WHSE Advisor

About the business:

Leonardo International Helicopter Division performs research, design, development, production, customer support and marketing of Leonard's extensive range of products; modern helicopters and tiltrotors for civil, parapublic and defence applications. The Division manages the entire helicopter development and production cycle.  Production and assembly plants are concentrated in Italy, UK, Poland and the US.  The AW139, AW169 and AW189 models are part of a family of new generation helicopters, all featuring the same design philosophy and the same certification and safety standards.

Leonardo Australia is the Australian subsidiary of Leonardo International, offering full support services including engineering and maintenance including logistics management and other related support functions. Helicopter activities include helicopter gearbox overhauls in our state-of-the art MRO facility. We also perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, aircraft modifications and deployed support to customer maintenance activities. Our typical customers work in emergency services, offshore operations, in both government and private sectors including defence. Leonardo Australia has two key divisions, Helicopters and Electronics.

About the role:

The Work Health, Safety & Environment (WHSE) Advisor plays a vital role in ensuring the safety, health and environmental compliance of all Leonardo Australia sites. The role supports the development and continuous improvement of safety and environmental management systems, promotes a proactive safety culture, and ensures compliance with WHSE legislation in states where Leonardo Australia operates.

This position requires a hands-on, collaborative approach to support technical and operational teams working in a high-safety, regulated environment.

Benefits & Perks

By joining the team at Leonardo Australia, you will work within a friendly, high performance culture with a focus on our people and their development. Some of the benefits our people enjoy include:

• A great team environment.
• Access to EAP.
• Personal development opportunities to grow in a diverse, inclusive company.
• Great work life balance.

Key Responsibilities Include:

Work Health & Safety (WHS):

• Influence and mentor staff at all levels of the organisation to promote a safety first culture, where safety reporting and continuous improvement are encouraged.
• Provide expert advice across the management team in all areas of Safety and Environment aspects in relation to projects, bids and tenders, non-compliances and improvement opportunities.
• Leonardo Australia contact person for Worksafe Australia and Worksafe Inspectorate in each state.
• Contact person for Leonardo Australia WorkCover insurance provider.
• Assist with preparation for external hearings at the Workplace Injury Commission.
• Responsible for all Worksafe, Work Cover and return to work activities/functions to ensure employee return to work is optimised.
• Perform duties as the Leonardo Australia rehabilitation coordinator.
• Manage and coordinate the Workplace Safety Committee, addressing any non-conformance's.
• Develop, implement, and maintain WHSE policies, procedures, and systems at all Leonardo Australia controlled sites, in consultation with the site Managers/Program Manager for SOP's, JSA's and Work Instructions.
• Oversee the ordering, receipt and stocking of Site and WHSE supplies i.e. first aid equipment, PPE plus any other safety related tools/equipment as per SOP, JSA's and Work Instructions.
• Develop and maintain Safety & Environmental Management Systems accreditations for Leonardo Australia, across all lines of business.
• Develop and deliver Safety and Environment education and compliance programs for employees, contractors and visitors.
• Lead, manage and implement risk analysis management processes and assist managers in the development of appropriate controls and interventions for identified risks.
• Conduct regular safety audits, inspections, and risk assessments across all Leonardo Australia controlled sites to ensure compliance with WHSE legislation.
• Manage and participate in external third party audits including regulators, accreditors and customers.
• Lead WHSE incident investigations, root cause analysis, and the implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
• Assist with hazard identification processes and recommend corrective actions to mitigate risk.
• Coordinate and facilitate WHSE training and toolbox talks, including induction programs for all new employees, contractors, and visitors.
• Maintain and manage WHSE documentation, including safety reports, registers, risk assessments, and incident records.
• Participate with review, update and closure of NC, CA/PA as assigned.
• Collaborate with all Heads of Line of Business (LoB) to ensure safety procedures align with State WHSE regulatory requirements and internal WHSE management systems/policies.
• Work closely with the Quality Manager to ensure WHSE initiatives align with Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations.
• Ensure regulatory compliance to the Drug and Alcohol Management Policy and Procedures for all Leonardo Australia controlled sites.

Environmental Management:

• Monitor and support compliance with environmental requirements relating to hazardous waste disposal, chemical storage, and emissions control environment and across all Leonardo Australia controlled sites.
• Champion Leonardo Australia environmental initiatives and improvements.
• Lead / Support environmental risk assessments and initiatives to minimise the Leonardo Australia's environmental impact.
• Assist in developing environmental awareness programs to promote sustainable practices across the organisation.
• Maintain records of environmental monitoring activities, including waste manifests and chemical registers.
• Maintain a Safety Datasheet (SDS) database for all chemicals stored and/or utilised in day-to-day operations across all Leonardo Australia controlled sites.
• Prepare and submit Environmental Sustainability Group (ESG) reporting back to Corporate as required, including any supplemental responses and reports.

Emergency Preparedness & Response:

• Assist in the development, review, and testing of emergency response plans and medical emergencies.
• Coordinate emergency response drills and provide WHS input to emergency preparedness training.
• Facilitate First Aider & Fire Warden training for all Leonardo Australia sites.

Compliance & Reporting:

• Advise committee and management to ensure compliance with relevant Safety legislation, including the National and State Occupational Health and Safety Act / Work Health and Safety Act, Environment Protection Act, relevant Australian standards and Industry Regulations.
• Provide education on WHSE reporting and monitoring. Investigate and follow-up for all incidents at all Leonardo Australia Controlled sites.
• Ensure WHSE reporting is conducted for all incidents at any Leonardo Australia Controlled site, including near miss reporting.
• Prepare and present WHSE performance reports, data analysis, and recommendations to committee and management.
• Maintain WHSE metrics and records to support both regulatory compliance and internal reporting requirements as per Leonardo Corporate.

Formal Education / Certification & Clearance Requirements:

Essential:

• Tertiary qualifications in Workplace, Occupational Health and Safety / Diploma of Occupational Health and Safety (or equivalent).
• Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety
• Completed Accredited Return to Work coordinators course
• Clear National Police History Check, or ability to obtain.
• Full Australian Work Rights.

Desirable:

• Qualifications in aviation safety, human factors, or incident investigation.
• Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
• Cert IV in Environmental Management.
• Lead Auditor Qualifications.
• Certificate IV in Personal Injury Management (Return to Work)
• First Aid and Fire Warden Certifications.
• Experience with safety management software used in the aviation sector.

Professional / Technical Experience Requirements:

• Minimum 5 years' experience in a safety leader's role, Electronics / Aerospace / Rail industry experience preferred
• In-depth knowledge of AS4801 / ISO45001 and ISO14001 standards
• Experience conducting incident investigations, audits, and risk assessments in a technical, high-risk work environment.
• Proactive and solutions-focused, with a passion for fostering a strong safety culture.
• Strong ethical standards and commitment to safety, environmental protection, and compliance.
• Ability to work collaboratively across functions while maintaining independence and objectivity in safety matters.
• Comfortable working in a hands-on role in an active aircraft maintenance environment.

If you are looking to take the next step in your WHSE career, please apply now, submitting a covering letter and resume. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Only direct applications will be accepted (no agencies please).

Please note we have not engaged any recruitment agencies to represent us for this role.

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