Public Health Officer

Requisition No: 5940- Executive Division: Operations- Division: Western Public Health Unit- Program: Western Public Health Unit- Department: LPHU Health Protection- Enterprise Agreement: Varied Health and Allied Services, Managers and Ad- Job Function: Public Health- Project:
**Location**: Sunshine Hospital/hybrid (option for up to 2 days/week WFH)
- **Employment Type**: Part-Time (64 hours/ fortnight), Fixed Term (until June 2026)
- **Award/Classification**: Grade 3 (+ commensurate with experience) + Superannuation + Salary Packaging
- **About the Role**:

- The Western Public Health Unit (WPHU) is seeking a Public Health Officer to work as part of a dynamic team to deliver a professional, caring and customer-focused health protection services for consumers and service providers.
** About the Western Public Health Unit**:

- The Western Public Health Unit (WPHU) is one of three metropolitan Local Public Health Units (LPHUs), and alongside six regional LPHUs forms a collaborative Network to deliver frontline public health for Victoria. The LPHU Network works closely with the Victorian Department of Health to provide for local and regional responses to communicable and non-communicable diseases through community partnerships and local public health initiatives.
Led and coordinated by Western Health, WPHU serves over 1.3 million people across the local government areas of Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melbourne, Melton, Merri-bek, Moonee Valley and Wyndham. WPHU investigates and manages cases and outbreaks of notifiable conditions under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 in collaboration with the Department’s Community and Public Health Division, manages public health risks and supports public health emergency responses.
WPHU collaborates with local governments, community health networks, and primary care providers to improve health outcomes across its catchment, working to keep people well by leading and supporting practical population health action. WPHU promotes a healthy workplace culture, expressed in its culture statement:

“We are a diverse and welcoming team that is passionate about public health. We value open and honest communication. We work together to create a flexible environment of mutual respect, inclusivity, and connection.”
** Key Responsibilities**:

- The Public Health Officer (PHO) is responsible for protecting public health by assisting and leading the investigation, response and management of individual cases or outbreaks of communicable diseases within the community within the WPHU catchment or more widely if required.
This is achieved by providing evidence based and timely implementation of a range of responsibilities under the direction of the Health Protection Team Leader including:

- Conducting case and contact interviews for notifiable communicable diseases.
- Collaborating with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders and agencies.
- Participating in effective outbreak management investigations.
- Providing public health recommendations.
- Conducting health monitoring and support to individuals throughout their infectious period to provide advice and referral coordination to link individuals with other service providers as required.
- Contributing to improvement and quality service provision.
- Public health officers may also be required to support other public health priorities related to health protection, population health promotion and community engagement.
- **About You**:

- To be successful in this role, you will have:

- Current health professional registration with AHPRA with no practicing restrictions and eligibility for membership with relevant professional association; OR relevant tertiary public health qualification.
- Minimum 2 years industry experience working in public health, community health or primary care.
- High level technology literacy with experience in MS Office platforms and ability to learn and master online data reporting tool(s).
- Proficient and adaptive communication style and interpersonal skills employing rapport building, empathetic interviewing and information gathering demonstrating awareness of cultural sensitivity, inclusion and safety, clear messaging that can be tailored to a diverse population.
- Ability to work collaboratively, proactively and flexibly in dynamic environment, taking on responsibility and accountability for public health outcomes in case and outbreak management.
- Ability to work a 7-day week rotating roster and contribute to the on-call service run outside business hours, weekends and public holidays.
- Strong coordination skills, problem-solving skills, attention to detail, time-management and sound judgement to respond to issues arising in an accurate and timely manner.
- **Position Description**
** About Western Health**
- Western Health is one of the largest healthcare providers in Victoria, caring for a vibrant, diverse and rapidly growing community of one million people in Melbourne’s western