Our client is a well-established, privately owned civil contractor with a strong footprint across a major metropolitan area. With a workforce of approximately 150 staff, they deliver a high volume of public infrastructure works including roads, drainage, footpaths, and streetscape upgrades.
The business has been built over many years and has a loyal, long-standing workforce, with many employees having 10–20+ years’ tenure. This is complemented by a newer generation of staff, creating a balanced and evolving culture.
Projects are delivered within live, brownfield environments, requiring careful management of traffic, pedestrians, services, and public interfaces. The business typically operates across multiple concurrent sites, delivering a consistent pipeline of work under long-term contractual arrangements.
In recent years, significant investment has been made into formalising WHS, Quality, and Environmental systems. The current focus is on embedding these systems into daily operations and continuing to mature as a business.
About the Role:
This is a key leadership position within the organisation, sitting at the intersection of people, systems, and project delivery.
You will lead the Safety function while also providing oversight and alignment across Quality and Environmental disciplines, ensuring a consistent and integrated HSEQ approach across the business.
The role is hands-on and focused on influencing behaviours, building capability, and embedding systems, not just maintaining compliance. You will work closely with operational teams to uplift standards while maintaining the strong culture already in place.
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide visible and proactive safety leadership across all projects
- Coach and influence Project Managers, Engineers, Supervisors, and site teams
- Drive a positive and proactive safety culture
- Embed WHS systems, procedures, and SWMS into daily operations
- Conduct site inspections, audits, and high-risk activity verification
- Lead incident investigations and ensure learnings are implemented
- Deliver toolbox talks, training, and workforce capability development
- Support onboarding and inductions across the business
- Contribute to internal and client reporting requirements
- Provide input into planning for high-risk and complex works
- Mentor and support the safety team to ensure consistency
- Assist in aligning Safety, Quality, and Environmental systems
- Demonstrated experience in a senior HSE/HSEQ role within civil construction or infrastructure
- Strong influencing and stakeholder engagement skills across all levels
- High emotional intelligence and the ability to build trust within established teams
- A coaching mindset, with the ability to guide and develop others
- Experience embedding systems and driving behavioural change
- Solid understanding of WHS legislation and ISO-certified systems (45001, 9001, 14001)
- Comfortable operating in a hands-on, multi-site environment