Join a Victorian health service board
Help shape the future of Victoria's public health system. Applications are now open for part-time board director and chair positions at public health services across Victoria.
Board directors and chairs provide strategic leadership, oversee governance and contribute to better health outcomes for Victorian communities.
Appointments are based on the expertise, perspectives and leadership experience applicants can bring to Victoria’s public health system.
We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences, including First Nations people, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, LGBTIQA+ people, and those living in rural and regional Victoria. Living in Victoria, or in a border community near Victorian health services, is preferred.
Diverse boards strengthen decision-making and help ensure health services reflect and meet the needs of the communities they serve.
How to apply
All potential board chairs and directors (including directors and chairs seeking reappointment) must apply online via the Join a public board website.
Before applying, read the How to Apply document available under each advertised board position.
Reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process will be provided upon request by emailing healthservicegovernance@health.vic.gov.au.
About health service boards
Victorian health service boards are responsible for overseeing governance, strategy, performance and risk to support safe, high-quality healthcare for Victorians.
Public health services include Victoria’s major metropolitan and regional health services such as:
- Bendigo Health
- Latrobe Regional Health
- Northern Health
- Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
Public hospitals include:
- Victoria’s rural public hospitals, such as Bairnsdale Regional Health, Boort District Health and East Grampians Health Service
- Multi-purpose services, such as Alpine Health and Robinvale District Health Services
For information about public health services and public hospitals, visit our Public hospitals in Victoria page.
Board Director Capability Framework
The Framework
The Board Director Capability Framework (the Framework) has been developed to help potential applicants and current board directors understand what is needed to build an effective board to oversee the Victorian public health system.
It outlines the range of skills, knowledge and experience board directors are expected to bring to the strategic leadership of Victoria's public health system.
Attributes and capabilities of board directors
Board directors, as leaders of public health services, are an integral part of the Victorian health system.
Appointed by the relevant portfolio Minister, directors are selected for their ability to contribute to good governance and support a culture of inclusiveness, safety and integrity.
All the attributes outlined in the Framework are essential, however some capabilities will depend on the strategic outlook of the organisation and may be prioritised by a board based on its strategic focus.
In 2026, the Framework was updated to reflect Statewide Treaty and provide greater clarity on key board capabilities, including risk oversight, financial management, clinical governance, consumer voice and registered clinician expertise.
Eligibility requirements
To support good governance and maintain public confidence in Victoria’s health services, board appointments must align with principles of integrity, transparency and appropriate management of conflicts of interest.
The following eligibility requirements apply:
- Current employees or contractors of the Department of Health (including an employee on secondment to the department) are not eligible for these board appointments.
- Current employees of a health service are not eligible for appointment to the board of their employing health service.
- Current employees are eligible for appointment to the board of another health service (subject to employer approval) unless that health service has announced plans to explore merging with their employing health service.
- Former employees of a health service are eligible for appointment to the board of that health service if their employment ended more than 18 months before the closing date for applications.
- Current Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of another health service cannot be appointed to more than one government health board at any one time
For the purposes of these requirements, Victorian Public Sector Employees include employees of:
- Victorian Government departments
- Statutory authorities (including public health services, public hospitals and multi-purpose services), and
- other entities (but excluding local government and universities)
Please note that health board directors are classified as public officials, not Victorian Public Sector employees.
For further information, including guidance on remuneration eligibility for Victorian Public Sector employees, refer to the Board Eligibility Criteria for Victorian Public Sector Employees document.
Lobbyists
To maintain public confidence and manage actual or perceived conflicts of interest, registered lobbyists and Government Affairs Directors may be ineligible for appointment to certain boards.
Individuals required to be listed on the Register of Lobbyists under the Lobbyist Code of Conduct are not eligible for appointment to a board whose functions relate to a matter for which they have represented the interests of a third party within the previous 12 months, whether in a paid or unpaid capacity.
Term of appointments
Board appointments and reappointments are made in the best interests of the health service and the communities it serves.
While legislation sets a maximum tenure for board directors and chairs, reappointment is not automatic. Existing directors and chairs will be considered alongside other applicants based on the needs of the board, skills requirements and succession planning considerations.
Under the Health Services Act 1988, the Ambulance Services Act 1986 and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022, a director of a board must not serve more than nine consecutive years as director of that board unless the Minister determines that exceptional circumstances justify a further appointment.
This approach is reinforced by the Appointment and Remuneration Guidelines issued by the Department of Premier and Cabinet, which state that individuals should generally not serve on a board for more than 10 years.
For further information, refer to the Tenure of Board Directors document, which provides guidance for directors and chairs on board tenure and reappointment.
Personal information and privacy consent form
The department collects personal information as part of the application process. By applying, you are consenting to the department collecting and using the information as outlined in the Personal Information and Privacy Consent Form.
If you choose not to disclose information that is required to assess eligibility and undertake probity checks, the progress of the application may be affected. Please read the Personal Information and Privacy Consent Form before starting your application.
Board position descriptions
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