Operational Safety Manager

Elements Recruitment Australia; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary $150k–$170k + super

Path to Head of Safety & Compliance

Senior leadership backing

Job summary

Elements Recruitment Australia seeks an experienced Operational Safety Manager for Western Sydney. You will own operational safety from day one, leading a ground‑up review of procedures and building a proactive safety culture.

The role offers genuine authority, a clear runway to a Head of Safety and Compliance, and a direct line to senior leadership for execution of safety strategy. Reporting to the General Manager, you will drive safety across the business, manage incidents end‑to‑end, and

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a senior operational safety or WHS leadership role within transport, waste, logistics, or another high‑risk, regulated environment.
• Solid working knowledge of Chain of Responsibility, NHVR requirements, and heavy vehicle or bulk transport safety.
• Strong track record of leading incident investigations and translating findings into real, followed procedures.
• Comfort operating in yards, depots and vehicles, not desk‑bound safety work.

Responsibilities

• Lead a full, ground‑up review of current safety procedures and drive practical improvements.
• Rebuild and maintain SWMS, risk assessments and safe operating procedures.
• Own incident and near‑miss investigations end to end, from first response to corrective actions.
• Build operational readiness for dangerous goods handling and storage, including training and emergency response procedures.
• Lead safety training, coaching and toolbox talks across drivers, plant operators and site teams.
• Drive a measurable shift in safety culture with broad buy‑in across teams.
• Oversee Chain of Responsibility and heavy vehicle safety at the operational level.
• Manage Return to Work and Workers Compensation cases from notification to resolution.
• Coordinate emergency preparedness, drills and post‑incident reviews.

Skills

Safety leadership

Incident investigations

Chain of Responsibility

Stakeholder influence

Operational safety in transport

Job description

Operational Safety Manager | Western Sydney | $150K to $170K + Super

Step into a fast-growing, privately-owned operator in a highly regulated, safety-critical industry, with an evolving and expanding service offering. Safety isn't a compliance box here. It's a genuine leadership priority, backed by real authority and real investment, and our client is looking for someone who wants to help shape what safety looks like, not just maintain what already exists.

This is a newly defined Operational Safety Manager role, created because the business is ready to invest properly in safety leadership, not just fill a gap. It comes with a clear runway to a broader Head of Safety and Compliance position for the right person, giving you a real say in how the function grows from here.

The Position:

Reporting directly to the General Manager, you'll take genuine ownership of operational safety, not oversight from a distance, leading a ground-up review of current procedures with the mandate to reshape how safety works from day one.

What you'll be doing:

• Leading a full, ground-up review of current safety procedures and driving practical improvements
• Rebuilding and maintaining SWMS, risk assessments and safe operating procedures
• Owning incident and near-miss investigations end to end, from first response and root cause analysis through to corrective actions and close-out
• Building operational readiness for dangerous goods handling and storage, including training, risk assessments and emergency response procedures
• Leading safety training, coaching and toolbox talks across drivers, plant operators and site teams
• Driving a genuine, measurable shift in safety culture, particularly building trust and buy-in within driver and operational teams
• Overseeing Chain of Responsibility and heavy vehicle safety at the operational level, including fatigue, loading and scheduling risk
• Managing Return to Work and Workers Compensation cases from notification through to resolution
• Coordinating emergency preparedness, including planning, drills, and post-incident review
• Exercising full stop-work authority where you identify unsafe activity, backed by senior leadership
• Partnering closely with senior operational leaders across the business to embed safety into day-to-day decision-making
• Reporting on safety performance and trends to the General Manager, with a clear line of sight to broader compliance and business risk

The Candidate:

We're looking for someone genuinely progressive in how they think about safety, someone who sees it as a driver of performance and culture, not just a regulatory requirement. This role suits an experienced, dynamic safety leader who wants to build and shape something, not simply administer an existing system.

You’ll bring:

• Significant experience in a senior operational safety or WHS leadership role within transport, waste, logistics, industrial or another high-risk, regulated environment
• Solid working knowledge of Chain of Responsibility, NHVR requirements, and heavy vehicle or bulk transport safety
• A strong track record of leading incident investigations and translating findings into real, followed procedures
• Genuine comfort operating in yards, depots and vehicles, not a desk-bound safety professional
• The confidence to challenge unsafe practices and influence change at every level of a business, regardless of commercial pressure
• Experience with, or strong exposure to, dangerous goods, chemical handling or petrochemical environments (highly regarded, not essential)
• Background with a larger, structured logistics or industrial organisation is a plus, but we're just as open to a hands-on operator from a smaller business who's ready to step up

The Benefits:

• $150,000 to $170,000 + super
• A newly created role with genuine scope to shape safety strategy and execution from day one
• A clear, realistic progression pathway to a Head of Safety and Compliance role
• Full authority and senior leadership backing to make safety decisions that matter
• Involvement in a major growth initiative: the safe expansion into dangerous goods
• A hands-on, high-impact culture where your work is visible and valued, not lost in bureaucracy
• The chance to build modern, practical safety systems in a business that's genuinely investing in getting it right