National WHS Risk, Systems and Projects Lead

• Shape strategic WHS impact across one of Australia's largest not-for-profit health and aged care providers
• Lead national WHS governance, risk and continuous improvement programs with executive visibility and organisational influence
• Enjoy flexible working arrangements, salary packaging benefits, and a values-driven workplace culture
• Role can be based in either Melbourne, Brisbane or Sydney

Better and fairer care. Always.

St Vincent's has been a leader in Australia's health and aged care landscape for more than 165 years. Since our founders, the Sisters of Charity, opened our first hospital in 1857, our services and nearly 30,000 people have been behind some of Australia's most important medical breakthroughs. We are a microcosm of Australia's health and aged care system and are uniquely positioned to lead and respond to our rapidly changing environment.

We are looking for a special kind of person - a St Vincent's kind of person. Someone who puts excellence, compassion, connection and caring for other people at the heart of everything they do.

About the Opportunity

We have an exciting opportunity for a seasoned health and safety professional to join our National Work Health, Safety & Wellbeing (WHSW) Team in a strategic leadership role. Reporting directly to the National Director, Work Health, Safety & Wellbeing, this role will lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of the St Vincent's WHS Governance, Risk and Assurance Program.

As a senior leader in the WHS function, you will be responsible for advancing a mature, effective and high-performing WHS Management System that drives safe work practices and proactive risk management across the organisation. You will oversee strategic WHS initiatives, manage critical risk and assurance programs, and provide expert advice on WHS governance to senior leaders and business units across the St Vincent's Health Australia network.

This national role will see you leading cross-functional projects, developing WHS tools and resources, enhancing KPI and audit frameworks, and coordinating enterprise-wide WHS reporting and governance structures. You will also play a key role in managing vendor relationships, WHS communications, and internal system platforms including the WHS intranet and document management tools.

Your collaborative leadership will be instrumental in building capability across the health service, coaching teams and stakeholders, and strengthening a culture of safety, wellbeing, and continuous improvement. This role offers the opportunity to shape how WHS is delivered across a diverse and complex healthcare environment, with the backing of a mission-driven organisation.

About You

You are a dynamic and experienced WHS leader with a strong track record of delivering enterprise-wide health and safety governance, risk and assurance programs within complex, multi-site organisations, ideally within healthcare, government, or similarly regulated sectors.

A strategic thinker and trusted advisor, you bring deep expertise in WHS management systems, critical risk profiling, audit and compliance frameworks, and the application of contemporary WHS legislation and standards. You are passionate about creating safe, healthy, and high-performing workplaces and have the capability to lead transformative WHS projects that support both strategic and operational goals.

You are highly skilled in influencing and engaging with senior leaders, external regulators, unions and internal stakeholders, building strong relationships that enable collaboration, capability uplift and positive safety outcomes. Your leadership style is proactive and inclusive, and you thrive in environments where you can guide, coach and support others to embed a strong safety culture.

Your Key Impact Areas

• *Leadership:* Provide leadership within the national WHS & Wellbeing Team to facilitate the establishment and delivery of key WHS programs, aimed at assisting business areas with the support needed to achieve strategic, operational and WHS objectives. Participate in the St Vincent's WHS leadership team's meetings and workgroups
• Planning: Develop and maintain a prioritised plan for group-wide WHS actions
• Risk Management: Lead organisation-wide approach to critical WHS risk profiling, planning and reporting in consultation with key stakeholders, aligning with best practice
• Assurance Program: Plan, coordinate, conduct and oversee the WHS assurance program and other governance activities to support the ongoing maturity of the WHS management system
• WHS Management System: Continually develop and maintain the St Vincent's WHS management system and related tools in line with current legislation, codes, standards, internal policies and best practice
• Governance: Establish, coordinate, oversee and report on WHS governance programs, including coaching, advising and directing on governance processes, practices and responsibilities, and building capability in business areas by proactively promoting and influencing participation in WHS governance programs across the organisation as required
• Reporting: Design and coordinate the development of periodic WHS reports for the Board and other governance bodies as required and establish and maintain a consistent reporting framework for operational business areas
• Project Management: Lead, facilitate and oversee group-wide projects, initiatives and programs to address key WHS risks
• Intranet: Oversee the development, improvement and maintenance of the WHS intranet
• Document & Record Management: Maintain appropriate records and data sets to enable reporting on safety performance metrics, monitor data quality and integrity to ensure accurate reporting and oversee and maintain processes for WHS related document and records management
• Communications: Coordinate and issue organisation-wide communications on key learnings from investigations and critical risks assessments (e.g., Safety Alerts / Guides)
• Vendor Management: Engage and manage relevant group-wide WHS-related vendors e.g. Chemical Management
• Business Support: Provide timely, professional and strategic advice to senior management on WHS and governance programs, data and trends and work collaboratively with State WHS leads and key business stakeholders to support organisational response to WHS issues raised by key external stakeholders including WHS regulators, industrial representative bodies (unions), litigators and media as required
• Other: Perform any other duties as assigned that are reasonable, relevant to the role and within capability and capacity

Things That Work for us:

• Extensive experience in the design and delivery of WHS risk, governance, audit, and assurance programs at a national or enterprise level
• Strong project management capabilities with the ability to deliver WHS improvement initiatives on time and within scope
• Proven ability to interpret and apply WHS legislation, regulations, codes of practice and Australian Standards
• Exceptional analytical and reporting skills, including the ability to extract and present complex data and insights to executive-level audiences
• A customer-focused mindset with a commitment to delivering high-quality, solutions-oriented WHS support to operational teams
• High-level written and verbal communication skills, including experience developing reports, executive briefs, tools, and communications materials
• A collaborative and values-driven approach to leadership, with the ability to work across state teams and disciplines
• A willingness and ability to travel interstate, including to regional service locations, as required

Desirable

• Experience developing audit and governance programs and tools
• Previous experience working in healthcare environment
• Experience delivering training

Qualifications:

Essential

• Degree in Work Health and Safety, or similar tertiary qualification
• Incident investigation qualification (e.g. ICAM Lead Investigator)
• WHS management system auditing qualification
• Driver's licence

Desirable

• Cert IV Training and Assessment
• Post graduate WHS related qualification or other relevant qualification

Things that work for you:

• Ability to visibly see your impact on the business and its service
• Competitive salary packaging options
• Discounted private health insurance
• Employee Assistance Program for staff and their families
• Access to the Fitness Passport (FP)

At St Vincent's we value inclusivity and diversity and acknowledge the importance of creating a work environment that is welcoming, safe, fair and impartial and invites people from all backgrounds to join us.

Pre-Employment Checks

Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all required pre-employment checks, including relevant immunisations.

Equal Opportunity

We celebrate diversity & inclusion and are committed to equal employment opportunity for everyone.

How To Apply

Please submit your application via the Apply button, include your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your experience and suitability.

For a confidential chat or to know more about the role, please contact James Tamblyn- National Director, Work Health Safety and Wellbeing via email at or Joshua-Talent Partner on

Respectfully, no recruitment agencies.