Health and Safety Advisor - Devonport

PAE; Devonport-Takapuna; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

PAE seeks a hands-on HSE Advisor based at Devonport Naval Base, Auckland. You will partner with operational leaders, contractors and the NZDF to identify risks, conduct inspections and lead safety conversations on the ground.

You will spend significant time in the field, coaching teams, investigating incidents and driving practical safety improvements to keep people safe and compliant with Defence requirements.

Qualifications

• Field-based HSE professional with practical approach.
• Experience supporting operational leaders and subcontractors.
• Ability to obtain NZDF security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Partner with operational leaders to identify and manage workplace risks.
• Conduct site inspections and safety interactions.
• Support incident investigations and ensure corrective actions.
• Review safety documentation and JSAs.
• Deliver HSE coaching, inductions and toolbox talks.
• Build trusted relationships with NZDF customer and contractors.
• Support continuous safety culture improvement.

Skills

Audits & inspections

Incident investigations

Stakeholder coaching

Communication skills

Education

Health and Safety qualification Level 4 or above

Job description

• Work on one of New Zealand's most complex Defence sites
• Be a trusted advisor, not just a compliance specialist
• Influence safety where it matters most - out in the field

Safety isn't built behind a desk. It's built through conversations, relationships and being present where the work happens.

At PAE, we're looking for an HSE Advisor who enjoys partnering with operational teams, solving problems and helping people work safely every day.

This is a hands on role where you'll spend time in the field, working alongside our people, supporting our leaders and helping create safer, healthier workplaces. If you're someone who believes that the best safety outcomes come from influence rather than enforcement, we'd love to hear from you.

About PAE

Run by Kiwis for Kiwis, PAE is one of New Zealand's leading facilities management providers. We deliver essential maintenance and facilities services across a diverse range of industries, supporting organisations that help keep New Zealand running.

Our teams work in some of the country's most unique and complex operational environments, including supporting the New Zealand Defence Force across military bases nationwide.

At PAE, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We value practical thinking, collaboration, continuous improvement and creating workplaces where everyone goes home safe every day.

About the opportunity

Based at Devonport Naval Base, this role supports one of New Zealand's most operationally complex Defence sites.

You'll work closely with operational leaders, tradespeople, subcontractors and our NZDF customer, providing practical Health, Safety and Environmental advice that helps ensure work is completed safely, efficiently and in line with Defence requirements.

Reporting to the National Health and Safety Manager, you'll become a trusted advisor to site leaders, spending the majority of your time in the field, building relationships, coaching teams and helping embed a positive safety culture.

No two days are the same. One day you could be supporting a complex permit-to-work activity, the next leading site audits, reviewing high-risk work documentation or coaching frontline leaders through risk management.

What you'll be doing

• Partnering with operational leaders to identify and manage workplace risks.
• Conducting site inspections, audits and safety interactions.
• Supporting incident investigations and ensuring corrective actions are completed.
• Reviewing Job Safety Analyses (JSAs), permits and other safety documentation.
• Delivering HSE coaching, inductions and toolbox talks.
• Building trusted relationships with operational teams, subcontractors and our NZDF customer.
• Supporting continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen our safety culture.

About you

You're a practical HSE professional who enjoys being where the work happens. You build credibility through your approach, communicate confidently with people at all levels and know how to balance compliance with practical operational outcomes.

You'll also bring:

• A relevant Health and Safety qualification (Level 4 or above).
• Experience in an operational Health and Safety Advisor role.
• Sound knowledge of New Zealand Health and Safety legislation.
• Experience undertaking audits, inspections and incident investigations.The ability to coach, influence and build strong working relationships.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• A current Class 1 Driver Licence.
• The ability to obtain and maintain the required NZDF security clearance.

Most importantly, you'll be approachable, solutions-focused and passionate about helping people work safely.

At PAE, you'll be joining a collaborative HSE team where your expertise will be valued and your ideas welcomed. You'll have the opportunity to work in a unique operational environment, build strong relationships with experienced operational leaders and contribute to work that genuinely matters.

This is an opportunity to move beyond compliance and become a trusted operational partner, helping shape a positive safety culture across one of New Zealand's most interesting and dynamic workplaces.

At PAE, we don't see Health and Safety as a compliance exercise. We see it as enabling our people to do great work safely. If that sounds like your approach too, we'd love to hear from you.