AREC is seeking an exceptional nursing leader to step into the executive role of Director of Nursing and help shape the future of nursing within our region’s leading emergency and specialist referral hospital. This is a rare opportunity to step into an executive leadership role with direct influence over strategy, standards and workforce sustainability while strengthening a nursing function that is structured, empowered and clinically outstanding.
Job Description
About us:
AREC (Animal Referral and Emergency Centre) is a privately owned, ASAV accredited Hospital of Excellence established in 2004. Led by highly regarded emergency veterinarian Dr David Tabrett, we are a non-corporate hospital with a collaborative team of over 100 dedicated professionals.
Our culture is underpinned by Respect, Diligence, Professionalism, Excellence, Empathy and Integrity. We are committed to professional development, wellbeing and delivering peace of mind to both pet owners and referring veterinarians across the Hunter region.
The Role:
As Director of Nursing, you will sit on the Executive Team and lead the Nursing and Animal Attendant teams across emergency and specialist services. You will work closely with the Hospital Services Manager and Veterinary Director to ensure aligned, integrated hospital operations.
Reporting to the CEO and partnering closely with the Veterinary Director and Hospital Services Manager, you will ensure nursing standards, workforce structure and clinical governance frameworks enable exceptional patient care. This is a strategic executive role with strong operational influence in a 24-hour hospital environment.
Your impact will include:
Leading and developing Nurse Managers and Team Leaders
Owning nursing clinical standards and governance frameworks
Providing strategic oversight of training frameworks and progression pathways
Partnering on workforce planning and safe staffing models
Strengthening engagement, retention and leadership capability
Overseeing infection control, zoonotic risk and clinical WHS
Contributing to hospital wide strategy and executive decisions
You will maintain visible leadership presence and lead through growth and change with clarity and accountability, within a collaborative and experienced executive team committed to shared standards and performance.
Desired Skills and Experience
About You:
You are an accomplished Veterinary Nursing professional with extensive emergency and/or referral experience and demonstrated senior leadership capability. You have a deep understanding of nursing practice within complex hospital environments and how workforce structure, governance and standards influence patient outcomes and team performance.
You think strategically, communicate with clarity and confidence, and build accountable, high-performing teams. You are comfortable operating at executive level and contributing to broader organisational strategy while maintaining strong connection to frontline nursing realities.
You will bring:
Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing or equivalent
Extensive emergency and or referral nursing experience
Experience leading Nurse Managers or Team Leaders
Demonstrated capability in clinical standards, policy and training development
Strong knowledge of clinical governance, WHS and infection control
Desirable:
Diploma of Veterinary Nursing or higher
VNCA membership and or AVNAT registration
Experience in a 24-hour referral hospital
Exposure to executive or senior leadership environments
We welcome applications from experienced senior nursing leaders ready to operate at executive level, as well as established Nursing Managers seeking a values-driven, non-corporate hospital environment.
Why Join AREC:
At AREC, we believe nursing excellence is central to patient outcomes, team wellbeing and hospital performance. This role sits at the core of that belief.
We are building a hospital culture that is:
Clinically ambitious and standards driven
Accountable and performance focused
Respectful, transparent and team oriented
Committed to professional growth and leadership development
As Director of Nursing, you will have:
A genuine voice at Executive level
The autonomy to design and elevate nursing frameworks
The ability to influence hospital wide decisions
Direct impact on workforce structure and sustainability
This is an opportunity to create legacy level impact on nursing within a complex, high acuity referral environment.
If you are ready to step into an executive leadership role where you can shape systems, develop people and elevate standards, we would love to hear from you.
AREC foster diversity and inclusion within the organization to create an environment where all individuals are valued and included.
Note: All short-listed applicants will be required to undergo a pre-employment check to verify their identity, qualifications and experience in the form of a reference check.
Learn more about us:
View our videos and photos via the below links:
Living in Newcastle; Working at AREC - https://youtu.be/XsdS9nr9AW8
Is Lifestyle the Missing Piece of your Career? - https://youtu.be/8741nJwkHts
Animal Referral and Emergency Centre (kookaburravets.com)
