General Manager Work Health and Safety

Stahmann Webster; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary package

Leadership development

Parental leave

Job summary

Stahmann Webster, a leading Australian agriculture business, seeks a General Manager – Work Health & Safety to provide strategic leadership and governance for safety across operations. Reporting to the CEO, you will drive risk visibility, lead a dispersed safety team and partner with executives to embed safety as a business driver.

You will shape enterprise WHS strategy, own operational risk, enhance systems and assurance, and oversee injury management while traveling across Australia as

Qualifications

• Senior WHS leadership experience in a complex, multi-site operation.
• Proven ability to develop and deliver WHS strategies, systems and improvement programs.
• Strong capability in critical risk management, assurance, and safety performance.

Responsibilities

• Strategy that fits the business and risk profile.
• Ownership in operations with leaders owning risks and safety outcomes.
• Development and effectiveness of WHS management systems, framework and technology.
• Critical risk and assurance including audits, incidents and investigations.
• Insight that drives decisions for Executive and Board visibility.
• Injury management oversight including trends, costs and recovery outcomes.
• Lead and develop a geographically dispersed safety team.
• Maintain strong field presence to inform systems and strategy.

Skills

WHS leadership

Strategic leadership

Risk management

Stakeholder engagement

Executive collaboration

Education

Tertiary qualifications

WHS qualification

Job description

In a diverse agriculture business, safety is everyone's responsibility. It is part of how we lead, how we make decisions and how we work every day.

Stahmann Webster is one of Australia's leading agriculture businesses in Australia. We grow, process and pack walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamias, avocados, mangoes and lemons, and operate vineyards and apiaries across multiple regions.

To support our safety-first culture across the business, we are looking for a General Manager – Work Health & Safety to provide strategic leadership and governance for safety across our operations.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you’ll work closely with our Executive and operational leadership teams to provide visibility of safety risk and performance to the Board level and lead a geographically dispersed safety team.

Why this role

This opportunity is focused on strengthening a model where leaders own safety, supported by clear expectations, practical systems, capable safety professionals and effective assurance.

That means getting close to operations, understanding where the critical risks are, challenging constructively when something needs to improve, and making sure our safety systems help people manage risk.

This role has the mandate and executive access to influence how safety is led and owned across the business.

What this role is responsible for

• Strategy that fits the business. Our enterprise WHS strategy, aligned to organisational objectives, operations and risk profile.
• Ownership in operations. Strengthening a leader-led model where operational leaders own their risks and safety outcomes, with the safety function providing expertise and support.
• Systems that work for the business. The development and effectiveness of our WHS management system, framework and technology, ensuring they are practical, consistent and useful.
• Critical risk and assurance. Our approach to critical risk, assurance, audits, incidents and investigations, ensuring material risks are understood, controls are effective and assurance is meaningful.
• Insight that drives decisions. Providing the Executive and Board with clear insight on risk exposure, control effectiveness, trends and performance gaps, and contributing safety input to strategic and operational decisions alongside the Executive and Operational Leadership Teams.
• Injury management. Oversight of injury management strategy and performance, including claim trends, duration, costs and recovery outcomes.
• Our safety team. The capability and performance of our geographically dispersed safety team.
• Connection to the operation. Maintaining a strong presence across our sites and using field insights to inform systems and strategy.

What we’re looking for

• Senior WHS leadership experience in a complex, multi-site operation.
• Proven experience developing and delivering WHS strategies, systems and improvement programs that strengthen culture and performance.
• Strong capability in critical risk management, assurance, compliance auditing and safety performance.
• Ability to work effectively with executives, Board members, operational leaders and frontline teams.
• Experience turning strategy into practical action, with clear accountability and follow-through.
• Strong leadership skills and experience building high-performing teams.
• Experience across multiple Australian jurisdictions and an understanding of differing WHS requirements.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications and a valid driver’s licence.
• Flexibility to travel across Australia as required.

What we offer

• The opportunity to shape safety strategy across a diverse Australian horticultural business
• An attractive salary package
• Professional development opportunities, including leadership, safety and industry training
• Paid parental leave supporting both primary and secondary carers