Head of Safety

Strong diversity and inclusion priority
- Complimentary tickets to select Opera Australia shows
- Join one of the largest performing arts companies in Australia

**About the role** Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Head of Safety & Wellbeing role leads the strategic development and implementation of safety and wellbeing initiatives across Opera Australia. This pivotal position is responsible for fostering a culture of safety, promoting employee wellness, and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and standards, in in line with OA’s safety framework, OA SAFE. **The role may include some evening and weekend work as and when required to support both our Technical and Production departments in various performing locations.**

**_Key areas of focus_**
- Lead the development, implementation, monitoring, and review of the OA SAFE framework.
- Conduct comprehensive audits to identify areas of improvement, devising action plans to resolve safety issues or concerns.
- Lead in-depth investigations into incidents and near-misses, delivering insightful analysis and comprehensive reports to the WHS team, Executive Team and Board.
- Act as dedicated advocate for theatre safety.
- Stay abreast of industry best practices and regulatory requirements to continuously improve OA Theatre Safety.
- Define and communicate venue requirements, including adherence to legal, statutory, and WHS standards, fostering a culture of compliance among employees and suppliers.
- Manage Opera Australia's Return to Work (RTW) program, with support of the external RTW provider.
- Maintain and enhance the OA SAFE intranet platform and other communication channels, facilitating the dissemination of critical safety information to all employees.
- Provide expert guidance and advice on WHS matters across all departments, addressing inquiries and concerns promptly and effectively.
- Provide regular and transparent updates to the Executive/Leadership teams, presenting safety strategies and initiatives, aligning safety objectives with the overall OA Vision.

**_Selection Criteria_**
- 5 years' experience in a leadership position, in a Head of Safety role or similar.
- 3 years' experience in the development or implementation of strategic WHS initiatives and Programs.
- Experience in Theatre Safety and best practice and regulatory requirements.
- Experience in conducting incident investigations.
- Excellent comprehension and document writing skills, particularly in consideration of legislative requirements.
- Extremely analytic with the ability to collate significant volumes of information to create policy and other related documentation
- Strong knowledge of WHS laws, relevant codes of practice, and Australian standards.

**About Opera Australia** Opera Australia is one of the world’s most celebrated opera companies with an ambition to bring an Australian stamp to sharing great stories through music and song, and with a commitment to develop and nurture new generations of Australian talent on and off the stage. Opera Australia currently presents up to 500 performances to more than 650,000 people annually including operas, musicals and concerts, predominantly in our two performance homes: the Sydney Opera House on Gadigal land and the Arts Centre Melbourne on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung land.

Opera Australia also stages exceptional and critically acclaimed performances in other venues in Australia’s major cities and regional communities across the country - from Warrnambool to Wyong and Burnie to Bendigo. Led by CEO Fiona Allan, Opera Australia is one of the biggest performing arts employers in Australia’s $14.7 billion arts and entertainment sector. Our company includes opera singers, conductors, orchestral musicians, coaches and repetiteurs with teams also working in the areas of scenic construction and painting, lighting, design, direction, wardrobe, wig-making, management and administration.

Opera Australia is resident at the Sydney Opera House and our Orchestra performs in the Joan Sutherland Theatre with both Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet. Our Chorus is regarded as one of the world’s finest.

**What we offer** Being Australia’s National opera company, we are committed to fostering a safe and collaborative environment for all. Our values are Curious, Creative, Collaborative, Brave, and Inclusive, and we are dedicated to supporting your journey at OA.
- Strong diversity and inclusion priority
- Generous Leave Policy including First Nation's Cultural & Ceremonial Leave, Cultural & Religious Holiday Leave, Education Leave, Women's Health Leave, Gender Affirmation Leave, and more
- Employee Assistance Program
- Employee discounts through our Swag Rewards platform and other affiliated businesses
- Complimentary tickets to select Opera Australia shows