Join the Australian Physiotherapy Association in this newly created Senior Business Advisor role within our Policy and Government Relations (PGR) team.

Working Arrangements
This is a permanent, part time role (0.6 FTE - 3 days a week) open to applicants Australia wide, with our head office based in Camberwell, Victoria. We offer a hybrid model to support work life balance and when working from home you will have quality equipment and services to support you.

About us
As a leading voice in the healthcare sector, and with a membership of over 35,000 members, we are driven to support the success of our members and ensure that physiotherapy is the consumer’s first choice for health and wellbeing.

APA is proud to be an Employer of Choice, Winner of the 2022 Association of the year award and have a great working culture that is under pinned by our core values:

Accountability | Excellence | Collaboration | Courage | Respect

As part of our team, you will be offered a competitive remuneration salary and access to some amazing benefits including a flexible hybrid work model, additional paid leave between Christmas and New Year, a doona day, paid parental leave, free annual flu vaccinations, professional development opportunities, access to our Employee Assistance Program, special staff discounts and more!

About the role
The Senior Business Advisor is a newly created role within the APA’s Policy and Government Relations (PGR) team, bringing deep sector insight and strong commercial capability to strengthen the APA’s reform impact. The role will collaborate across the APA, including with the National Business Group. The Senior Business Advisor contributes advanced understanding of private practice operations, business performance, operational systems and scalable service model expertise into APA policy and reform work. It ensures outputs are commercially credible, operationally feasible and aligned with the realities of contemporary practice environments.

The position provides high-level analysis and commercially informed insight to support physiotherapy practices to remain competitive, financially sustainable and safe in a changing economic and healthcare environment. It plays a key advisory role in interpreting market, funding and regulatory shifts, translating complex system changes into clear implications for physiotherapy businesses.

The role also engages directly with key external stakeholders including Private Health Insurers, state based compensable schemes, Veterans’ Health, and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), to strengthen the APA’s industry presence and ensure advocacy positions reflect contemporary market, funding and regulatory realities.

The role reports to the General Manager, PGR and works closely with the Strategy and Policy Specialist, providing critical subject matter expertise to inform and support the delivery of the PGR Blueprint and the APA’s broader Strategy.

Key Responsibilities
The following accountabilities broadly define the role expectations of this position:
Commercial and Business Insight

• Provide expert analysis of private practice operations, business performance, pricing structures, workforce utilisation and scalable service models.
• Develop commercially sound business advice and modelling to inform APA policy positions and advocacy outputs.
• Conduct detailed analysis of market, funding and regulatory changes, assessing their operational and financial implications for physiotherapy businesses

Business-informed Policy Support

• Contribute business and operational expertise to policy positions, submissions and briefings.
• Translate system changes into clear operational and financial implications for practices.
• Prepare business impact and feasibility assessments to support reform proposals.
• Contribute business expertise to cross functional projects and organisational initiatives.
• Support the delivery of strategic projects and priorities, including negotiations on physiotherapy pricing across federal and state/territory settings.
• Lead the development and delivery of a private health insurance strategy reset for the APA.
• Provide clear, evidence-based advice on business models, pricing and service delivery.

Stakeholder and Industry Engagement

• Maintain effective relationships with Private Health Insurers, compensable schemes, Veterans’ Health, the NDIA and other key stakeholders.
• Represent the APA in discussions requiring commercial or operational expertise.
• Contribute to elevating the viability and overall professionalism of the physiotherapy sector.
• Provide expert input to the National Business Group and member facing activities.
• Shape member communications and policy guidance for physiotherapy business owners on adapting to market, funding and regulatory shifts.

About you and selection criteria
You bring strong commercial insight and a solid understanding of how physiotherapy businesses operate within Australia’s health funding environment. You communicate clearly, work collaboratively and build productive relationships across government, funding bodies, industry stakeholders and the profession. You are able to assess complex issues quickly, provide practical business advice and develop practical solutions that support the sustainability and viability of physiotherapy services.

The successful candidate will have:

• High level written communication skills, including the ability to produce concise business analyses, impact assessments and member facing guidance.
• Ability to build effective relationships both internally and collaborate externally with stakeholders including government and other funders.
• Experienced in managing diverse and competing stakeholder needs, build strong working relationships, and resolve issues with practical solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with others to achieve shared goals, share information, respect diverse perspectives, build positive relationships, and help resolve conflicts constructively.
• Strong commercial and financial literacy, including the ability to interpret business performance data and assess service model viability.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse complex funding, regulatory and market information and translate it into clear business implications.
• Ability to exercise sound judgement when assessing business impacts, risks and opportunities in a changing environment.
• Capacity to work independently on complex issues while contributing effectively to team based work and cross functional projects.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high quality work within tight timeframes.
• Commitment to constructive, solutions focused problem solving, particularly when navigating diverse or competing stakeholder expectations.

Technical expertise

• Significant (at least 10 years) experience running a private physiotherapy practice, as a practice owner and leader.
• Deep understanding of business strategy and management, including the operational, legal and regulatory requirements of private practice ownership.
• Strong knowledge of physiotherapy funding pathways, including private health insurance, compensable schemes and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Essential criteria

• Currently registered with Ahpra as a physiotherapist
• Australian Physiotherapy Association Member

Highly regarded

• Postgraduate qualifications in business, health administration, health economics or a related field

A full position description is available at:

https://australian.physio/aboutus/workwithus

Are you ready to join our team?

If you are interested in the role please forward your resume and a cover letter addressing the selection criteria via SEEK by clicking here.

If you have any questions please contact recruitment@australian.physio

The APA is a safe and inclusive workplace which values diversity of background, experience and perspective amongst our team members. We welcome all applicants and commit to a fair and equitable recruitment process for all.

The APA honours the richness and importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures around Australia. We respect the thousands of years of custodianship of the lands on which we work, and we recognise the unique and valuable contribution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team members make to our workplace.

We actively encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

All candidates must have full Australian Working Rights.

Only those successful in the selection process will be contacted.

Applications close COB Thursday, 26th February 2026.