Health, Safety & Wellbeing Lead

Waipā District Council; Te Awamutu; On-site; NZD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and life insurance

Flexible working arrangements

Offices in Cambridge and Te Awamutu

Professional development

Job summary

Waipā District Council is seeking a Health, Safety & Wellbeing Lead to provide specialist leadership across health, safety and wellbeing. Reporting to the Head of People & Capability, you will shape the strategy, strengthen risk management and lead the H&S framework across the organisation.

You’ll lead a Health, Safety & Wellbeing Business Partner, drive continuous improvement, and build capability through coaching and practical advisory support.

Qualifications

• Significant senior health, safety and wellbeing experience in complex environments.
• Ability to influence across a large organisation and provide trusted strategic advice.
• Experience developing and improving organisation-wide H&S systems.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills with data-driven mindset.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and continuous improvement of H&S strategy, framework and systems.
• Provide trusted advice to senior leaders, managers and workers on complex H&S matters.
• Lead critical risk management, incident investigations and assurance.
• Oversee psychosocial risk, wellbeing and contractor H&S systems.
• Provide leadership across emergency preparedness and business continuity.

Skills

Senior H&S experience

Influence and coaching

Analytical thinking

Data/AI interest

Strong communication

Education

Level 7+ Occupational Health & Safety

Tools

NZISM/HASANZ knowledge

Job description

Ko wai mətou | About us

Waipā is growing, changing and investing for the future. As one of New Zealand's fastest growing districts, we're delivering significant infrastructure and services while continuing to build connected, thriving communities.

At Waipā District Council, we're proud to be the Home of Champions. We work in an environment where the decisions we make today shape the communities we serve tomorrow.

Following a recent restructure, we've created a new Health, Safety & Wellbeing Lead role within our People & Capability team. This role brings greater technical expertise, strengthens organisational capability and provides leadership across health, safety and wellbeing.

This is not simply a compliance role. It's an opportunity to shape how health, safety and wellbeing is understood, led and embedded across Council.

Mō ēnei tūąra mahi | About this role

Reporting to the Head of People & Capability, you'll provide specialist leadership and advice across Council, working with leaders, managers and teams to strengthen health, safety and wellbeing outcomes.

You'll lead the development and continuous improvement of Council's health, safety and wellbeing framework and management systems, with a focus on critical risk, psychosocial risk, incident management, contractor safety, emergency preparedness, assurance and wellbeing.

Working at both a strategic and practical level, you'll provide expert advice on complex issues, strengthen leadership capability and use data and insights to drive improvement.

You'll also lead an experienced Health, Safety & Wellbeing Business Partner, creating a specialist function that works closely with the wider People & Capability team and is trusted across the organisation.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development and continuous improvement of Council's health, safety and wellbeing strategy, framework and management systems.
• Providing trusted advice to senior leaders, managers and workers on complex health, safety and wellbeing matters.
• Leading critical risk management, including risk identification, control effectiveness and assurance.
• Building leadership capability through coaching, education and practical advice.
• Leading significant incident investigations and ensuring appropriate responses, regulatory obligations and lessons learned.
• Providing leadership across psychosocial risk, psychological health and workplace wellbeing.
• Overseeing contractor health and safety systems and assurance.
• Leading internal emergency preparedness and health and safety aspects of business continuity and significant event response.
• Using reporting, data and insights to identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Supporting audits, inspections and assurance activities across Council.
• Building strong relationships across Council and with relevant external partners.

Ko wai koe | About you

We're looking for an experienced health, safety and wellbeing professional who brings strong technical expertise and knows how to influence across a complex organisation.

You'll be confident working with senior leaders, providing sound advice on complex issues and challenging constructively when needed. You will understand that good health and safety is about more than compliance. It's about helping leaders and workers make better decisions and take ownership of safe and healthy workplaces.

You'll bring:

• Significant senior health, safety and wellbeing experience, ideally in local government, infrastructure, public sector or another complex environment.
• A tertiary qualification in Occupational Health and Safety at Level 7 or above, or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong knowledge of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and New Zealand health and safety practice.
• Experience developing and improving organisation wide health, safety and wellbeing systems.
• Strong experience in critical risk, incident investigation, assurance and psychosocial risk.
• A proven ability to influence, coach and build capability across an organisation.
• Experience leading people and working collaboratively with others.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, with an interest in using technology, AI and data to improve how health and safety work is delivered.
• NZISM membership or HASANZ registration would be advantageous.
• A current full New Zealand driver's licence.

You’ll be credible, pragmatic and comfortable having difficult conversations. You can engage confidently with frontline workers on practical safety matters while providing trusted strategic advice to senior leaders. You’ll bring sound judgement, resilience and empathy, with the ability to stay calm and constructive in complex situations.

Most importantly, you'll know how to influence without relying on authority. You understand that lasting improvement happens when leaders and workers understand what is expected, take ownership and have the capability to deliver.

Ngė huanga | Benefits

This is a newly created role with the opportunity to shape health, safety and wellbeing across a growing Council and influence organisational systems, leadership capability and culture.

Waipā District Council offers:

• A newly created senior specialist leadership opportunity.
• Ongoing professional development.
• Health and life insurance.
• Additional leave provisions.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Local staff discounts.
• Offices in both Cambridge and Te Awamutu.
• The opportunity to contribute to a growing organisation and district.

Applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand.