Are you a medical professional with a
sense of adventure and a passion for making a lasting
impact?
If so, explore the unique healthcare
opportunities available as a District Medical Officer working for
WA Country Health Service in Kununurra – East
Kimberley.
This is a recruitment pool to fill
Permanent (Full-Time, Part-Time or Sessional) and/or Fixed Term
(Full-Time, Part-Time or Sessional) appointments. Fixed Term
appointments include the possibility of extension(s) and/or
permanency. Closing on 30/06/2026.
Available
positions:
- District Medical Officer –
Non-Procedural (Emergency Medicine) 2.5 FTE – MP Year 1 - 6:
$481,620.08 - $602,976.32 *
- District Medical Officer -
Procedural (Obstetrics) 2.5 FTE - MP Year 1- 3: $550,858.26 -
$602,976.32*
- Rural Generalist - Year 1 - 6:
$550,859.38 - $684,457.01*
*Inclusive of base salary, 12% superannuation
and PD allowance.
Please note: If successful,
classification and level will be determined based on your
qualifications, certifications, experience outlined in your CV and
if applicable, assessment outcomes by specialist college and AHPRA
registration status.
About the Roles
The roles are vital in delivering
comprehensive health services across the East Kimberley. The region
provides primary health care to several remote Aboriginal
communities, with clinicians regularly undertaking scheduled
outreach visits. These visits are shared among permanent DMOs.
Obstetric services are also delivered to Halls Creek through a
monthly visit. Based primarily at Kununurra Hospital, your
responsibilities will extend to Warmun, Halls Creek, Kalumburu, and
Wyndham, with approximately 80% of your time spent in Kununurra and
the remaining 20% dedicated to outreach in surrounding
communities.
You will never be alone in this remote
setting. These roles are supported by an exceptional and
collaborative clinical team. Clinicians in this service support one
another while managing some of the most challenging and rewarding
presentations in rural medicine. A doctor is always on site, with
shared responsibilities across wards, emergency, clinics, and
remote primary care. You'll also have access to resident
specialists in person or via telehealth and the WACHS Command
Centre offer support with rapid care coordination and team
leadership.
Even at 3,500 km from the nearest tertiary
centre, clinicians are never unsupported.
At WACHS, we value teamwork. As part of our
multidisciplinary team, you'll collaborate with Remote Area Nurses,
Nurse Practitioners, Allied Health staff, Aboriginal Health
Workers, and Aboriginal Liaison Officers. Together, we practice
medicine in this extraordinary environment, fostering continuous
learning and professional development.
District Medical Officer - Procedural
(Obstetrics):
- Provide high acuity
emergency care, including thrombolysis for cardiac arrest post
STEMI, emergency caesarean sections for unexpected
presentations, fracture reductions and the management of
complex lacerations.•
- Deliver comprehensive
maternity care, including antenatal and postnatal services
through weekly clinics, neonatal resuscitation for growth
restricted infants and timely response to obstetric
emergencies and acute care in collaboration with the hospital
team.
- Participate in on-call
rosters for maternity and general medical services,
ensuring continuity of care across the region.
- Lead and support the
multidisciplinary maternity team, including midwives, fostering
a safe and collaborative clinical environment.
- Utilise telehealth to
consult with specialist colleagues and provide additional
support to remote patients.
District Medical Officer – Non-Procedural
(Emergency Medicine):
- Provide general medical
care to patients at Kununurra hospital and across surrounding
remote communities.
- Lead multidisciplinary
clinical teams and offer mentorship and support to junior
medical staff.
- espond to emergency
presentations and deliver high quality acute inpatient
care across a broad scope of practice.
- Participate in on-call
rosters in line with role classification, ensuring
continuity of emergency and general medical
services.
- Utilise telehealth to
consult with specialist colleagues and provide additional
support to remote patients.
With 4 × 10 hour shifts, dedicated admin time
and paid professional development leave (PDL), your days off
provide true work–life balance, with opportunities to explore
waterfalls, remote landscapes and the natural beauty of the region.
Want to know more? Hear what our
Rural
Generalists have to say about working in the
Kimberley!
The Successful Candidates for DMO –
Non-Procedural & DMO – Procedural (Obstetrics)
will:
- Hold specialist
registration with the Medical Board of Australia without
restrictions.
- Hold fellowship of the
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, or the
Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine.
- Formal post graduate
qualification in obstetrics or equivalent extensive
experience.
-
A record of appropriate
Emergency Department skill maintenance in the last
triennium of completion of at least 1 of the following and
evidence of continued professional
development:
- ACLS (or
equivalent)
- APLS (or
equivalent)
- EMST (or
equivalent)
- GCCA (or
equivalent).
- Substantial experience
working in a cross-cultural environment particularly with
Aboriginal people, a high-level understanding of Indigenous
Health issues is essential.
Please note: this position does not have
capacity to support supervision for trainees or SIMGs. Candidates
must be able to practise independently without clinical
supervision.
