Senior Chemical Safety Engineer — Process & Compliance

Placements24; Queenstown; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaan’s is expanding its safety leadership across New Zealand Otago operations. This role focuses on practical health & safety improvements, hazard identification, and strong collaboration with team leaders and staff to foster a safer workplace.

Reporting to the Operations Manager, you will drive risk reduction, ensure H&S systems are followed, and support injury management with ACC and external providers. This is a hands-on role for someone who thrives in a busy operational environment.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a Health & Safety Officer, Coordinator, Advisor or similar position.
• Good working knowledge of NZ Health & Safety legislation and best practice.
• Experience across hazard management, incident investigation and corrective action.
• Strong relationship building skills with confidence to engage with people across all levels of the business.
• Practical and solutions focused with the ability to balance safety requirements with operational realities.

Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of Kaan’s Health & Safety plan, and promote safe, practical ways of working across the business.
• Work alongside Team Leaders and employees to identify hazards, assess risks and strengthen H&S practices.
• Coordinate hazard and incident management, investigations, reporting and corrective actions.
• Maintain and improve H&S and wellbeing systems and processes.
• Support legislative compliance, injury management and effective return-to-work outcomes alongside ACC and external providers.

Skills

H&S officer experience

Hazard management

Incident investigation

Relationship building

Practical problem-solving

Education

Health & Safety qualification

Job description

• What Senior Chemical Safety Engineer Process C...

Support Kaan's Health and Safety by driving a positive safety culture, moulding processes and building relationships with a diverse range of employees.

About Kaan's:

Kaan’s are proud to be Otago’s largest, privately family owned and operated wholesale food distribution business. They supply over 3000 products and directly import items from all over the world. They employ over 200 team members and operate over 80 delivery vehicles from North Canterbury to Bluff and everywhere in between. They have depots and branches in Dunedin, Invercargill, Central Otago, Timaru, and Christchurch.

They know fresh is best, buying daily from both local markets and all over NZ to ensure their customers get the freshest possible ingredients. They have in-house vegetable processing & butchery facilities that helps customers reduce kitchen prep time, food wastage and wage costs.

Kaan’s value cultural differences, and prides themselves on offering services in Cantonese, Mandarin, Thai & Indian. This ensures they can easily help all customers meet their requirements.

The role:

This newly created role will provide dedicated Health & Safety support across Kaan’s, reporting to their highly experienced Operations Manager, Team Leaders and employees across the business.

You’ll have a strong presence across the operation, supporting safe ways of working, identifying and managing risks and ensuring Health & Safety systems and processes are effective and consistently followed. This is a practical role for someone who enjoys working directly with people and wants the opportunity to make a visible difference to safety across a busy operational environment.

Role Responsibilities / Duties:

• Support the delivery of Kaan’s Health & Safety plan, and promote safe, practical ways of working across the business.
• Work alongside Team Leaders and employees to identify hazards, assess risks and strengthen H&S practices.
• Coordinate hazard and incident management, investigations, reporting and corrective actions.
• Maintain and improve H&S and wellbeing systems and processes.
• Support legislative compliance, injury management and effective return-to-work outcomes alongside ACC and external providers.

Skills & Experience:

• Previous experience in a Health & Safety Officer, Coordinator, Advisor or similar position.
• Good working knowledge of NZ Health & Safety legislation and best practice.
• Experience across hazard management, incident investigation and corrective action.
• Strong relationship building skills with confidence to engage with people across all levels of the business.
• Practical and solutions focused with the ability to balance safety requirements with operational realities.

Desirable:

• A relevant Health & Safety qualification or currently working towards one.
• Experience within food distribution, manufacturing, warehousing, transport or a similar operational environment.
• Experience working with ACC, injury management and return-to-work processes.

This is a great opportunity to join an established business in a newly created position where you can build strong relationships across the operation and play an important role in continuing to improve how Health & Safety is managed day to day.

Platinum Recruitment is proud to be a member ofTe Uru Tāngata Centre for Workplace Inclusionand believes in equal opportunities for all. We actively promote diversity and inclusion in all our recruitment processes.

If this job isn't quite right for you, or you do not think that you tick all of the boxes you need to, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion.