Principal Psychologist

Principal Psychologist - Hospital

Permanent Full time (Part-time also considered) | Salary: P4 - $123302.40 - $148319.60 + salary packaging+ superannuation | (salary to increase with ME enterprise agreement)

Location: Thomas Embling Hospital

Help shape the future of forensic mental health care and lead impactful psychological services within our specialist statewide service.

About Forensicare

Forensicare is Victoria’s specialist forensic mental health service, providing care across inpatient, community, and prison settings. We deliver recovery-oriented services that integrate hope, social inclusion, and collaboration. Our work spans clinical care, research, and professional education, supporting individuals with mental illness who have offended or are at risk of offending.

Due to a re-design of how we deliver psychological services in Thomas Embling Hospital, we are excited to have the opportunity to recruit two experienced Principal Psychologists to join our leadership team and manage the delivery of psychological services across key care pathways. These include:

• Men’s Community Pathway – supporting transition and recovery into the community

• Women’s Pathway – working across both community and custodial trajectories

The Role

As a Principal Psychologist, this rare and exciting opportunity will enable you to provide clinical and operational leadership within one of the designated streams, ensuring delivery of high-quality, recovery-oriented psychological services. You will help to shape a redesigned service, lead system-level change, and influence forensic mental health practice

Reporting to the Hospital Lead (Psychology), you will lead a team of psychologists to deliver psychological services within one pf the specified pathways. You will collaborate across disciplines, oversee evidence-based interventions, and drive service improvement while supporting workforce capability and clinical excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver advanced assessment, formulation, and intervention for complex forensic cases
• Provide leadership, supervision, and consultation to psychologists and teams
• Lead therapeutic programs and continuous service improvement initiatives
• Oversee safe, effective day-to-day service delivery and clinical governance
• Build strong stakeholder relationships to support integrated care

About You

You are a highly experienced psychologist with a passion for forensic mental health and leadership. You bring strategic insight, advanced clinical expertise, and a commitment to recovery-oriented care.

Key Selection Criteria:

• Minimum 10 years’ experience with advanced clinical leadership skills.
• Hold general registration as a psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) or, for overseas-trained psychologists, be eligible for a PsyBA transitional program to attain general registration. 
• Has completed a minimum of a Level 3 and 4 APAC-accredited Psychology training sequence (i.e., Masters or Doctorate) in one or more of the following Areas of Practice Endorsement (AoPE): Clinical Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology, and/or Forensic Psychology. 
• Must have or be eligible for an Area of Practice Endorsement (AoPE) in clinical psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and/or forensic psychology, or be eligible to commence a Registrar program in one or more of these AoPEs. 

• • Psychologists with Forensic AoPE alone will need to demonstrate the necessary education, training, and experience in clinical psychology needed to work in forensic mental health settings

• Registration with AHPRA and Board-approved Supervisor status.
• Proven ability to manage and evaluate psychology education programs.
• Strong knowledge of mental health and criminal justice systems.
• Demonstrated experience in research and scholarly work.

To view the full position description please click here

For any further questions about the role, you can contact Nik Loft – Hospital Lead Psychologist - *********@forensicare.vic.gov.au

How to Apply

To apply, please submit:

• Resume (CV)
• Cover Letter outlining your suitability
• Specify which pathway stream you are most interested in:
• Women’s
• Men’s Community

Please note: While you are encouraged to nominate your preferred stream, placement is not guaranteed within a specific pathway. Final allocation will be made in alignment with organisational requirements and service needs. We are committed to working collaboratively with successful candidates to support the best possible fit for both the individual and the service.

Please note, applications will be reviewed and accessed as received. Advertising may close earlier than indicated.

Eligibility

• Influenza and Immunisation Evidence
• This position is subject to a Police Check

Benefits

• Salary packaging and novated leasing options
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