VPIC Research Officer

VPIC Research Officer

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Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education and research across three campuses in the north-east of Melbourne and state-wide. We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our goal to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives.

About the Victorian Poisons Information Centre (VPIC)

The Victorian Poisons Information Centre (VPIC) commenced operation in 1962. VPIC was located at the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), Melbourne from 1976 to 2008. In August 2008, VPIC relocated to Austin Hospital, to integrate with the Austin Toxicology Service (ATS).

VPIC provides members of the Victorian public and health professionals with information and advice about:

• First aid in the event of poisoning, suspected poisoning, bites and stings.
• An assessment of the severity of a poisoning or exposure
• Potential toxic effects from a poisoning or exposure
• Treatment and management
• Prevention of poisoning

VPIC has an active research program. Current projects include paracetamol poisoning, medication errors and illicit drug toxicity. VPIC leads the Emergency Drugs Network of Australia (EDNAV) project, a state-wide multi-site research initiative. EDNAV examines illicit drug use within Victoria and provides information to an illicit drug Early Warning System designed to reduce harm within the community. Austin Health and the VPIC are key partners of the project With the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) and the Victorian Department of Health (DH). EDNAV brings together a multi-disciplinary team of policy officers, clinicians, academics and peer organizations who work together to identify and reduce harms related to illicit substance use within Victoria.

About the role

As the VPIC Research Officer you will work collaboratively with a supportive team of professionals, who are passionate about using research to improve clinical care. You will work as part of a team to draft and complete research proposals, reports, and publications. Your role will include liaising with VPIC's external stakeholders when necessary and responding to requests for research data. This is a fixed term, part time position working 12 hours per week.

You'll enjoy our continuing education in the fields of general toxicology, illicit drug toxicity, public health, epidemiology and toxico-surveillance, working with a supportive team who genuinely enjoy their work and the contribution they make.

A regular day will see you:

• Work in accordance with Ethical / Governance / regulatory bodies locally and nationally
• Comply with the requirements of Hospital Research Ethics Committee in the conduct of all research activities
• As part of a multi-disciplinary team, support EDNAV project research including:
  • Production of weekly monitoring reports
  • Creation of monitoring and report systems
  • Analysis of research data
  • Preparation of funding applications, ethics / governance applications
  • Completion of ethics and governance annual reporting requirements
  • Communication of research activities and outcomes through the production of conference and seminar papers and publications.
  • Participation in weekly VPIC - Department of Health monitoring meetings
  • Liaising with other EDNAV project stakeholders as required
• Support and assist with other VPIC research activities as directed by the VPIC Manager and Medical Director

About you

You will be someone who has excellent communication skills and a strong commitment to excellence in patient care. You'll bring energy and drive to your work. You will have clinical experience as a pharmacist, current AHPRA registration, and experience working within a multi-disciplinary team. You will have experience working with statistical software applications utilised in research, and an understanding of research ethics and conduct with the Australian Healthcare setting.

Our benefits

Working at Austin Health means enjoying a strong sense of purpose, engaging in meaningful work every day. Our people also receive a variety of rewarding benefits, including:

• Greater take-home pay through generous salary packaging
• A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounts on fitness memberships and health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program
• Mentoring and career development opportunities
• Onsite childcare, easy access via public transport, car parking and end of journey facilities for cyclists

Work with us!

We are committed to cultural safety and health equity for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People. We celebrate, value, and include people of all backgrounds, genders, identities, cultures, bodies, and abilities. We welcome and support applications from talented people identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, people with disability, neurodiverse people, LGBTQIA+ and people of all ages and cultures.

If you feel this role is right for you, we encourage your early application. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place prior to the closing date. This means we reserve the right to close a job ad prior to the advertised closing date.

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory National Police Check and if required, a Working With Children Check. If you require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process or have questions about this opportunity, you are welcome to reach out to the hiring manager: Shaun Greene, Toxicology Consultant at Shaun.Greene@austin.org.au

Interested in finding out more about this opportunity? Read the position description for further details.

Application closing date: Friday 7 February 2025