The SunRice Group is an Australian ASX-listed branded food group, comprising multiple businesses, assets and operations across Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, the United States, The Pacific Islands and Asia. SunRice was built by the Australian rice industry over many decades and today is one of Australia’s leading branded food exporters, with approximately 2,000 employees and operations in 11 countries.
SunRice is a great place to work, providing a real opportunity for passionate people to make a difference.
About the role
At SunRice, the health, safety and recovery of our people is critical to our success. As our Workers' Compensation Specialist, you'll lead workers' compensation, injury management and return-to-work programs across our manufacturing and operational sites, helping ensure our employees receive the right support from the moment an injury occurs through to a safe and sustainable return to work. This role can be based in either our Chadstone or Sydney office.
Working closely with leaders, employees, insurers and rehabilitation providers, you'll take a proactive approach to injury management, balancing care for our people with strong claims outcomes and effective premium management. While workers' compensation and injury management are a key focus, you'll also support occupational health, hygiene, ergonomics and wellbeing initiatives across the business.
This is a highly visible and business-critical role, offering the opportunity to make a tangible impact on employee wellbeing, recovery outcomes and overall business performance.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Lead the end-to-end management of workers' compensation claims, injury management and return-to-work programs across SunRice.
- Partner with employees, leaders, insurers and rehabilitation providers to support positive recovery and return-to-work outcomes.
- Implement early intervention strategies to minimise injury duration and improve employee outcomes.
- Develop and execute claims management strategies that balance employee care with effective claims and premium management.
- Analyse workers' compensation performance, identify trends and drive initiatives to reduce injury risk and claim costs.
- Provide expert advice and coaching to leaders on injury management, workers' compensation obligations and return-to-work practices.
- Manage relationships with insurers, brokers and rehabilitation providers to ensure quality, timely service delivery.
- Lead occupational health and hygiene initiatives, including health surveillance, exposure monitoring and risk mitigation programs.
- Support ergonomics programs across both office and operational environments, including workplace assessments and practical recommendations.
- Coordinate wellbeing initiatives and employee support programs, including the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Deliver reporting and insights to support continuous improvement across injury management, occupational health and wellbeing.
About You
You're a trusted workers' compensation and occupational health specialist who combines strong technical expertise with a genuine passion for helping people. Experienced supporting blue-collar workforces in manufacturing, industrial or similarly high-risk environments, you know how to navigate complex injury management matters while maintaining a practical, people-first approach.
You've managed workplace injuries from early intervention through to successful return-to-work outcomes and are confident building relationships with everyone from frontline employees to senior leaders. You understand the value of proactive health, hygiene and wellbeing initiatives in creating safer, healthier workplaces.
Proactive, resilient and solutions-focused, you take ownership, work independently and aren't afraid to roll up your sleeves to get things done. Most importantly, you're motivated by the opportunity to make a meaningful difference to both employee outcomes and business performance.
You will bring:
- Return to Work Coordinator qualifications for NSW and VIC.
- Qualifications in Safety, Occupational Health or a related discipline.
- Significant Experience managing workers' compensation and injury management in a high-risk operational environment, either in-house or through supporting operational clients within an insurer, broker or rehabilitation provider setting.
- Strong working knowledge of NSW and Victorian workers' compensation schemes, including NSW Loss Prevention and Recovery (LPR) requirements.
- Proven experience supporting blue-collar workforces and managing injuries associated with operational environments involving plant, equipment and heavy machinery.
- Strong understanding of claims management, premium drivers, injury trends and cost containment strategies.
- Experience developing or managing occupational health and hygiene programs, including areas such as noise monitoring, dust exposure management and health surveillance (highly regarded).
- Knowledge of ergonomic principles and workplace assessment practices.
- Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence leaders and build trust with employees.
- Strong analytical and reporting capability, with the ability to identify trends and drive practical improvements.
What’s in it for you
At SunRice Group, we believe great work starts with feeling supported, valued and inspired. When you join our team, you’ll enjoy a range of benefits designed to support your wellbeing, growth and everyday life.
- SunRice Product Allowance: Take home a taste of what we do best. You’ll receive a weekly allowance of SunRice Group products, so you can enjoy and share the food we’re proud to make.
- Leave: Enjoy competitive leave benefits, including volunteer leave and the option to purchase additional leave when you need extra flexibility.
- Wellness Reimbursement: Your wellbeing matters. Twice a year, you’ll be reimbursed for fitness memberships or other health and wellbeing initiatives that help you feel your best
All correspondence will be dealt with in strict confidence.
SunRice is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. SunRice will consider qualified applicants for employment based on their merit, individual skills, qualifications and other appropriate criteria relevant to the role for which they are applying.