About Kununurra District
Hospital
Kununurra is located just 37 kilometres from
the Northern Territory border, in a welcoming town of approximately
7,000 people on Mirriwong Dwang (Country), with a strong community
connection to culture and land.
Kununurra District Hospital primarily
operates under the guidance of General Practitioners and District
Medical Officers. It offers a total of 32 inpatient beds and
extends its reach by providing clinics and telephone support to
Wyndham and Halls Creek Hospitals, as well as to the Warman and
Kalumburu communities. Kununurra delivers around 120 babies and
does around 500 surgeries a year.
Working in Kununurra means embracing a
dynamic healthcare environment amidst breathtaking natural beauty.
You'll tackle a wide variety of medical cases, from tropical
medicine to acute and chronic conditions in both adults and
children. Every day brings new challenges and opportunities for
growth.
About the
Kimberley
The Kimberley is Western Australia's
northernmost region, bordered by the Pilbara region to the south
and the Northern Territory to the east. Home to around 40,000
people, with approximately 50% identifying as Aboriginal, the
region is rich in cultural diversity and experiences.
The East Kimberley district boasts amazing
tourist attractions including Purnululu (the Bungle Bungles), Lake
Argyle and Mitchell Plateau among so many more locally known
attractions that have to be seen to be believed.
Characterised by its distinct wet and dry seasons, the
Kimberley experiences a sub-tropical climate. May to October is the
dry season, and November to April is the wet season. With a balmy
climate, breathtaking scenery, unique flora and fauna and a great
variety of adventure and cultural experiences, the Kimberley offers
a fantastic lifestyle that is family-friendly and
supportive.
What’s in it for
you:
-
Discover Kununurra: from natural wonders
to rugged landscapes, your downtime will be filled with
unforgettable outdoor experiences.
- You’ll become
part of a vibrant and close-knit community; the people
of the Kimberley are known for their warm hospitality.
- Flexible working
arrangements: Benefit from flexible and adaptable
rosters that support a healthy work-life balance where
operationally possible.
- Competitive
Salary Package: Inclusive of 12% employer
superannuation contributions and a generous professional
development allowance.
- Salary
Packaging: Access to salary packaging arrangements up
to $19,000 p.a.
- Generous Leave
Entitlements: 4 weeks annual leave, 3 weeks
professional development leave, 10 days sick leave, plus other
forms of leave for compassionate or cultural
reasons.
- Professional
Development: Opportunity to supervise trainees in
ED, participate in quality improvement and
research.
- MMM7
classification, attracting additional entitlements for
working in a rural location such as district allowance,
accommodation subsidies, air conditioner subsidies, travel days
and, generous annual leave entitlements.
Keen to know more about the salaries and
benefits? Check out the
medical practitioner salaries and benefits
page.
About the Pool and Appointment:
This is an active recruitment pool which will
be assessed on a regular basis by the panel to fill both immediate
vacant positions and future vacancies. Please note the
below:
- The panel will monitor
this recruitment pool for applications and will assess on a
regular basis.
- Suitable applicants will
be placed in a pool from which appointments may be made when
similar vacancies occur.
- This pool will close
30/06/2026 at
4pm.
- Appointments may be made
from this pool until 30/09/2026.
Application
Instructions
To apply for this position, applicants must
have a current and valid email address for online application and
communication purposes. If you encounter any difficulties while
applying online, please contact
MedCareersWA@health.wa.gov.au.
Applicants must apply online here
via MedCareersWA Ref 493171 and submit the following
documents:
- A detailed CV summarising
your qualifications, AHPRA registration, and relevant
experience.
- A statement (max 2 pages)
addressing Selection Criteria listed in the attached Selection
Criteria form.
- Contact details of two
professional referees, one of whom must be your current
supervisor or line manager.
For further information related to this
position, please contact Dr Catherine Engelke at 0439 378 027
catherine.engelke@health.wa.gov.au
Other
Conditions
WA Health is committed to eliminating all
forms of discrimination in the provision of our service. We embrace
diversity and strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally diverse
backgrounds and people with disabilities.
WA Health engages staff in positions of trust
and responsibility. WA Health policies require applicants to
undertake criminal records screening and integrity checking as part
of the appointment process. Referees may also be asked to comment
on an applicant’s integrity and past demonstration of ethical
behaviour.
This vacancy is subject to a Western
Australian Working with Children (WWC) Check. For further
information please refer to the WWC website at: https://workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au
Please note this recruitment process requires
completion of satisfactory Pre-Employment Health Assessment
(PEHA). Any offer of employment with WA Country Health Service
(WACHS) is conditional on satisfactory PEHA to ensure you are able
to perform the inherent requirements of the position. An
unsatisfactory PEHA will result in the offer of employment being
withdrawn. Please see the attached WACHS PEHA Policy for further
information.
LATE OR EMAIL APPLICATIONS WILL NOT
BE CONSIDERED.
