity and outcomes.
4. Demonstrated well-developed written communication skills with experience in drafting documents, forms, reports, submission responses and briefings to a wide audience as well as demonstrated computer literacy with high level skills in a range of Microsoft Suite computer programs and databases.
5. Demonstrated well-developed interpersonal, networking, collaboration and communication skills and proven experience in developing and managing multiple key stakeholder relationships.
6.  Proven leadership experience across multifunctional projects or across business units with proven ability in making customers the key focus for decisions about processes within an applicable business context.

Desirable

1. Formal business improvement or business methodology accreditation (E.g. Lean/Six Sigma).