Senior HSQE Business Partner

Northpower; Palmerston North; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vehicle for private use

Life insurance

EAP and peer support network

Job summary

Northpower is seeking a Senior HSQE Business Partner in New Zealand to provide expert guidance, support incident investigations, and drive continuous improvement across the business. You’ll coach leaders, manage HSQE risks, and maintain external relationships with regulators, customers and suppliers.

You’ll bring 7+ years in HSQE, strong auditing, and a proactive safety culture, with the ability to influence decisions at all levels.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in HSQE/Health and Safety roles in contracting, infra, construction or utilities.
• Experience in energy distribution/transmission and high-risk environments preferred.
• Proven ability to lead complex investigations and drive continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Act as senior advisor to leaders to identify and manage HSQE risks.
• Lead investigations, site inspections, audits and assurance activities.
• Coach and influence leaders to embed safe practices and HSQE ownership.

Skills

OHS risk assessment

HSQE coaching

Incident investigations

Stakeholder management

Auditing & assurance

Leadership & influence

Education

Grad Dip OHS

NEBOSH Diploma

NEBOSH General Cert

Tools

None

Job description

About The Role:

As the Senior HSQE Business Partner, you’ll act as a trusted senior advisor to assigned business units, providing expert HSQE guidance while helping leaders and teams build their own capability and accountability. You’ll work closely with operational leaders, HSQE colleagues, Health and Safety Representatives, employees, contractors, customers and other key stakeholders to identify risks, strengthen controls and drive continuous improvement. You will also play an important role in organisational learning leading and supporting complex incident investigations, identifying trends, and turning lessons learned into practical improvements that can be embedded across the wider business. As the primary HSQE interface for Powerco, you’ll build strong external relationships and represent the organisation with confidence and professionalism. This is a role where your ability to influence, coach and bring people with you will be just as important as your technical HSQE knowledge.

About the Northpower HSQE Team:

At Northpower, safety is not just a priority it’s a core value. Our dedicated Health, Safety, Quality & Environment (HSQE) department plays a pivotal role in supporting all operational activities, fostering a safety-first culture that is deeply embedded in everything we do. With clear policies, committed personnel, and a proactive approach to compliance and risk management, we are continuously improving how we protect our people and our business.

At Northpower, safety is not just a priority it’s a core value and viewed as the presence of robust controls and capacity. Our dedicated Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) team plays a pivotal role in supporting all operational activities, fostering a proactive risk management culture that is deeply embedded in everything we do.

Our approach is grounded in contemporary safety thinking - we seek to learn from everyday work, understand the context that shapes performance and design systems that build capacity and resilience.

Role Responsibilities:

As the Senior HSQE Business Partner, be a trusted senior advisor to operational leaders, providing expert guidance to identify and manage critical risks, strengthen HSQE performance and build a proactive safety culture. You’ll coach and influence leaders, teams and Health and Safety Representatives, helping them take ownership of HSQE outcomes and embed safe practices into everyday operations. You will lead and support complex incident investigations, conduct site inspections, audits and assurance activities, and use trends and insights to drive meaningful improvement. You’ll contribute to assurance planning, performance reporting, change management and external audits, while maintaining strong relationships with customers, contractors, suppliers, regulators and industry stakeholders. Also support environmental performance, regional safety forums and continuous improvement initiatives, ensuring actions are followed through and embedded. As a senior professional, you’ll maintain your technical expertise and have the confidence to challenge unsafe practices and stop work where required.

About You:

You’ll be an experienced HSQE professional with 7+ years of operational experience, ideally gained within a contracting, infrastructure, construction or utilities environment. Experience within the energy power distribution, transmission, civil construction or infrastructure sectors would be highly advantageous, particularly where you have worked around critical risks such as live electricity, working at height, and fatigue.

You’ll bring:

• A relevant HSQE qualification such as Grad Dip OHS, NEBOSH Diploma, NEBOSH International General Certificate or equivalent.
• Strong practical knowledge of health and safety principles and risk management.
• Proven experience applying contemporary safety theories within operational environments.
• Working knowledge of energy-based safety concepts and their application in identifying and controlling high-energy hazards.
• Proven experience leading complex health and safety investigations.
• Strong auditing, assurance and reporting experience. Experience with auditing and assurance programs, and practical experience with understanding and observing work-as-done.
• Excellent communication, facilitation and presentation skills.
• A proven ability to coach leaders and teams and build HSQE capability.
• The confidence and maturity to respectfully challenge unsafe practices and influence decisions at all levels.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to interpret complex situations, exercise sound judgement and develop practical solutions.
• Initiative, resilience and tenacity you will see issues through rather than simply identify them.
• The ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and manage competing priorities.

What Northpower Offers You:

Make real impact across Aotearoa in a stable and future-focused sector. At Northpower, you’ll do work that matters and powers our communities while growing your career in an organisation that genuinely cares for its people.

You’ll benefit from:

• A people-first culture built on safety, inclusion, and deep care, where contributions are recognised and wellbeing is supported through EAP and our award-winning peer support network (Kaitiaki)
• Fair and market competitive pay including vehicle for full private use, with the flexibility to tailor through additional leave and increased employer KiwiSaver contributions
• Life insurance and preventative health initiatives (including annual flu immunisations and Mole Maps)
• Discounted group medical cover and health and fitness programmes (including Fitness Passport)
• Discounted fuel rates plus a range of retail discounts (including Boost, PB Tech and Specsavers)
• Ongoing learning and development, with clear career pathways to help you grow, specialise, or progress
• A welcoming, family-friendly workplace where people are encouraged to be themselves and feel valued

About Northpower:

Northpower is an electricity and fibre network provider for Whangārei and Kaipara, with more than 60,000 connected customers. We’re one of the largest multi-utility contractors in New Zealand, servicing the needs of clients in transmission, distribution, generation, fibre, renewables, and commercial sectors. With over 1,400 staff working across 14 locations, we’ve built a reputation for excellence, innovation, and delivering commercially viable solutions for electrical and telecommunication design, construction, and maintenance.