Lecturer, School of Allied Health

• Are you passionate about improving rural and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eyecare? Do you thrive on the opportunity to develop your optometry skills to include teaching, managing relationships with health care providers and building new eye care services? We are seeking a dynamic optometrist to lead our efforts in enhancing eyecare education, student placement support, and community service activities in the Southwest region of Western Australia. The position is based out of Bunbury.
• As a key member of our clinical academic team in the South-West region, you will play a pivotal role in establishing a new clinical facility in the South West Aboriginal Medical Service in Bunbury, providing vision care service delivery, and overseeing optometry clinical education programs. Your responsibilities will include supervising student clinical placements, fostering multidisciplinary care pathways, and building strong relationships with local stakeholders, including community optometrists, ophthalmologists, and Aboriginal Medical Services.
• To be considered for this role, you must be a therapeutically endorsed optometrist registered with AHPRA. Postgraduate qualifications, special interests in optometry sub-specialties, relevant working experience in rural or Indigenous communities, and teaching experience are desirable. You will be provided with teaching and professional development support from UWA. We are looking for candidates who demonstrate effective communication, resilience, independence, collaboration, flexibility, and strong leadership qualities, including the ability to work well under pressure and manage stakeholders effectively.
• If you are ready to support the establishment of the UWA Optometry Hub in the South- West region and contribute to the advancement of eyecare services in Western Australia, we invite you to join us on this exciting journey. Apply now to be part of a team dedicated to making a meaningful impact on eyecare in rural and remote Australia.
• Level B, 0.6 FTE part-time appointment on an ongoing basis.
• Base salary range: $108,509 – $128,404 p.a. (pro-rata) plus 17% superannuation.

The University of Western Australia (UWA) is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world and a member of the prestigious Australian Group of Eight research intensive universities. With a strong research track record, vibrant campus and working environments, supported by the freedom to innovate and inspire, there is no better time to join Western Australia’s top university.

About the team

The position is based in Bunbury, at the South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS) and ECU University of Rural Health South West (UDRHSW).

The School of Allied Health at The University of Western Australia is a research-intensive academic organisation giving material expression to the belief that excellence in research underpins excellence in teaching and community partnerships. The School has a reputation for a strong evidence-based approach to research and education that is used for policy and practice development.

The School aspires to be a school in which staff and students feel valued and supported in their individual and collective efforts to improve community health and wellbeing.

The Discipline of Optometry in the School of Allied Health offers three-year postgraduate professional Doctorate of Optometry along with Higher Degree by Research option.

The UWA Doctor of Optometry Program aspires to “graduate socially accountable optometry professionals (clinicians and researchers), who are lifelong learners committed to delivering culturally safe and responsive, person-centred care, which meets individual and societal health care needs and improves health outcomes.”

UDRHSW is administered by Edith Cowen University. It is one of 19 Commonwealth-funded University Departments of Rural Health (UDRH) in Australia, with its offices and facilities located in the Bunbury and the South West region of Western Australia.

UDRHSW works to facilitate quality Allied Health, nursing and pharmacy clinical placements for students from Australian universities. UDRHSW also works to improve the recruitment and retention of Allied Health, pharmacy, and nursing (health) professionals in rural and remote Australia. These efforts include working with optometry students and optometrists to improve training pathways and postgraduate support.

South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS) is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, founded on the principles of self determination, empowerment and freedom of choice. SWAMS provides high quality, culturally appropriate and holistic healthcare which builds strong and healthy Aboriginal communities.

About the opportunity

The role is part of a new multidisciplinary team established to develop an innovative program of education, service, partnership and real-world research for a range of health disciplines that will support the South West community health needs and contribute to rural workforce demands. This role is for a qualified Optometrist who will establish new eyecare services throughout the region, with a focus on eyecare for Aboriginal people in the South West, supervise students and undertake research. The role is provided as a joint position with Edith Cowen University to create a 1.0FTE position based at the UDRHSW and SWAMS Bunbury

As an academic clinician based in Bunbury, you will lead the establishment of the UWA Optometry Hub for the delivery of optometry services and the clinical education of Optometry Students in conjunction with existing local stakeholders.

You will have demonstrated the capability and the motivation to:

• Establish a new UWA clinical facility in SWAMS to provide vision care service delivery and clinical exposures for optometry students.
• Supervise and coordinate optometry clinical education through student clinical rotations in rural settings.
• Coordinate, manage and establish outreach programs through the South West region. These programs will involve student participation.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including local community optometrists, ophthalmology, South West Aboriginal Medical Services and other key eyecare providers.
• Provide diverse student experience through multidisciplinary care pathways and relationships.
• To undertake research and actively strive to obtain research funding, individually or in collaboration, as well as supervising research students and contributing to the academic environment of UDRHSW, Optometry and the School of Allied Health.

About you

To be considered for this opportunity, you will demonstrate:

• Therapeutically endorsed optometrist registered with AHPRA.
• Demonstrated management, organization skills and leadership qualities by displaying evidence of the following: effective communication, resilience/resourcefulness, independence/self-motivation, being collaborative and a team player, flexibility/ability to adapt to and accommodate changing surroundings, working well under pressure and effective stakeholder management.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with Aboriginal communities, organisations and colleagues or willingness to gain these cultural skills.
• Demonstrated experience and a strategic view of issues facing health services and rural communities.
• Relevant teaching/student supervision experience.

Note: A Current “C” class driver’s licence, Current Working with Children Check and Current National Police Clearance Certificate are requirements of this role.

About your application

Full details of the position's responsibilities and the selection criteria are outlined in the position description:  POSITI_1 (10).pdf.

The content of your Resume and Cover Letter should demonstrate how you meet the selection criteria.

You may also submit an additional statement (1 page max) outlining any personal circumstances which should be considered when assessing your application. Applicants who have experienced periods of academic/professional interruption or other relevant events can include a description of achievements relative to opportunity in this statement.

Closing date: 11:55 PM AWST on Friday, 12 April 2024.

To learn more about this opportunity, please contact Garry Fitzpatrick - Head of Optometry UWA at 0418950*** or ***************@uwa.edu.au.

This position is only open to applicants with relevant rights to work in Australia

Application Details: Please apply online via the Apply Now button.

Our commitment to inclusion and diversity

UWA is committed to a diverse workforce and an equitable and inclusive workplace. We celebrate difference and believe diversity is fundamental to achieving our goals as a globally recognised Top 100 educational and research institution. We are committed to creating a safe work environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, the LGBTIQA+ community and people living with disability.

• We have a globally competitive, gender neutral parental leave policy with 26 weeks paid leave after 12 months service and 36 weeks after 5 years.
• We have on-campus childcare facilities for children aged 6 weeks to kindy.
• We facilitate flexible working, with part-time and job-sharing arrangements considered.
• We have an ongoing partnership with Pride in Diversity and were recently awarded a Bronze Employer status for LGBTIQA+ inclusion.
• We have Athena SWAN Bronze accreditation and actively work to improve gender equity.

Should you have any queries relating to your application, please contact the individual named in the advertisement. Alternatively, contact the Talent team at *********@uwa.edu.au with details of your query. To enable a quick response, please include the 6-digit job reference number and a member of the team will respond to your enquiry.