Employment Type: Full time 

Duration: Continuing  

Remuneration: Competitive Remuneration Package  

Location: Kensington (Hybrid Flexible Working) 

 

About UNSW: 

UNSW isn’t like other places you’ve worked. Yes, we’re a large organisation with a diverse and talented community; a community doing extraordinary things. Together, we are driven to be thoughtful, practical, and purposeful in all we do. Taking this combined approach is what makes our work matter. It’s the reason we’re one of the top 20 universities in the world (QS top 20) and a member of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight. If you want a career where you can thrive, be challenged and do meaningful work, you’re in the right place. 

Why Your Role Matters: 

The Head of Health & Safety Operations provides enterprise-wide strategic leadership for the delivery of frontline Health & Safety services across all UNSW Faculties and Divisions. The role holds end-to-end accountability for embedding the Health & Safety strategy into operational practice through a responsive, risk-based partnership model that empowers leaders to manage risk proactively and foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. 

Operating with significant autonomy and institutional influence, the position leads a team of Health & Safety Partners and Advisors, driving consistency, service excellence, and alignment with organisational objectives. The role is the principal escalation point for complex Health & Safety issues across academic and professional portfolios and plays a critical role in refining the H&S operating model to improve service delivery, operational effectiveness, and stakeholder satisfaction 

 

Who You Are: 

• Extensive experience in Health & Safety leadership across complex high-risk organisations with a strong focus on service delivery, critical risk management, and capability uplift.  

• Relevant tertiary qualification with significant and sustained relevant experience or equivalent competence gained through any combination of education, training and experience.  

• Demonstrated success leading frontline Health & Safety advisory and partnering functions in high-risk industries with excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a dynamic fast-paced role.  

• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills with demonstrated success achieving safe outcomes on improvement initiatives with senior leaders in a collaborative approach.  

• Strong expertise relevant to the health and safety advisory function including incident management, risk methodologies and assessment, control verification, investigation, emergency preparedness, coaching, training, assurance activities and task planning.  .  

• Proven capability in service design, team leadership, coaching and capability uplift.  

• Knowledge of psychosocial risk and integration of Health & Wellbeing considerations into operational practice.  

• Substantial knowledge and understanding of a systems approach to problem-solving and its implementation.  

• Advanced written and verbal communication skills, with a high level of attention to detail for deliverables produced. 

 

Benefits and Culture: People are at the core of everything we do. We recognise it is the contributions of our staff who make UNSW one of the best universities in Australia and the world. Our benefits include:  

• Salary packaging options, including novated leasing. 

• Generous leave entitlements, including an additional 3 paid days off over end of year holiday period. 

• Access to Fitness Passport, giving you and your family discounted access to hundreds of gyms, pools and fitness facilities. 

• Career development opportunities, including access to leadership and professional learning programs. 

• Discounts and perks across retail, travel, education and health services. 

• A supportive, flexible, and inclusive culture that values wellbeing and diversity. 

Find out more about staff benefits at UNSW. 

 

How to Apply: 

Make each day matter with a meaningful career at UNSW. Submit your application online before Sunday 1st Feb at 11:55pm. A copy of the Position Description can be found on jobs@UNSW.   

 

Get in Touch: 

For questions regarding the position - Please contact Kathryn Taylor Director Health & Safety - kathryn.taylor1@unsw.edu.au  

For questions regarding the recruitment process - Please contact Kim Symons (Talent Acquisition Manager) E: k.symons@unsw.edu.au

Please apply through the application portal and not via the contacts above.

 

Pre-Employment Checks 
Aligned with UNSW’s focus on cultivating a workplace defined by safety, ethical conduct, and strong integrity preferred candidates will be required to participate in a combination of pre-employment checks relevant to the role they have applied for.  

These pre-employment checks may include a combination of some of the following checks:-   

• National and International Criminal history checks 

• Entitlement to work and ID checks 

• Working With Children Checks  

• Completion of a Gender-Based Violence Prevention Declaration  

• Verification of relevant qualifications 

• Verification of relevant professional membership  

• Employment history and reference checks 

• Financial responsibility assessments/checks. 

• Medical Checks and Assessments 

Compliance with the necessary combination of these checks is a condition of employment at UNSW. 

UNSW is committed to equity diversity and inclusion. Applications from women, people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those living with disabilities, members of the LGBTIQ+ community; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff. The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.