Job Title Senior Manager, Health, Safety & Assurance

Shape the future of safety at The Institute by leading enterprise-wide safety strategy, regulatory compliance and cultural transformation across laboratory and workplace environments.

About the Position

Reporting to the Director, Ethics and Integrity, the role is accountable for developing, implementing and ongoing assurance of the Institute's safety strategy, governance framework and programs across laboratory and enterprise workplace safety.

This includes oversight of regulatory compliance, organisational safety performance, safety risk management, and continuous improvement, while driving a positive and mature safety culture that promotes shared accountability and proactive risk management at all levels of The Institute.

Who are you

You are a team-oriented and influential safety leader who thrives in complex and dynamic environments. Partnering with researchers, operational leaders and Professional Services teams, you bring a practical, solutions-focused approach to health, safety and assurance. You are passionate about strengthening governance, building capability and embedding effective safety practices that support world-class research. Above all, you champion a proactive culture where safety is valued not as a requirement, but as a key enabler of excellence.

Selection Criteria

Essential Knowledge and Skills:

- Relevant tertiary qualification/and or postgraduate qualification in Occupational Health and Safety, Science or related discipline.
- Extensive experience leading safety functions within a complex, highly regulated organisation.
- Demonstrated experience providing strategic advice to executive leaders and governance bodies.




- Experience leading multidisciplinary safety programs spanning laboratory and enterprise workplace safety.

Personal Qualities:

- Demonstrates strong leadership, sound judgement and accountability when managing complex, sensitive or escalated laboratory safety matters.
- Communicates clearly, confidently and constructively, including when providing advice or recommendations on difficult issues.
- Balances safety, compliance, research priorities and operational needs to achieve practical and sustainable outcomes.

Refer to the position description below for full key search criteria.

Terms of Appointment

This position is ongoing in a full time capacity.

Base salary is Professional Services Employee Level 10 ($176,638 to $191,197).

- Very attractive salary packaging options are available for general living expenses, meal entertainment, novated leasing and more.
- 12% superannuation payable, plus up to a further 5% after the first 6 months of service via our matching superannuation scheme.

Application Closing Date: The closing date for applications is 13 October 2026; however, we will be reviewing applications as they are received, and WEHI reserves the right to appoint a suitable candidate prior to the closing date.

WEHI's commitment to diversity and inclusion





At WEHI we strive to foster a flexible working environment that encourages individual differences and promotes collaboration and creativity. We recognise that talent does not sit within a single identifiable group in our society and that WEHI's ability to shape contemporary scientific thinking and deliver leading professional services relies on a diversity of thought within our organisation.

Our action to promote gender equality has been recognised with an Athena SWAN Bronze Award from Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) and we offer a range of support for women researchers. Our commitment to celebrating diversity and addressing inequities is further demonstrated through our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, Gender Action Plan, Reconciliation Action Plan and our WE-Pride network for LGBTQIA+ staff and students.

We actively encourage applications from, people with a disability, culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse people and people with diverse genders and sexualities. Should you require support during the recruitment process due to special needs or consideration, please contact the People and Culture team.

WEHI's commitment to Indigenous employment

WEHI is working to create a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will be engaged at the scientific frontier, making exciting discoveries and decisions about the future of health in this country, and part of a leading professional services workforce supporting the realisation of discoveries. We are committed to creating a culturally safe workplace and offering career development and leadership opportunities to First Nations staff and students. We strongly encourage any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to apply.

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📌 Senior Manager, Health, Safety & Assurance (Melbourne)
🏢 Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
📍 Melbourne