About AIMS

The Australian Institute of Marine Science is Australia’s tropical marine research agency.

We are a trusted advisor, a partner and employer of choice, and we value integrity, innovation, collaboration and respect. AIMS’ research of Australia’s tropical marine ecosystems guides their effective environmental management and contributes to our understanding of similar ecosystems around the world.

Our research seeks to deliver practical benefit to all Australians and supports the sustainable use of our tropical marine estate. Governments, reef managers, industry and the wider community look to our high-quality, long-term research for informed decisions about our iconic Great Barrier Reef, North-West Shelf, and Arafura and Timor Seas. AIMS expert teams at our locations in Townsville, Darwin and Perth have access to world-class infrastructure, unique datasets, cutting-edge laboratories, and a fleet of modern research vessels.

About this exciting opportunity

As our Health and Safety Manager, your leadership and expert guidance in workplace health and safety will be key to AIMs achieving continuous improvement in safety performance. You’ll play a pivotal role in shaping a high performing workplace health and safety (WHS) culture where safety, support and wellbeing are part of the everyday experience through your direct influence of AIMS leadership. A key focus for this role will be to develop and implement a multi-year WHS plan that aligns with AIMS strategy and associated operational plans which will deliver year on year improvement in AIMS safety performance.

Providing strategic leadership and overseeing day-to-day operations, you will lead a capable WHS team to deliver practical guidance across a wide range of operational environments. This will be a broad role working on the following:

• Providing strategic and operational leadership and expert advice to the Chief Operating Officer and AIMS Leadership team relating to WHS matters impacting or that have the potential to impact AIMS.
• Fostering a culture of safety awareness, safety engagement and accountability at all levels.
• Ensuring that WHS governance, standards, systems and framework is robust, strategically aligned, business orientated and embedded.
• Partnering with leaders to proactively identify and mitigate risks, including observing field work and front-line worker activities to understand employee challenges and support process implementation.
• Continuing to mature our WHS system and framework to ensure successful delivery of AIMS organisational wide WHS plans, activities, policies and procures in accordance with AIMS strategy and relevant legislative and regulatory obligations.

About you

This role requires a motivated person who is passionate about making a significant contribution to the safety culture of a leading research organisation. You’ll be an experienced leader, combining strategic oversight with deep operational expertise and a proven ability to build trust and drive a proactive safety culture, demonstrated by your experience developing and leading WHS strategies and multi-year plans. Our ideal candidate will have:

• Tertiary qualifications in a WHS related field with postgraduate qualifications and/or equivalent experience, paired with a high level of understanding of applicable WHS legislation, regulation and compliance frameworks,
• The ability to effectively lead and coach a geographically dispersed multi-skilled team to embed safe systems and ways of working,
• Impressive communication skills, you’ll be confident negotiating, influencing, advising and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders on WHS initiatives and compliance,
• Experience managing WHS risks (physical and psychosocial) and improving WHS systems in diverse and operationally complex environments across labs, field work, remote locations, international operations and hybrid work settings,
• Experience participating in operational activities away from the office, and practical WHS advice that people listen to and follow through on, and
• Proven ability to lead early intervention processes, compliance and governance activities, incident investigations, and reporting to management and regulatory agencies.
• Operational experience and understanding of WHS management and regulation in maritime and/or offshore resource industry sector or familiarity with Commonwealth Work Health Safety and Safety Rehabilitation Compensation legislative requirements and regulatory agencies would be advantageous.

Apply now and join a world leading organisation with attractive working conditions. In line with our Enterprise Agreement, the successful candidate will be rewarded with:

• AIMS AOF Level 6 salary ($141,261 to $159,178 per annum) plus 15.4% superannuation
• Full-time, Permanent opportunity
• Located in Townsville (Qld) or Perth (WA)*
• 9-day fortnight, enjoy a long weekend each fortnight
• Flexible Work Arrangements considered including hybrid working (where suitable)
• Generous and supportive leave entitlements
• Access to Commuter car fleet arrangements to travel to site (in Townsville only)
• Salary Sacrifice opportunities
• Access to Fitness Passport program, offering discounted membership to selected gyms
• Employee Assistance Program
• Relocation assistance available

* If located in Perth, frequent travel to/from Townsville will be expected.

Discover more about Working at AIMS | AIMS.

Please note:

Non-Australian Citizens must hold an appropriate Visa with working entitlements that allows paid employment with AIMS from commencement and for the full term of the appointment, depending on the relevant Department of Home Affairs current policies.

Next Step

Further information about this exciting and challenging opportunity is outlined in the Candidate Information Pack which is available to download from our website www.aims.gov.au. If, after reviewing the position description and selection criteria included in the Candidate Information Pack, you believe that your qualifications, experience and professional capabilities will enable you to successfully the deliver the position responsibilities, we encourage you to make an application via our website.

Submitting your Application: Please ensure that you have your completed documents (selection criteria responses, resume and cover letter) ready to attach to your online application form via our e-recruitment system which can be accessed via our website www.aims.gov.au.

Position enquiries are to be directed to Richard Brinkman, Chief Operating Officer at [email protected]. Applications must be made through our website per above.

Applications close: WEDNESDAY, 27 AUGUST 2025 (11.45PM, AEST).

AIMS acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia's first scientists. We pay our deepest respects to Elders past, present and future, and the custodians of the land and sea Country on which we work.