Client
- Organisation: General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA) – national peak body for GP registrars and medical education stakeholders
- Sector: Health, medical education & training, member-based NFP
- Context: Growth phase with a new focus on rural and remote workforce development across the Northern Territory
Client Need
- Appoint an Operations Manager (NT) to coordinate regional program delivery across:
- Education & training activities (workshops, events, supervisor engagement)
- Scholarships & grants administration (eligibility, compliance, acquittals)
- Member engagement and stakeholder communications (registrars, practices, colleges)
- Capability requirements:
- Project/program management (planning, budgets, timelines, risk & issues)
- Governance & compliance (policies, reporting, data integrity, audit readiness)
- Stakeholder engagement (registrars, GP practices, colleges, NT health partners, universities)
- Health workforce exposure and service delivery in rural/remote contexts
Our Approach
- Consultative intake: clarified KPIs, success profile, reporting lines, and regional priorities (NT service coverage, travel requirements, culturally safe practice)
- Targeted search strategy combining:
- Database mapping of candidates with medical workforce / RTP / college experience
- Discreet outreach to operations and project managers in health, education, and community sectors
- Branded and unbranded advertising to attract impact-driven talent with regional operations experience
- Assessment process:
- Competency interviews (program delivery, stakeholder management, governance)
- Scenario tasks (scholarship lifecycle, risk register, continuous improvement plan)
- Referee validation on change management, collaboration, and resilience
- Tools & keywords aligned to client stack: CRM/Member systems (e.g., Salesforce), LMS exposure, reporting & analytics, risk and compliance frameworks
Outcome
- Successful appointment of an Operations Manager with:
- Proven governance and stakeholder engagement across health and education
- Hands-on project management in rural/remote program delivery
- Strong data/reporting capability (KPIs, dashboards, funder reporting)
- Early wins delivered within first 90 days:
- Implemented streamlined scholarship administration (eligibility checks, milestones, acquittals)
- Introduced reporting cadence and dashboards to improve visibility of NT activities
- Standardised operating procedures and risk controls to lift program consistency and compliance
Key Success Factors
- Sector-specific search: identified candidates with medical education / workforce planning backgrounds, not just generic operations
- Rural & remote alignment: prioritised experience with distributed teams, travel, and partnerships unique to NT contexts
- Governance-first lens: ensured capability in policy, compliance, risk, and stakeholder assurance alongside delivery
- Change & improvement: shortlisted talent with clear examples of process optimisation and digital enablement (CRM/LMS/reporting)
Impact
- Strengthened GPRA’s capacity to deliver education, scholarships, and member services across the NT
- Improved program governance, transparency, and funder reporting, supporting long-term sustainability
- Advanced GPRA’s vision to enhance GP training pathways and support the rural and remote health workforce
