Health, Safety and Wellbeing Lead

Ko wai mātou | 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 and Wellbeing Lead role within our People and 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 tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Reporting to the Head of People and 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 and Wellbeing Business Partner, creating a specialist function that works closely with the wider People and 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.

Ngā 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.

Me pēhea te tono mai | How to apply

Please click Apply to submit your CV and cover letter. Applications close on Wednesay 7 October at 10:00pm.

We know exceptional people bring different experiences and ways of working. If flexibility is important to you, please include this in your cover letter.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may be conducted as suitable candidates are identified, so we encourage early applications.

For a confidential kōrero, please contact David Dugmore (P&C Business Partner) via david.dugmore@waipadc.govt.nz

Applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand.