Head of Safety & Risk | Digital Infrastructure

HRG: Critical Infrastructure; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

HRG: Critical Infrastructure invites an experienced Head of Safety & Risk to own enterprise risk and WHS across a distributed Australian infrastructure portfolio. You will influence decisions at executive and Board level while strengthening ISO-aligned management processes.

You will embed enterprise risk management, build strong safety frameworks, and drive contractor assurance, incident management and governance across projects, maintenance and operations. Sydney preferred, Brisbane considered.

Qualifications

• Experience leading enterprise risk management and safety programs at scale.
• Strong understanding of WHS legislation and safety governance.
• Proven ability to report to executives and boards with clear risk insights.
• Hands-on in reducing risk through actionable mitigation and controls.
• Experience with ISO standards and risk frameworks across large distributed assets.

Responsibilities

• Own the ISO 31000-aligned risk framework and risk appetite.
• Lead National WHS programs, policies and safety management systems.
• Deliver quarterly risk dashboards and board materials.
• Strengthen ISO-aligned systems: 45001, 14001, 9001 and psychosocial risk guidance.
• Oversee contractor safety, incidents, audits and corrective actions.
• Coordinate site inspections with state and regional representatives.
• Enhance incident tracking and crisis-management readiness.

Skills

Enterprise risk management

WHS leadership

ISO 31000

Executive reporting

Safety management

Contractor assurance

Incident investigations

Stakeholder influence

Job description

Head of Safety & Risk | Digital Infrastructure

Sydney Preferred | Brisbane Considered

Experienced safety and risk leader ready for greater ownership and influence?

Take ownership of enterprise risk and national safety across an established digital infrastructure portfolio, with the autonomy to strengthen systems and influence decisions at executive and Board level.

You'll have the scope to make a real difference, from embedding enterprise risk management across the business to shaping WHS systems, improving operational practices and strengthening ISO aligned management processes.

The focus is on someone who brings sound judgement to risk, knows how to make safety work in practice and drives action through to completion.

What’s on Offer

• National Ownership - Lead enterprise risk and WHS across a geographically distributed Australian infrastructure portfolio.
• Executive & Board Influence - Provide clear advice and reporting that help senior leaders understand risks, set priorities and make informed decisions.
• Shape Safety & Risk - Build on existing foundations, identify gaps and improve frameworks, systems and operational practices.
• Real Operational Impact - Strengthen contractor assurance, incident management and safety controls across projects, maintenance and operations.
• Autonomy to Lead - Set priorities, challenge constructively and see improvements through.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead Enterprise Risk Management - Own the ISO 31000-aligned framework, support a clear risk appetite, maintain the enterprise risk register and work with accountable business owners on mitigation plans.
• Lead National WHS - Operate and improve safety management systems, policies and procedures, applying a strong understanding of WHS legislation.
• Deliver Board & Risk Reporting - Prepare quarterly enterprise risk dashboards and Board and Audit & Risk Committee materials, providing visibility of emerging risks, control effectiveness and outstanding actions.
• Strengthen ISO Aligned Systems - Drive performance across ISO 45001, ISO 14001 and ISO 9001, and apply ISO 45003 guidance on psychosocial risk.
• Drive Incident Follow Through - Oversee reporting, investigations and corrective actions, ensuring actions are verified before closure and lessons are shared.
• Lead Contractor Assurance - Strengthen onboarding, audits and compliance within the safety remit, coordinating site inspections with state and regional representatives.
• Improve Operational Visibility - Strengthen central tracking of incidents, audits and actions, and support practical incident-response and crisis-management exercises.

What Will Make You Successful

You'll bring demonstrated capability in enterprise risk management and operational safety, with the confidence to work across both senior leadership and field operations.

Your experience will include:

• Managing enterprise risk frameworks, ideally aligned with ISO 31000, including risk registers, mitigation plans and executive or Board reporting.
• Senior WHS/HSE leadership across telecommunications projects, network rollout, infrastructure construction or maintenance, or comparable utilities, energy or infrastructure environments.
• Operating and improving ISO 45001-aligned safety management systems, with relevant experience across ISO 14001 and ISO 9001, and an understanding of ISO 45003 psychosocial risk guidance.
• Managing contractor safety, incident investigations, audits and corrective actions across multiple sites or a distributed workforce.
• Applying sound WHS legislative knowledge and communicating complex safety and risk matters clearly.

You may be a Head of Safety and Risk, a National WHS/HSEQ Manager with enterprise risk responsibility, or a GM with broader risk and compliance experience and strong operational WHS credentials. What matters is what you have owned, improved and delivered.

Why Apply?

This role offers the opportunity to influence how a national business understands risk, makes decisions and keeps people safe.

You'll have the independence to strengthen the function, the access to influence senior leaders and the operational involvement to see your work make a difference.