About the role
Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist – Tertiary Health Service | Canberra, ACT Total package up to AUD $530,052 p.a. + relocation up to $55,000
We are currently hiring on behalf of a public health provider for the ACT, delivering the full spectrum of tertiary medical services across a modern hospital network with strong academic and research affiliations with three major universities. The Forensic Mental Health division sits within a broader Mental Health, Justice Health and Alcohol & Drug Services directorate, and provides comprehensive assessment, treatment and case management across an adult correctional facility, a youth justice facility, and a purpose-built 25-bed secure inpatient forensic mental health unit (10 acute and 15 subacute beds). The service operates within a recovery-focused, socially inclusive model and is supported by a well-resourced multidisciplinary team.
Your role
- Deliver expert forensic psychiatric assessment and treatment across custodial, youth justice, and secure inpatient settings
- Provide clinical leadership within an experienced multidisciplinary forensic mental health team
- Contribute to training, education and supervision of junior medical staff and trainees
- Optional conjoint academic appointment available with a leading national university for suitably qualified candidates
- Positions available at Staff Specialist and Senior Staff Specialist level, dependent on experience
What's on offer
- Total package up to AUD $530,052 p.a. (Full-time indicative base package: $345,363 – $455,052 p.a.)
- Base salary $204,936 – $274,696 p.a., negotiable within classification
- Employer superannuation of 12.5%
- Private Practice Allowance (Scheme A)
- Professional development allowance
- On-call allowance of 17.4%
- Mobile phone allowance
- Annual leave loading of 17.5%
- Generous leave provisions including up to 5 weeks annual leave and up to 4 weeks training/education leave per annum
- Attraction and Retention Incentive of $50,000 – $75,000 p.a. (subject to eligibility)
- Salary packaging with full FBT concessions
- Flexible working arrangements
- Relocation reimbursement of up to $55,000 for interstate candidates on permanent and long-term appointments (conditions apply)
- Visa sponsorship available for eligible international candidates
Requirements
- Specialist registration with AHPRA as a Psychiatrist, with sub-specialty experience or interest in forensic psychiatry
- Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP)
- SIMGs on an approved RANZCP specialist pathway are welcome to apply
- Ability to meet credentialing requirements and obtain an endorsed scope of clinical practice
- Pre-employment National Police Check
- Compliance with the service's Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy
- Australian working rights, or eligibility for employer-sponsored visa
- A genuine interest in working across custodial, youth justice, and secure inpatient forensic settings
Life in Canberra
Canberra offers all the amenities of a capital city — world-class galleries, museums, restaurants, and Australia's top public schools — without the traffic, commute times, or property prices of Sydney or Melbourne. The city sits within easy reach of the NSW South Coast beaches, the Snowy Mountains, and the Southern Highlands wineries, making it a genuine outdoor-lifestyle base for families and active professionals. It is also one of Australia's most highly educated communities, with strong university, research, and cultural institutions embedded in daily life.