Health & Safety Business Partner

Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers; Ōrākei; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

5 weeks' annual leave

Flexible work options

Professional development

Job summary

Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers is seeking a Health & Safety Business Partner to lead and elevate the organisation’s HS&W framework across multiple sites in Auckland and beyond. You’ll partner with senior leaders to build a robust safety culture, drive risk-informed decisions, and ensure strong governance and assurance across the Health, Safety and Wellbeing remit.

You will influence across the organisation, coach leaders, and champion a whole-of-organisation approach to

Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in health, safety and wellbeing (HSW).
• Strong knowledge of New Zealand’s HS&W legislation and risk management.

Responsibilities

• Provide enterprise-wide strategic leadership to embed a proactive HSW framework.
• Advise senior leaders and governance forums with data-driven recommendations.
• Lead organisation-wide approach to HSW grounded in values and a positive safety culture.
• Support safety and wellbeing of employees and clients through strong systems and accountability.
• Move the organisation from compliance to proactive, preventative safety practices.
• Strengthen capability and ensure regulatory obligations are met across Quality, Risk and Assurance.

Skills

HSW expertise

Stakeholder influence

NZHSW legislation

Job description

Our client, one of Aotearoa's largest community healthcare providers, works across Auckland, Northland, Waikato, and Canterbury.

Its people are proud of the important role they perform in our local communities, ensuring inclusive support is given to children and adults in their care with intellectual impairments and physical disabilities.

Excellence in health, safety and wellbeing is critically important to providing high-quality care, and equally so for their external partners and all staff.

Role Overview:

As the Health & Safety Business Partner, you’ll provide leadership and operational expertise across the breadth of HS&W, working closely with senior leaders and operational managers to build a robust culture of safety, and take it to the next level from Good to Great.

Reporting to the Head of Quality, Risk and Assurance you will relish having a leader who will put high trust in you and support you when you need it. This pivotal role combines strategy and all the day-to-day functions of operational delivery, ensuring excellence in health and safety practices, systems, and risk management to safeguard their people and everyone they work with.

You’ll enjoy working closely with the Clinical Advisor, Practice Advisor, and Quality Advisor who make up the team in Quality, Risk and Assurance; and the Learning & Development team will become close colleagues too.

As the subject matter expert in HSW, you’ll quickly build good relationships throughout the organisation and become a trusted advisor who can influence change and hold leaders accountable for health & safety performance, through coaching and mentoring and escalation if needs be.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide enterprise-wide strategic leadership and influence to embed a proactive, risk-based HSW framework that directly supports organisational performance, sustainability and risk maturity.
• Act as the organisation’s subject matter expert and trusted advisor to senior leaders and governance forums, shaping decision-making and organisational priorities through insight, analysis and evidence-based recommendations.
• Lead and embed an organisation-wide approach to HSW that is grounded in the organisation’s values, promotes care, responsibility and strong relationships, and supports a positive safety culture.
• Support the safety and wellbeing of employees and the people the organisation supports through strong systems, clear leadership accountability and continuous learning.
• Support the organisation to move from compliance-focused activity to a proactive, prevention-oriented and insight-led approach to health & safety.
• Working as part of the Quality, Risk and Assurance function, strengthen organisational capability, support leaders to take ownership of safety, and ensure the organisation meets its legislative, contractual and regulatory obligations.

About You:

• Demonstrated expertise in HS&W, ideally within the Healthcare sector, or within similar service sectors with a complex and multi-site environment.
• Strong knowledge of New Zealand’s HS&W legislation, proven risk management capability, and experience with audits and investigations.
• Proven ability to engage and influence at all organisational levels, from senior management to frontline.
• Adept with championing a whole-of-organisation approach to Health & Safety.
• A collaborative, values-based H&S business partner with a passion for creating culturally safe practice, and an inclusive and supportive environment for all.
• Flexible to travel regularly around the Auckland sites and to the other locations in Northland, Waikato, and Christchurch with some regularity.

For You:

• The opportunity is all about culture and influence to drive an impactful HS&W framework and initiatives that make a tangible difference to the lives of those in our community who are less able; and this will excite you!
• A collaborative and inclusive culture that values your expertise and empowers you to create positive change!
• An attractive remuneration package and 5 weeks' annual leave!
• Flexible work options and ongoing professional development to support your career growth!

Ready to make an impact?

Join a great team and lift HSW from good to great!

To apply for this role you MUST have appropriate working rights in New Zealand.