Exercise Physiologist - Mackay

Proactive Health is a national ecosystem of over 40 allied health businesses across 450+ locations in Australia. We unite independent clinic owners under a shared commitment to clinical excellence — providing the governance, development infrastructure, and operational support of a large network while preserving the personalised, community-driven care that smaller practices do best.

Our clinics operate as genuine multidisciplinary teams. Exercise physiologists work alongside physiotherapists, podiatrists, occupational therapists, dietitians, and social workers — not just sharing a building, but actively coordinating care and learning from each other every day.

We service clients across DVA, Medicare (EPC), NDIS, Home Care Packages, private health, and workers' compensation — giving our EPs one of the most diverse and clinically rich caseloads in the profession.

About This Clinic — Mackay

Mackay sits on Queensland's tropical coast between the Whitsundays and the sugar cane capital of Australia. It's a city of around 80,000 people with a strong economic base in mining, agriculture, and tourism — and a growing demand for quality allied health services that reflects its expanding population and ageing demographic.

The clinic services Mackay and the wider Pioneer Valley and Whitsunday regions. Your caseload will include DVA veterans, Medicare EPC referrals for chronic disease management and musculoskeletal rehabilitation, NDIS participants, and Home Care Package clients. The mining and industrial workforce in the region also creates a pipeline of workers' compensation cases — particularly musculoskeletal and return-to-work rehabilitation — adding another layer of clinical variety to your week.

Hayley Ferguson leads this team with a focus on clinical excellence and team culture. Hayley's approach is collaborative and supportive, with an emphasis on helping clinicians develop their skills and build sustainable careers. For an EP wanting a tropical lifestyle, a genuinely diverse caseload, and the chance to establish yourself as a key practitioner in a growing regional community, Mackay offers a compelling mix of clinical opportunity and quality of life.

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

Exercise physiology is a profession with enormous scope — but too many roles narrow it down to one funding stream, one patient demographic, and one way of working. This role is different.

At Proactive Health, you'll work across the full breadth of what an Accredited Exercise Physiologist can offer. You'll design and deliver individualised exercise programs for people managing chronic conditions, recovering from surgery, building functional capacity after injury, navigating the NDIS, or simply working to stay mobile and independent as they age. Your clinical reasoning will be tested and developed — not dulled by repetition.

DVA is a significant and deeply rewarding part of our work. You'll support veterans across a wide range of presentations — from chronic musculoskeletal pain and cardiovascular conditions to mental health-related deconditioning and complex multi-morbidity. These are patients who deserve thorough, considered care, and DVA's no-gap funding model means you have the time and resources to deliver it properly. Beyond DVA, you'll also work with Medicare, NDIS, Home Care, workers' compensation, and private clients — keeping your skills broad and your weeks varied.

What Your Week Actually Looks Like

You might begin a Monday morning running a supervised exercise session for a DVA client managing COPD and lower back pain. Mid-morning, you're conducting an initial assessment for an NDIS participant looking to build functional independence. After lunch, you've got a home visit for an aged care client under a Home Care Package, followed by a clinic-based consult for a Medicare EPC referral — a 55-year-old with Type 2 diabetes and early-stage osteoarthritis. Between appointments, you're catching up with the physio next door about a shared patient, and writing clinical notes that actually mean something.

Day-to-day, you'll be:

• Conducting thorough initial assessments including functional testing, health screening, and exercise capacity evaluation
• Designing and delivering individualised, evidence-based exercise programs across clinic, gym, home, and community settings
• Managing a mixed caseload spanning DVA, Medicare (EPC), NDIS, Home Care Packages, workers' compensation, and private clients
• Running individual and small group exercise sessions tailored to each participant's clinical needs
• Collaborating with physiotherapists, podiatrists, OTs, dietitians, and GPs as part of genuine multidisciplinary care
• Monitoring progress, adjusting programs, and supporting patients toward meaningful functional and health outcomes
• Maintaining high-quality clinical documentation in line with ESSA standards and Proactive Health's governance framework
• Educating clients on self-management strategies, lifestyle modification, and injury prevention

What You'll Get From Us — Beyond the Salary

• Dedicated mentorship — you'll have a mentor in your corner, whether you're a new grad finding your feet or a mid-career EP looking to sharpen a specialty.
• The Proactive Health Academy — professional development partnerships that keep your skills current and your ESSA CPD obligations covered.
• Graduate and Leadership Programs — structured pathways for early-career clinicians and experienced EPs alike. Our graduate program is one of the most comprehensive in the sector.
• Clinical governance that has your back — quality assurance, supervision, peer review, and clinical frameworks that let you practise with confidence.
• The Hot Tub rewards program — discounts with The Iconic, JB Hi-Fi, Uber, Kmart, and more, plus access to our wellbeing centre.
• Real career progression — from clinician to senior EP, to team lead, to clinic management, to ownership. The path exists and people are walking it.

• ESSA accreditation as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP), or eligibility for accreditation
• A recognised tertiary qualification in Exercise Physiology or Clinical Exercise Physiology
• Current professional indemnity and public liability insurance (or willingness to obtain)
• A valid Australian driver's licence and access to a reliable vehicle
• Current or willingness to obtain a National Police Check and relevant state-based screening (e.g., NDIS Worker Screening, Working with Children Check where applicable)
• Strong clinical reasoning, assessment, and program design skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills — you'll be coordinating with a wide network of practitioners and referrers
• The ability to work independently in community settings while contributing to a collaborative clinic team

Highly regarded but not essential:

• Experience with DVA clients or understanding of DVA funding and compliance requirements
• Experience across multiple funding streams (NDIS, Medicare, Home Care, Workers' Comp)
• Interest in chronic disease management, pain science, functional rehabilitation, or aged care
• Experience with group exercise programming
• Prior experience in private practice or community health

• Competitive salary package —discussed at interview based on experience
• A genuinely diverse caseload — DVA, Medicare, NDIS, Home Care, private, and workers' compensation
• Sustainable workloads that prioritise quality over volume
• Mentorship from experienced clinicians within the Proactive Health network
• Access to the Proactive Health Academy for ongoing CPD and professional development
• Structured Graduate Program (early career) or Leadership Program (experienced EPs)
• Clear career pathways — senior clinician, team lead, clinic management, or clinic ownership
• Staff rewards program with major Australian retailers
• Wellbeing centre access
• A collaborative MDT that actually talks to each other
• The independence of private practice with the infrastructure and support of a national network

Call to Action

If you're an EP who wants clinical variety, genuine mentorship, and the freedom to develop your career on your own terms — this is worth a conversation. We're building something in Para Hills, and we want the right person, not just the fastest applicant.

Apply now, or contact Stuart Smith, Head of Talent at [email protected] or 0481 179 106 for a confidential chat.

Proactive Health is committed to fostering a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and respected. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability, and people of all gender identities and sexual orientations.