About our team

The Work Health and Safety (WHS) National Operations team play a critical role in supporting safe workplaces and enhancing employee health and wellbeing. From airports and seaports to remote field operations, we offer general WHS advice and guidance on complying with WHS legislation, managing WHS risks, and building a proactive safety culture. The team’s operating environment is driven by the needs of our business and its people, and whole-of-APS and department-specific HR policies and programs. The Work Health and Safety (WHS) National Operations team play a critical role in supporting safe workplaces and enhancing employee health and wellbeing. From airports and seaports to remote field operations, we offer general WHS advice and guidance on complying with WHS legislation, managing WHS risks, and building a proactive safety culture. The team’s operating environment is driven by the needs of our business and its people, and whole-of-APS and department-specific HR policies and programs.

The People, Strategy and Safety Branch is the centre of capability identification, acquisition, mobilisation and development in the department and supports the department to achieve its complex agenda through a highly capable, diverse and inclusive workforce. We provide valuable support and guidance to business areas through our closely connected sections: Health, Safety and Welfare Strategy and Systems; Health, Safety and Welfare Operations; Establishments and HR Reporting; Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion; Talent, Leadership and Capability; Workforce Strategy, Planning and Design.

What you’ll be doing

As WHS Assistant Director, you will provide high-level WHS advice, lead critical risk management activities and support leaders in meeting their WHS legislative obligations. You will lead a small team of WHS Advisors responsible for providing specialised WHS advice and support across the department. You will play a key role in supporting the implementation of the department’s WHS strategy.

This is a leadership opportunity for someone who possess strong WHS technical knowledge with excellent stakeholder engagement and the ability to drive change.

You will exercise a considerable degree of independence and undertake a leadership role, with work being performed under the broad direction of the Director WHS National Operations.

The responsibilities of the WHS Assistant Director include, but are not limited to:

• Providing expert WHS advice to executives, senior management and staff to build WHS capability and knowledge across a broad range of work environments.
• Supporting stakeholders to report hazards, incidents, near miss incidents to proactively identify risks and enhance existing control measures
• Leading incident investigations with internal and external stakeholders to ensure appropriate analysis and effective risk mitigation controls are identified to minimise risk as low as reasonably practicable
• Leading the development and implementation of strategies for enabling a high performing health and safety culture aimed at achieving positive safety culture in the workplace
• Assisting in the implementation and continual improvement of WHS programs, policies, procedures to ensure proactive regulatory and statutory compliance
• Preparing complex and/or sensitive correspondence, documents, reports, submissions, proposal papers and notes for internal and external stakeholders.

What we are looking for

We are seeking applications from high performing WHS professionals with relevant experience. Your can-do attitude, communication, planning and organisation skills, and ability to prioritise workloads will enable you to effectively manage and deliver results.

In addition to meeting the behaviours outlined in the Integrated Leadership System profile of the Executive Level 1 level, our ideal candidate/s will have:

• Demonstrated experience applying the WHS legislation, including but not limited to the Work Health Safety Act 2011 (Cth), Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth), Work Health Safety Codes of Practice, and relevant Australian Standards, and their application in a complex operational environment.
• Knowledge and technical skills in risk management and experience in the development and implementation of WHS management systems.
• Demonstrated experience leading a team managing complex WHS issues.
• Experience working in a fast-paced role within a government setting.
• The ability to think strategically, applying problem solving and decision-making skills to resolve complex issues involving multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Influence, negotiate and provide trusted advice on WHS operations, systems and processes
• A high level of resilience and initiative with the ability to deliver on competing priorities in a high-pressure environment.
• The ability to operate with a considerable degree of independence in undertaking a leadership role and apply professional judgement in dealing with difficult circumstances,
• Excellent stakeholder management across a range of internal and external stakeholders.

Eligibility

• To be eligible for this position you must be an Australian Citizen.
• The occupant must be able to obtain and maintain a Baseline Vetting (Protected) level security clearance, or hold a current security clearance of an appropriate level.
• The successful candidate will be required to be assessed through our pre-employment screening checks, such as an Australian Criminal History Check and pre-employment medical.

Flexible employment arrangements are available with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.