General Manager Health, Safety

Country Fire Authority (CFA)

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is one of the largest volunteer-based fire and emergency services organisations globally, serving as a cornerstone of community safety in Victoria. With circa 1,200 brigades and over 51,000 volunteers, supported by a dedicated staff of 900 full-time equivalent employees, the CFA's mission is to protect lives and property by working alongside communities to prevent and respond to fire and emergencies. As we continue to evolve in a rapidly changing world, we are committed to staying at the forefront of emergency management, including addressing the challenges posed by climate change.

Position Overview: General Manager Health, Safety & Wellbeing

The General Manager Health, Safety & Wellbeing leads a business-critical portfolio that encompasses legislative workplace health and safety requirements, health services (surveillance and promotion), wellbeing services (allied health), injury recovery and support, and administration of the Volunteer Compensation Scheme. The GM HSW has responsibility for managing strategic direction, governance and legal responsibilities affecting CFA across HSW.

CFA is committed to achieving and maintaining the highest standards of health and safety to protect its volunteers, employees and contractors. The GM HSW has a tremendous opportunity to strengthen CFA's safety culture during a period of significant organisational transformation, embedding systems and processes that recognise and respond appropriately to the full range of physical and psychological risks to which its people are exposed.

What We Are Looking For:

We are seeking a senior leader with technical expertise and demonstrated success managing health, safety and wellbeing functions within large, complex and geographically dispersed organisations. Your leadership will be characterised by a humanistic, consultative and collaborative approach, with a strong focus on building stakeholder trust.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Significant senior leadership of HSW teams along with a strong track record in establishing positive cultures and employee engagement
• Demonstrated experience cultivating harmonious relationships in a complex HSW and industrial environment, and strong interpersonal skills with the ability to negotiate and influence effectively at all levels of an organisation.
• Delivery of strategic projects that enhance safety and return to work policies, procedures, frameworks, processes and programs.
• Management of HSW strategies that incorporate in-depth analysis, reviews and benchmarking of emerging issues, return to work and injury prevention and management
• Extensive provision of specialist advice, reporting and analysis of, safety and return to work / compensation scheme performance to ELT/Board.
• Responsibility for overseeing investigations of incidents and major issues or barriers to a safe workplace and injuries.
• Successful management and oversight for, safety and return to work teams including Safety Advisors, Data & Reporting Return to Work and Compensation Claims management.
• An excellent understanding and application of legislation, regulations, and other standards to establish and/or maintain a safe and supportive work environment, preferably with an awareness of government policies and relevant legislation for HSW.
• Tertiary qualifications or equivalent experience in Health & Safety or qualifications in an aligned discipline.
• Evidence of strong business acumen and a proven record of financial and budget management.

You will engage internal and external stakeholders and lead the HSW team, the majority of whom are located at Burwood headquarters, with an expectation of willingness to travel to district and regional offices and to fire brigade events to engage with staff and volunteers. You will work closely with members of the Executive Leadership Team and Board.

The successful applicant must also satisfy the National Police Records Check and Working With Children Check.

How to Apply

Candidate Briefing Pack and Position Description can be obtained online by visiting Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Briefing Pack and PD prior to queries/applications.

Applications must include resume and one page cover letter outlining your relevant expertise and interest in the position, attached as MS Word or PDF, to be submitted via

Queries close: 5pm AEDT, Wednesday 22nd October 2025

Applications close: 5pm AEDT, Friday 24th October 2025

Peter William Partners have been exclusively retained by CFA to deliver this executive search. Any unsolicited applications will be redirected to Peter William Partners and managed via the campaign. Applicants must be either an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or hold a valid working visa. Incomplete applications will not be acknowledged.

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