Population Health Research Officer

Full Time, fixed term contract: to November 2027

Location: Hybrid based from anywhere in the western Victoria region

(Ballarat or Geelong or Warrnambool area)

Western Victoria Primary Health Network

About Us

Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) is responsible for increasing the efficiency, effectiveness and coordination of health services for patients, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes.

Working together with community and health industry partners, WVPHN is committed to strengthening the primary healthcare system, based on local needs. Our four regional centres in Ballarat, Geelong, Horsham and Warrnambool, drive local engagement and ensure strong rural and regional connections, through the development of local community and clinical councils.

About the Role

We are seeking a dedicated Population Health Research Officer to join our Population Health and Planning team. In this role, you will support evidence-based planning and decision-making by maintaining a large population health dataset, creating insights, and delivering research projects that inform service planning and community health initiatives.

Working under the guidance of the Population Health and Planning Lead, you will collaborate with internal teams, stakeholders, and community partners to ensure data is accurate, accessible, and translated into meaningful reports, dashboards, and visualisations for diverse audiences. This role is ideal for someone with a passion for public health, strong analytical skills, and the ability to turn complex data into actionable insights.

Key Responsibilities

Coordinate population health research collaborations, helping ensure project milestones and deadlines are met.

Support and maintain key internal and external stakeholder relationships, and help monitor progress towards deliverables, escalating any issues or delays as needed.

Help identify and understand key population health indicators from publicly available sources (e.g. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) to support population health planning

Provide support to the data analyst by helping prioritise and select relevant indictors for inclusion in WVPHN population health data spreadsheet

Assist in maintaining the population health data spreadsheet, ensuring it remains well-organised and accessible for reporting and planning purposes.

Stay informed about emerging trends in population health to help ensure WVPHN’s data and insights remain aligned with organisational goals and priorities.

Contribute to the development or reports, dashboards, and visual materials that translate data into meaningful insights for non-technical audiences.

Key Selection Criteria (KSCs)

Essential:

Tertiary qualifications in public health, epidemiology, health sciences, or a related field, or at least 3 years of relevant experience.

Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Strong understanding of population health principles, social determinants of health, and public health frameworks.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present data to a range of audiences.

Ability to work independently while effectively incorporating guidance from diverse internal and external stakeholders.

Desirable:

Experience in project planning and research coordination.

Experience with Microsoft SharePoint, Forms, Power Automate, Power Apps, Power BI, and working with health datasets.

Employment requirements

Be prepared to undergo a National Police Check, prior to appointment

A current Victorian driver’s licence

Working rights in Australia (visa, permanent resident, citizen)

Benefits of working with WVPHN

At WVPHN we celebrate diversity within and outside of our organisation. We consciously remove barriers and enable an environment for all to belong, feel welcome and be heard. This aligns with our organisational values of Respect, Connect and Lead.

We also pride ourselves on being a supportive and flexible working place that offers a great range of benefits:

Generous salary packaging options up to $15,900 + $2,650 meals and entertainment

Professional development allowance ($1,200 per year per FTE) and leave.

Family friendly and flexible working arrangements

Collaboration with passionate, likeminded professionals

Option to purchase additional leave.

Additional leave between the Christmas and New Year period

Up to 12 weeks paid parental leave.

Employee Assistance Program

How to Apply

This is a highly attractive role and we are keen to find the right person, therefore we will be actively contacting applicants during the recruitment process to shortlist for suitability. Please don’t delay in submitting your interest!

Email applications to [email protected] by: 9am, 14 November 2025

Please include:

CV

A cover letter addressing all key selection criteria and employment requirements

To learn more about these opportunities and access the full position description, please visit our website: https://westvicphn.com.au/about-us/wvphn-careers/

For further information regarding this position, please contact:

Elyse Baker, Manager Population Health and Planning

P: (03) 5222 0821