Health Safety & Wellbeing Operations Manager

Exciting Opportunities in Health, Safety and Wellbeing

We’re expanding our Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) team, creating a range of new opportunities for passionate professionals who want to make a real difference.

As Auckland Council takes on new responsibilities due to the Transport Reform and continues to evolve, we’re investing in additional capability across health, safety, wellbeing, occupational health, injury management, training, contractor safety and business partnering. These roles will help shape the future of HSW across one of New Zealand’s largest and most diverse organisations.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced HSW leader to step into a role with genuine scale, influence and purpose. You will work alongside senior leaders to shape strategic direction, strengthen operational capability and help create safe, healthy and thriving workplaces for our kaimahi and the communities we serve.

Join us and help shape the future of Health, Safety and Wellbeing at Auckland Council.

He angitūtanga: The opportunity

Auckland Council’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Team is excited to offer a permanent full-time opportunity to join our team as a Health, Safety and Wellbeing Operations Manager. Reporting to the Head of Health, Safety and Wellbeing, this senior leadership role will provide strategic advice, operational leadership and business partnering support at directorate level.

This position works closely with directors, lead teams, and Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) specialists to strengthen HSW performance, embed meaningful improvement, and build capability across a large, complex, and diverse operating environment. Guided by the belief that sustainable HSW performance is attained not only through systems, standards, and processes, but through strong leadership, culture, learning, and meaningful engagement.

This role requires a confident and influential HSW leader who can seamlessly operate between strategy and execution. You will lead a team of HSW Business Partners, provide trusted advice on risk, assurance, compliance, and wellbeing, and drive the implementation of organisational HSW priorities through directorate-level planning, capability development that deliver measurable results.

Key aspects of the role include the implementation of the HSW risk management framework, support audit and assurance activities, and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement. The role also provides clear, evidence-based reporting, insights, and recommendations to senior leaders to support informed decision-making.

The remuneration range for this role is $145,000 to $185,000 depending on experience and skillset. Auckland Council's KiwiSaver contribution is additional to base salary.

Please review the position description attached here.

Ngā kawenga matua: Key responsibilities

The role plays a key part in driving positive and lasting organisational change with an emphasis on coaching, empowering and influencing others rather than taking a purely compliance-led approach.

With a strong focus on wellbeing, learning, collaboration, and culture, this role champions a proactive and people-centred approach to HSW. You will confidently advise senior leaders, coach HSW professionals and people leaders, and influence lasting change by building a culture where health, safety and wellbeing is owned, understood and actively prioritised.

Day to day you can expect to:

• Lead and coach a team of HSW Business Partners to deliver consistent, high-quality HSW advice, support, and business partnering outcomes.

• Provide strategic advice and risk-based recommendations to directors and lead teams.

• Provide monthly HSW performance reporting to the Directorate Lead Team, using insights and trends to identify improvement opportunities, inform priorities, focusing on learning and development.

• Identify potential organisational and legislative compliance gaps, providing advice to directors, leadership teams, and the Head of HSW on risks, improvement opportunities, and strategies to strengthen compliance and mitigate risk.

• Review audit findings and emerging trends, supporting directors and leadership teams to implement appropriate actions, monitor progress, and validate the effectiveness of improvement initiatives.

He kōrero mōu: About you

You are a senior HSW professional with mana, credibility and judgement to influence at leadership level. You bring a strong operational background, complemented by commercial awareness and political acumen, enabling you to confidently navigate complexity and ambiguity within a large and complex organisation. Your excellent communication, problem-solving, and change management skills are matched by your resilience and adaptability. You can confidently balance competing priorities while delivering practical solutions.

You can translate complex HSW requirements into practical and meaningful actions that support leaders to build capability and improve outcomes. With experience across HSW frameworks, auditing, reporting, and information systems, you confidently advise on risk, facilitate learning, and provide clear, evidence-based recommendations to senior leaders supporting informed decision-making.

You will bring a modern, people-centred approach to HSW, with experience adapting your approach to suit the audience, translating complex information into practical insights that drive informed decision-making and positive outcomes.

We will be looking for:

• A tertiary qualification in Health and Safety Management or a related discipline, recognised by NZISM, or equivalent professional experience and credentials.

• Registration with a HASANZ-recognised professional body (e.g. NZISM, IOSH, NZOHNA, NZ Occupational Hygiene Society).

• At least 10 years' operational HSW experience within a large and complex organisation, including a minimum of 3 years' of people leadership, preferably within the Wellbeing function.

• Strong knowledge of health and safety legislation, PCBU obligations, Safety II / Safety Differently principles, and wellbeing frameworks such as Te Whare Tapa Whā and PERMA, with demonstrated experience applying these in practice.

• Demonstrated experience in HSW learning design, facilitation, competency frameworks, auditing, and reporting, with a proven ability to strengthen organisational capability, measure performance, and drive continuous improvement.

Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou: What we offer

At Auckland Council, you will join a dynamic, supportive environment where your mahi will directly impact the lives of over 1.8 million Aucklanders. We offer flexible working conditions, a focus on wellbeing, and a culture of continuous improvement.

We are proud to be recognised for our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We are accredited by GenderTick and are a signatory of the Pride Pledge. These commitments reflect our ongoing efforts to create a workplace where all staff feel valued, respected and empowered to thrive.

Together, we can create a Tāmaki Makaurau we can all be proud of. As part of our organisation, please view a range of our benefits.

Tono Mai: Apply Now!

Applications close: Monday 17th August at midnight

Auckland Council is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and we are committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application to assist you through the recruitment process.

Auckland Council is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020. We collect personal information directly from you and, where relevant for the purpose of assessing you for employment, and employing you as part of the transport reform process, from third parties such as referees, previous employers (including Auckland Transport) recruitment agencies, and background checking providers.

By applying for this role, you consent to Council obtaining a reference from your current employer, including information about any active conduct investigations and current performance management processes, if you are the preferred candidate. Reference checks will only be undertaken at the preferred candidate stage. Any non-active performance or conduct matters may also be discussed with referees as part of the reference checking process.

If you do not consent to this information being provided, Council may be unable to properly assess your application and your application will not progress further. If you wish to withhold your consent, or to access or correct your personal information, please contact the Privacy Officer at privacy@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz .