The Restricted Medical Treatment Oversight Panel (the panel) is an independent statutory body established under Part 5 of the Health Safeguards for People Born with Variations in Sex Characteristics Act 2026 (the Act).
The panel comprises a Chair, Deputy Chair, and pool of ordinary panel members from each of the following expertise categories: specialist medical, mental health, lived experience, health law, and human rights and ethics. All panel members are appointed by the Governor-in-Council, on the recommendation of the Minister for Health, for a period of not more than 5 years.
The panel has the following functions:
The panel approves treatments through:
The panel is classified as a sessional Group B1 board per the Victorian Government Appointment and remuneration guidelines (the guidelines), as it is a quasi-judicial tribunal and significant Government advisory body, and the Chair and Deputy Chair are classified as SO4 single officers given the substantial nature of the roles. Selection and remuneration of appointees to the panel is in accordance with the guidelines.
As an independent quasi-judicial tribunal, the panel is not subject to the direction of the Minister for Health or the Department of Health in the exercise of its functions. The panel and individual members are accountable to the Minister for Health for the proper performance of the panel's functions, including exercising statutory functions independently, impartially, and in accordance with the Act. All panel members are protected from personal liability for actions done in good faith in the exercise of powers or discharge of duties under the Act.
Members have legal obligations and duties under common law, the Act, and the Public Administration Act 2004, as well as any other relevant state and federal legislation. Members are also bound by the Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector Employees issued by the Victorian Public Sector Commission.
The panel is supported by a team of departmental staff.
The Chair and Deputy Chair will provide leadership during the establishment and operation of the panel, ensuring it can discharge its statutory functions lawfully, efficiently, and with sound judgement in matters that are clinically, ethically, and socially complex.
The Chair will lead the overall governance of the panel and act as the primary statutory office holder under the Act. When the Chair is not available, the Deputy Chair will assume all the same responsibilities.
For details regarding the key responsibilities of the Chair and Deputy Chair, see the attached position description.
We are seeking senior leaders with strong governance, statutory or quasi-judicial decision making, communication, and health policy capability, as well as an understanding of the Victorian health system. Ideal candidates will also have knowledge of the health and wellbeing needs of people born with variations in sex characteristics and their families.
It is desirable for applicants to have clinical and/or legal qualifications. Clinical and/or legal qualifications are desirable as they complement the panel's broader mix of expertise and lived experience, helping to ensure decisions appropriately balance medical, legal, parental, community, and human rights perspectives.
Applicants must: