Lead the University's central Work Health and Safety (WHS) function by providing leadership, governance, and continuous improvement of all aspects of the University's WHS Program, Injury Management and Return to Work Program, and Workers Compensation insurance and claims management.

Salary up to $185,000 plus 17% superannuation

Full-time continuing role (HEW Level 10, Band 1)

Macquarie University, Wallumattagal Campus, North Ryde

A rare breadth of WHS: research, health, science and higher education on a single campus

Macquarie University is looking for an experienced work health and safety professional to lead our central WHS function. As Head of Workplace Health and Safety , you will guide the framework, systems and team that keep more than 10,000 staff, students, contractors and visitors physically and psychologically safe across a busy campus that includes research laboratories, teaching spaces, hospital and health facilities, commercial entities and outdoor operations.

This is a genuinely broad portfolio. You will set the WHS strategy for the University and its Controlled Entities, oversee injury management and workers compensation, act as the trusted adviser to senior leaders on complex safety matters, and translate WHS performance data into clear reporting for University Council, committees and boards. It is a role where governance rigour and practical, people-centred judgement matter in equal measure.

Reporting to the Chief Risk Officer and working within the Group Risk portfolio, you will join a team that is trusted, well supported and closely connected to executive decision-making. If you enjoy improving systems, developing capable teams and seeing the real-world results of a mature safety culture, this is an chance to make a visible contribution at scale.





About the Role

Working as part of the Group Risk portfolio within the Office of the Vice-President, Finance and Resources, you will oversee the University's WHS Program, Injury Management and Return to Work Program, and workers compensation insurance and claims management.

Responsibilities

- Setting and delivering the Group WHS strategy across the University and its Controlled Entities, strengthening safety culture and enabling continuous improvement.
- Ensuring due diligence and compliance with the NSW WHS Act, Regulations and Codes of Practice.
- Guiding and developing a team of eight WHS, injury management, emergency management and hazardous materials specialists.
- Owning the University's WHS framework (policies, procedures, training, systems, reporting and performance management) to protect physical and psychological health and safety.
- Delivering complex, cross-functional WHS programs and projects, managing scope, risk and stakeholder alignment.
- Managing the WHS operating budget.
- Advising senior leaders on WHS and rehabilitation matters, balancing better-practice approaches with statutory obligations and operational realities.
- Overseeing injury management, workers compensation, return to work and early intervention, including external provider relationships, to improve outcomes and reduce harm and cost.




- Overseeing WHS consultation and governance and translating WHS analytics into clear reporting for University Council, committees and boards.
- Managing regulator engagement and reporting (for example SafeWork NSW), and required registrations and permits with CASA, the ATO and the Commonwealth Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

About Us

Macquarie University is a place of vibrant and connected communities, where new ideas are welcomed and where people are encouraged to see things differently. Ranked among Australia's leading universities for research and teaching, we sit on a single, park-like campus in Sydney's north that brings together researchers, students, health services, commercial partners and a thriving precinct.

The Vice-President, Finance and Resources portfolio provides executive oversight of central functions including Finance, Procurement, Property, Group Risk, and the and MQSL controlled entities. Within that portfolio, the Group Risk portfolio helps the University and its entities achieve their goals through risk mitigation strategies that respond to rapid change in the higher education sector and the wider statutory environment. Its remit spans risk strategy, enterprise and operational risk, business integrity and travel risk, emergency and crisis management, business continuity and resilience, general insurance and claims management, work health and safety, and injury management and workers compensation.

About You (Selection Criteria)

You are a senior WHS practitioner who has built and sustained mature safety management systems in large, complex organisations. You combine current technical knowledge with the credibility to influenc

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📌 Head of Workplace Health and Safety (Sydney)
🏢 mq
📍 Sydney