Principal Consultant - Work Health Safety and Wellbeing

Department of Education; Perth; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

12% employer contributed superannution

Flexible working arrangements

Generous leave entitlements

Professional development opportunities

Salary packaging

Public transport access

Job summary

Department of Education WA is seeking a Lead Principal Consultant – Employee Support within the Work Health Safety and Wellbeing Directorate. You will lead a specialist team delivering strategic advice to principals, line managers and senior leaders, strengthening workplace health and wellbeing performance and managing injury-related costs.

Based in East Perth with flexible arrangements, you will drive governance, reporting and evidence-based decision-making, translating risks into practical

Qualifications

• Lead complex projects, investigate WHS risks and develop practical risk-management strategies.
• Provide expert advice to senior management and school leaders.
• Translate complex information and risk into actionable plans and policies.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic workplace health, safety and wellbeing initiatives across the Department.
• Provide strategic advice, support and services to principals and line managers.
• Strengthen WHSW performance, improve injury management outcomes and build organisational capability.
• Develop and improve systems, governance and strategies for WHSW service delivery.

Job description

This is a permanent full-time position commencing November 2026. The Department’s Work Health Safety and Wellbeing Directorate comprises two branches: Safety and Staff Wellbeing and Employee Support Services. The Directorate is responsible for ensuring that legislative frameworks are complied with and that employees’ mental health and wellbeing are supported.

It provides strategic and operational advice to the Minister, Director General, school leaders and line managers on a range of matters including:

• work health and safety (WHS)
• staff wellbeing
• employee assistance and mediation programs
• workers’ compensation
• injury management

The Role Lead strategic workplace health safety and wellbeing initiatives that make a meaningful difference across the Department. As Principal Consultant – Employee Support you will lead a specialist team providing strategic advice, support and services to principals, line managers and senior leaders. You will play a key role in strengthening workplace health safety and wellbeing performance, improving injury management outcomes and building organisation capability.

Working as part of the Directorate leadership team, you will contribute to strategic planning and continuous improvement across work health safety and wellbeing. You will identify and analyse trends, strengthen reporting and inform evidence‑based decision‑making, using these insights to support targeted organisational improvement strategies and manage injury‑related costs. You will lead the development and continuous improvement of systems, governance and strategies that support effective injury management, workers’ compensation and WHSW service delivery. The role provides high‑level advice to senior leaders, and requires the ability to lead complex projects, investigate WHS risks, develop practical risk‑management strategies and establish systems and processes that strengthen organisation performance.

A key part of the role is providing expert advice to senior management, schools and communities on complex and broad WHSW matters. You will build strong relationships, negotiate effective outcomes and ensure services and practices comply with relevant legislation, policies and governance requirements.

This is an opportunity to influence WHSW performance at an organisational level, combining strategic leadership, specialist expertise, data and continuous improvement to support safer and healthier workplaces across the Department. The successful candidate will bring strong leadership capability, sound judgement and the ability to translate complex information and risk into practical strategies, advice and sustainable improvement.

Professional Benefits

We are conveniently located in East Perth and our employees enjoy a range of benefits which include:

• 12% employer contributed superannuation.
• Flexible working arrangements are genuinely considered to create healthy work life balance including; working from home or remote, flexible working hours and part‑time arrangements
• Generous leave entitlements including annual, personal, long service and parental leave
• Professional development opportunities and study leave/assistance
• Access to salary packaging (in accordance with relevant industrial instruments)
• Enjoy easy access to public transport with the Claisebrook train station just a 5-minute walk away or, take advantage of the free Yellow Cat bus service that stops outside our building entrance. Additionally, various CPP parking locations are within walking distance.

Want to know more? Full details of the role, selection criteria and training requirements are listed in the attached Job Description Form (JDF).

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Sean Ashton Manager - Work Health Safety and Wellbeing on [phone] or by emailing [e-mail]

Equity and Diversity

We are committed to an inclusive and culturally responsive workforce reflecting the diversity in our workplaces and the Western Australian community. We welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, young people, people of diverse sexualities and genders, people with disability, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Explore our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan 2021-2025 for more details.

Eligibility

• be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent resident or have a valid visa with relevant work rights for the term of the appointment.
• consent to a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check and obtain a current Screening Clearance Number issued by the Department of Education’s Screening Unit before you start.
• hold a valid ‘C’ class Western Australian Driver’s Licence
• undertake travel to metropolitan and regional schools

More information about employment eligibility can be found on our website and in the attached Job Description Form (JDF).