Organisation: Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service
Job Title: Administration Officer
Word Limit: 2 Pages
Location: Cairns
Please accept my application for the position of Administration Officer as advertised on the SmartJobs careers board. Leveraging off a successful career with both QLD Health and Melbourne Health spanning over 10 years, I have extensive experience delivering professional and effective administrative support and customer service to a range of key stakeholders. With a strong background collaborating in busy clinical environments, I possess an impressive skillset that will allow me to successfully carry out the duties of the position and support the strategic objectives of the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service.
Working in various administrative capacities, I have provided quality operational and support services in roles encompassing payroll, job allocation, scheduling, and rostering, and data entry. This experience has lent me keen problem solving, negotiation and conflict resolution skills and the ability to use sound judgement to resolve or escalate situations in a healthcare environment. For example, in my current position as Payroll Helpdesk Officer with Melbourne Health, I work as a member of a team responsible for paying over 22,000 staff and am often required to think on my feet and diffuse any potential conflict. Always entering these situations with a calm and conciliatory approach, I endeavour to provide clear and concise information and focus on a solution in line with business policy and organisational procedures. To support my decision‑making, I have accurately interpreted and applied legislation, awards, regulations and guidelines relating to my duties as a Payroll Officer, Job Allocation Officer and Operational Services Officer.
With a reputation for consistently going above and beyond the usual functions of my role, I regularly take on additional tasks or assist my colleagues to ensure all work is attended to within key performance indicators, team goals and organisational objectives. Demonstrating a thorough working knowledge of administrative functions, office practices and customer service principles, I am highly adept at managing and organising tasks to ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the department. In my current and previous roles, I have acted as the first point of contact for internal and external customers, performing a wide range of duties encompassing all aspects of administration management. This includes, but is not limited to, effectively managing incoming and outgoing correspondence, screening and assessing calls, purchasing supplies, generating reports, developing standard operating procedures and maintaining highly confidential personnel files. Throughout my career, I have demonstrated my ability to identify and respond to areas in need of attention in order to support, manage, prioritise and maximise the time spent delivering value to the business and customers. I pride myself on the ability to anticipate the needs of my supervisors and be ready to provide information and advice within the scope of my role at a moment’s notice.
The nature of the health industry and rapid advancements in technology mean that changes in the workplace are inevitable and I have regularly demonstrated my ability to remain flexible, adapt to uncertain circumstances and successfully manage conflicting priorities. To do this, I monitor and action my own workload at all times to uphold a high standard of work and overcome any challenging situations. For example, I implement strategies such as utilising Microsoft Outlook to prioritise workloads, schedule meetings and keep track of daily, weekly and monthly routines. Additionally, I take notes in formal and informal meetings and maintain a daily diary to ensure that all duties are completed within the allocated timeframe. These skills have been particularly valuable in my current role with Melbourne Health where my colleagues and I experienced an excessively high workload due to internal staffing changes. By effectively applying my superior organisational and time management skills during a period of increased operational demand, I played a critical role in reducing our workload to a manageable level. My ability to remain calm, prioritise and delegate tasks and lead by example means that we are better prepared to deal with client enquiries and as a result, the team has been recognised for improving service levels.
Embracing and recognising diversity is an important skill for all members of an organisation and through an informed understanding of cultural awareness and social sensitivity, I am able to effectively collaborate with a diverse group of colleagues, supervisors, clients, patients and external bodies to facilitate cooperation and form meaningful partnerships. Throughout my career, I have assumed a high level of responsibility that has demanded exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, including working closely with senior management, contributing to meetings and forums, facilitating staff training and handling customer enquiries and complaints. I have often been commended for my empathetic and supportive approach to managing problems or requests and am able to recommend an effective course of action, or assist in any way I can to support the achievement of departmental objectives.
Accustomed to liaising at a senior level, I am comfortable consulting and negotiating with key stakeholders on a variety of topics relevant to my position in order to deliver meaningful information to suit the needs of the enquirer. I possess superior oral and written communication skills, supported by my experience delivering information in the form of policies, procedures, reports, team meetings and official departmental correspondence. Effective communication is the most important issue in any organisation and I endeavour to be clear and concise at all times to mitigate the risk of confusion or misunderstanding; common factors that may lead to conflict within the workplace. My ability to communicate effectively in writing has been demonstrated through extensive experience in the government sector and completion of a Creative Writing Skills course with Melbourne Health this year.
My substantial knowledge of contemporary software packages, databases and information systems has been acutely developed throughout my career, allowing me to utilise a broad range of computer operating systems and applications to effectively carry out my responsibilities. With a high degree of attention to detail and accuracy, I have demonstrated my ability to design quality, user-friendly documents in accordance with style guide requirements via the effective use of Microsoft Office software. During my employment with QLD Health, I was responsible for managing and maintaining multiple payroll and database systems, including Work Brain, SAP, FAMMIS and HBCIS. With a comprehensive understanding of the system capabilities of these programs, I am able to retrieve records and respond to enquiries in a timely manner to deliver positive outcomes for the business. I am confident my skills in this area will allow me to rapidly acquire knowledge of Oral Health Information systems and allow me to share my expertise with colleagues to ensure effective use of equipment, time and company resources.
Throughout my 10 years working in the healthcare industry, I have demonstrated my commitment to upholding the Department of Health strategic plan and policies and the comprehensive set of values that underpin the plan. I possess an informed understanding of public service professionalism and the APS Code of Conduct and a demonstrated commitment to workplace diversity, occupational health and safety and equal employment opportunity. Working in busy emergency and clinical departments, I understand the supreme importance of maintaining a safe, clean and sanitised environment for patients, staff, clients and visitors in accordance with the QLD Health Cleaning Services policy and guidelines. At all times, I act with honesty and fairness, demonstrate moral strength, behave with impartiality and practice tolerance.
Recognised throughout my career for delivering professional administration services to support the provision of high-quality acute healthcare, I would bring the above skills, strengths and experience to any future role and am confident in my ability to make a valuable contribution to the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service. I look forward to sharing my career strategy and interests with you.
