Senior SHEQ Specialist

Ventia; North Sydney Council; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private health insurance

Parental leave

Fitness Passport

Travel discounts

Job summary

Ventia is seeking a Senior SHEQ Specialist to lead the Transport Sector's safety, health, environment and quality programs across Australia. You will drive early intervention, injury management and wellbeing initiatives for employees and contractors, and partner with project teams to embed consistent SHEQ practices.

Based in Sydney or Brisbane, with hybrid working and some travel, you will strengthen risk controls, support audits, and contribute to bids and governance.

Qualifications

• Diploma/ Degree in OHS or related discipline.
• Extensive experience in operational SHEQ management.
• Strong knowledge of workplace health and safety legislation.
• Experience in injury management and early-intervention initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead health and wellbeing initiatives and early-intervention programs.
• Advise on SHEQ legislation and critical-risk controls.
• Review and improve SHEQ management plans and risk strategies.
• Support regulator responses, incident investigations and corrective actions.
• Coach Project SHEQ teams to build capability and performance.

Skills

SHEQ leadership

Injury management

Stakeholder engagement

Regulatory compliance

Education

Diploma/ Degree in OHS or related discipline

Job description

Join us as a Senior SHEQ Specialist and help strengthen Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) performance across the Transport Sector.

In this role, you will lead the Transport Health and Wellbeing Program, driving effective early intervention, injury management and employee wellbeing initiatives for employees and contractors. You will also partner with project teams and operational leaders to embed consistent SHEQ practices, manage critical risks and ensure compliance with legislative, certification, accreditation and governance requirements.

Location and Working Arrangements

This role can be based in either Sydney or Brisbane, with a hybrid working arrangement and some flexibility in working hours available. The position may require out-of-hours support for injury assessments across Australia and New Zealand.

Working arrangements will need to support effective engagement with Transport projects and stakeholders, including any necessary travel and operational commitments.

Why Join Us?

• Sector-wide impact: Influence health, wellbeing and SHEQ outcomes across multiple Transport projects, rather than being limited to a single contract or site.
• Breadth and variety: Combine health and wellbeing leadership, injury management, critical-risk oversight, assurance, incident investigation, systems improvement, tender support and project mobilisation.
• High visibility and influence: Partner with operational leaders, project teams, senior stakeholders and external bodies to strengthen capability, shape initiatives and improve performance across the Sector.
• Access to Ventia employee benefits, including discounted private health insurance, paid parental leave, Fitness Passport, discounted travel and more

Key Accountabilities

Provide strategic and operational SHEQ leadership across the Transport Sector, strengthening risk management, compliance, workforce wellbeing and project performance.

• Lead health and wellbeing initiatives, including Fit with Restriction referrals and early-intervention programs.
• Advise on SHEQ legislation, regulatory obligations and critical-risk controls.
• Review and improve SHEQ management plans, processes and risk mitigation strategies.
• Support regulator responses, incident investigations, injury notifications and corrective actions.
• Coach and develop Project SHEQ teams to build capability and improve operational performance.

Transport Assurance

• Coordinate assurance activities to meet legislative, certification, accreditation and governance requirements.
• Support audit planning and evaluate performance data, incident trends and audit findings to identify risks and improvement priorities.

SHEQ Systems & Reporting

• Oversee Transport health and wellbeing initiatives and the effective application of relevant SHEQ management systems.
• Promote the effective use of Ventia's SHEQ systems, health and safety information platforms and reporting tools.
• Monitor performance, emerging risks and opportunities to strengthen risk controls and operational outcomes.
• Provide SHEQ expertise and input into bids and tenders.
• Support project mobilisation and transition activities, ensuring appropriate governance, risk management and compliance arrangements are established.

About You

You are an experienced, pragmatic SHEQ professional who can operate confidently at both strategic and operational levels. You build trusted relationships, influence stakeholders across a matrix organisation and translate data, assurance findings and emerging risks into practical solutions. You are passionate about improving operational performance and fostering a proactive culture of safety, health and wellbeing.

You will bring:

• A Diploma, Degree or Master's qualification in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) or a related discipline.
• Extensive experience in operational SHEQ management within project-based or service delivery environments.
• Strong knowledge of workplace health and safety legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Significant experience in injury management, return-to-work processes and the delivery of health, wellbeing and early-intervention initiatives.
• Proven capability in incident management and investigations, assurance activities, audit planning and SHEQ management systems.
• Highly developed communication, stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence outcomes without direct authority.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, including the ability to interpret incident trends, injury data, audit findings and emerging risks to inform targeted assurance and improvement strategies.
• A current and valid driver's licence.

About VentiaAs a leading services provider, we maintain, operate, and manage the essential infrastructure that makes modern life possible across Australia and New Zealand. With more than 35,000 employees and subcontractors across 400 sites, joining Ventia means becoming part of a team that values its people, supports career growth, and helps everyone go further towards their full potential. Our commitment to Fairness, Inclusion and Respect shapes how we lead, collaborate, hire and support one another. We welcome applications from people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people of all genders, identities, sexual orientations, beliefs and caring responsibilities. We are dedicated to providing an accessible recruitment process and encourage you to request adjustments at any stage.