Reporting to the Executive Director People & Culture, you'll be an influential and visible HSW leader in the organisation. A trusted advisor to senior executives and the Executive Leadership Team, shaping the future of health, safety, psychological wellbeing, injury management and workforce resilience for WorkSafe employees.
You will be responsible for leading a HSW team and network of professionals to build strong organisational relationships and mobilise evidence-based innovations and initiatives. You will be influential in shaping a contemporary approach to health and safety at WorkSafe, physical and mental health at work, progressive wellbeing, vocational rehabilitation and employee engagement.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and support a team of HSW specialists to deliver practical solutions that keep our people safe and well. Drive the identification and management of workplace health, safety and psychosocial risks, and implement proactive strategies that prevent injuries and build organisational resilience.
- Champion psychological health across the organisation by leading our approach to psychosocial risk management. Ensure workplace risks are identified and addressed, and help create safe, inclusive and mentally healthy work environments.
- Oversee workers compensation, injury management and return-to-work programs, ensuring employees receive timely, compliant and supportive assistance. Improve recovery outcomes through early intervention, effective rehabilitation and strong stakeholder partnerships.
- Lead health, safety, wellbeing and workers compensation governance and reporting. Use data and insights to monitor performance, identify trends and risks, drive continuous improvement, and support strategic decision-making across the organisation.
Please ensure you review the Position Description here for additional information on accountabilities for this role.
About you
You are a strategic and enterprise-minded senior leader who establishes credibility with stakeholders by leading through influence, expertise and partnerships. You are passionate about building a high-performing team of professionals and can influence decision-making beyond the HSW function. You are an excellent communicator who knows when to lead, when to advise and when to challenge.
You will bring:
- Significant leadership experience within a health, safety and/or wellbeing environment.
- A proven ability to develop and implement strategic HSW initiatives that deliver measurable outcomes.
- Outstanding communication, relationship-building and leadership capability.
- Experience influencing senior executives, boards and complex stakeholder groups.
- Strong knowledge of occupational health and safety legislation and its practical application.
- Expertise across psychological health, wellbeing, risk management, injury management and recovery.
- Relevant postgraduate qualifications in Health, Safety or a related discipline
Working with us
At WorkSafe, our goal is for every employee to feel connected, safe, and valued within their team, for teams to feel appreciated in the workplace, and for WorkSafe to be respected in the community.
We believe that a diverse workforce is essential for delivering the best outcomes for the Victorian community. We strongly encourage applications from all individuals, including First Nations people, people with disabilities, those from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and individuals of all sexualities and genders.
What's next?
Applications close 11:00pm Wednesday 2nd September, 2026. Click the link to apply, and join us in making a difference to Victorian lives.
Only applications submitted via the WorkSafe Careers website will be considered.
Preferred candidates will be required to satisfactorily complete a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check and/or other checks as required for the position as part of the recruitment process.
Eligibility for ongoing employment with WorkSafe Victoria requires Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency.
Due to the volume of applications received, individualised feedback will only be provided to candidates who progress to interview stage.
For further enquiries please contact Talent Acquisition Lead Abbey Bernard via email - [email protected]
