About the Organisation
Higher Health is a non-profit organisation and the implementing arm of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), dedicated to student health, psychosocial wellbeing, and holistic youth development across South Africa’s post-school education and training sector. It operates across all 26 public universities, 50 public TVET colleges, and 9 community colleges, covering over 1,000 campus sites and reaching more than 2 million young South Africans annually across 52 districts in all 9 provinces.
About the Job
The Director Clinical Services will provide strategic direction, leadership, and operational management focusing on leading clinical risk strategy, virtual care, managed care, financial sustainability and enhancing governance for Higher Health.
The role will be responsible for setting the vision for the provision of expert health care, promoting, and adhering to the highest standard of medical care and continuous improvements across sites, driving performance, managing staff and resources, safeguarding and fostering strategic partnerships to achieve organizational goals.
Key Responsibilities
To define the vision, values and development plans ensuring alignment to the Organisations overall mandate and goals
Keeping abreast of updates and new government policies in the Department of Health ensuring alignment and adaptation for Higher Health interventions
Develop, design and lead the overall departmental policy, systems, business processes and procedures
Provide clinical excellence by identifying needs and establishing opportunities
Develop, design and lead standardised telehealth clinical pathways
Tracking patient outcomes and telehealth specific safety metrics to ensure that virtual care matches the quality of in person visits
Engage stakeholders on matters of interest and influence
Lead proactive stakeholder engagement with the Department of Health to facilitate operational strategy
Represent the organisation professionally
Build strong relationships with Doctors and other partners
Forecast for departmental core budget administration activities and projects
Expenditure in line with core Clinical Unit activities, projects and special programmes
Responsible for Clinical Governance
Identify key controls and establish risk mitigation processes that support sound governance
Collaborate with the Technology Department to build systems that enable the management of data (medical services, patient servicing cost, utilisation of medical assets) obtained from different sources
Develop, update and report on amongst others the departmental strategic annual plans, and KPIs, operational plans, strategic stakeholders’ issues, query management and interventions, internal and external audits and risk
Deputise for the CEO as required
Ensure seamless executive continuity and oversees interim functions
Requirements
Qualifications
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBCHB)
Registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Advanced Life Support Certifications
Valid Dispensing licence
Advantageous
Master of Medicine (M.MED)
Masters in Public Health
Experience
8 to 10 years’ experience in Health Management
10 years’ experience in strategic and/or executive management in a private or public institution
Experience in having led teams within an NGO or similar environment or clinical unit focussing on prevention or care support treatment
Experience in corporate business with a thorough understanding of financial and business management principles
Experience in having worked in a telemedicine environment
Understanding of legislative and business climate pertaining to healthcare
Experience in liaising with various stakeholders
Experience in managing a unit and/or department
Experience in developing a public sector strategy and business plan
Experience in private or public institutions or NGO’s or funding organisation or banking
Experience in the social and health sector projects
Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Package (Ms Word, PowerPoint and Excel)
Attributes
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Facilitates and encourages open communication to the team
Strong listening skills, attention to detail and commitment to high accuracy levels in all aspects of the job
Promotes new innovative ideas and solutions for improving work
Must be a South African citizen or permanent resident with fluency in English. Fluency in one local indigenous South African language preferred
To apply
To apply, email your application by Friday, 3rd July 2026 to tracy@actionappointments.co.za
