- Canberra
- Applications close 11 September
- The salary range for this role is $102,072 - $111,701
The Department of Industry, Science and Resources and our broader portfolio are integral to the Australian Government’s economic agenda. Our purpose is to help the government build a better future for all Australians through enabling a productive, resilient and sustainable economy, enriched by science and technology. We do this by:
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Growing innovative & competitive businesses, industries and regions
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Investing in science and technology
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Strengthening the resources sector.
The APS and the department offer a clear direction and meaningful work. You will be able to create positive impact in people’s lives whilst contributing to improved outcomes for Australia and our people.
If you would like to feel a strong connection to your work and you are accountable, committed and open to change, join us in shaping Australia’s future.
Please see the APSC’s APS Employee Value Proposition for more information on the benefits and value of employment within the APS.
The Work Health Safety (WHS) and Wellbeing Section supports the Department to meet its work health and safety obligations, strengthen safe systems of work, and promote a workplace culture that supports both physical safety and psychological wellbeing. The team works in partnership with leaders, managers, workers and specialist stakeholders to provide advice, manage WHS systems and programs, support incident and hazard reporting, coordinate consultation arrangements, and deliver practical tools and initiatives that prevent harm and improve workplace health, safety and wellbeing.
We are part of People Branch, which sits within the Chief Operating Officer Division. People Branch leads the department’s strategic and operational human resources functions, including workforce planning, recruitment and employment programs, capability and talent, employee relations, people support, inclusion, work health and safety, and wellbeing. As part of the COO Division, the branch contributes to the department’s enabling services by supporting a safe, capable, inclusive and high-performing workforce, and by helping leaders and employees access practical people-related advice, systems and support.
The APS6 Senior Work Health and Safety Advisor (Operations / Wellbeing) delivers practical WHS and wellbeing support, advice and coordination services that contribute to a safe, healthy and legislatively compliant workplace. Working under limited direction as a WHS subject matter expert, the role uses their technical and professional knowledge to apply WHS legislation, policies, procedures and systems to complex and sensitive WHS and/or wellbeing matters, exercising sound judgement and practical problem-solving. Please note, there are two key work streams within the team (WHS Operations and Wellbeing) at this level and Senior Advisors specialise in either operations or wellbeing, however support both the operations and wellbeing streams, as needed.
Joining our team will give you exposure to a wide range of contemporary WHS issues across a large and diverse organisation. You will have opportunities to build your capability in WHS operations, incident management, consultation, reporting, training and continuous improvement.
Our ideal candidates will possess:
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Strong understanding of WHS legislation, risk management, consultation, incident and hazard management, and operational WHS and/or wellbeing systems, with the ability to apply this knowledge to complex and sensitive matters.
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Ability to interpret legislation, policies, procedures and guidance material and translate requirements into clear, practical and defensible operational advice.
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Well-developed analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to assess WHS risk, identify trends, develop options, recommend controls and monitor implementation.
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Strong written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear, accurate and fit-for-purpose reports, briefs, committee papers, procedures, guidance material and communication products.
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Strong stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to build trust, manage competing perspectives, consult effectively and work collaboratively with managers, workers, HSRs and specialist stakeholders.
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Strong organisational skills and judgement, including the ability to manage competing priorities, coordinate operational workflows, monitor actions and deliver outcomes within agreed timeframes.
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Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion, professionalism and awareness of privacy, procedural fairness and recordkeeping requirements.
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Ability to provide guidance, quality assurance and task coordination to more junior staff while contributing to a positive, collaborative and service-focused team culture.
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Confidence using Microsoft Office applications, electronic records management systems and WHS reporting or incident management systems.
Desirable qualifications or experience:
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Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety, or progress towards a relevant WHS or human resources qualification.
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Experience using WHS incident management systems.
The APS6 Senior WHS Advisor coordinates day-to-day operational workflows, assists with incident and hazard assessments (physical and psychosocial), providing advice on this to stakeholders, contributes to notifiable incident reporting and related processes, and undertakes WHS reporting. They lead the development of WHS guidance material for the department, including in relation to workplace inspections, risk assessments and operational consultation arrangements as it relates to their area of expertise (either in Operations or Wellbeing). Key responsibilities include:
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Support the management of complex or sensitive WHS incidents, including coordination of operational and psychosocial WHS activities, ensuring consistent application of WHS risk management processes (including hazard identification, risk assessment and control implementation) across physical and psychosocial hazards.
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Provide specialist operational and/or wellbeing WHS advice to managers, workers, HSRs and stakeholders on WHS legislation, departmental procedures, incident and hazard reporting, risk controls, consultation obligations and safe systems of work.
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Maintain and improve WHS management system procedures, guidance, templates, standard operating procedures, dashboards and reporting products, and drive consistency of WHS practices across the department.
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Prepare high-quality written material, including reports, briefings, correspondence, meeting papers, committee updates, governance papers, talking points, communication products and draft responses to complex or sensitive WHS enquiries.
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Analyse WHS data, incident and hazard trends, corrective actions, inspection outcomes and service demand to identify emerging risks, improve controls and inform management reporting.
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Liaise with internal stakeholders, specialist teams, divisional WHS contacts, property, security, People Branch teams, external providers and regulators where appropriate to support coordinated WHS outcomes.
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Provide guidance, quality assurance and task coordination to more junior team members, including supporting consistent case handling, inbox and systems administration, records management and operational coverage.
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Contribute to WHS projects and continuous improvement activities, including WHS management system uplift, procedure implementation, operational service improvements, training, awareness activities and Safe Work Month initiatives.
To be eligible for employment in the APS and the department, candidates must be Australian Citizens.
Positions require a Baseline security clearance and successful candidates will be required to obtain and maintain a clearance at this level.
Please note, this is an expected vacancy. This round will be used to fill positions as they arise over the next 18 months.
A merit pool may be established and used to fill future vacancies within 18 months from the date the vacancy was first advertised in the Gazette.
The department does currently offer flexible work opportunities for many roles. This vacancy is Canberra based, although flexible or remote work arrangements may be considered. Please reach out to the contact officer to discuss this further.
Your application must not contain any classified or sensitive information. This includes in your application responses, CV and any other documents. The selection panel may not consider applications containing classified information.
Please provide a pitch explaining how your skills, knowledge and experience will be relevant to this role and why you are the best candidate for the position. Your pitch can contain no more than 750 words and should align to the key duties listed above.
You may use AI tools to support your application. However, all content must be accurate, authentic, and reflect your own capability in line with APS merit principles. For further guidance, please refer to the APSC’s Principles for candidate use of AI in recruitment.
Please complete your application online and provide your current CV with your application. (CVs must be in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format).
Accessible application documentation is available in other formats on request. Please contact [email protected] or (02) 6276 1235 if you require assistance with your application.
Please refer to our Applying for a position information for additional information on how to apply.
For more information regarding this opportunity, please contact Sam Junor on 02 6102 9135 or via email on [email protected]
