You want the WHS Support Officer (Fire & Emergency) job at James Cook University if you actually enjoy turning compliance rules into working systems that keep people safe on a big campus.

The role sits inside the Work Health and Safety team at the Townsville Bebegu Yumba campus. It focuses on fire safety and emergency readiness across buildings that serve thousands of staff and students every day. You will coordinate evacuation drills, write and update Emergency Evacuation Plans, train members of the Emergency Control Organisation, and keep first aid kits plus defibrillators ready.

Queensland law under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Building Fire Safety Regulation sets clear duties. Every workplace must have tested emergency procedures, trained wardens, and maintained equipment. This position turns those duties into daily practice at a university that operates in a tropical climate with its own set of weather and isolation risks.

Fire Safety Advisor is the key qualification. It covers eight units of competency in workplace emergency response. The successful candidate will already have used that training in a real setting or can show equivalent hands-on time running drills and managing plans in large or remote sites.

Here is exactly what the job asks for in practice. You run building evacuation drills on schedule and in complex layouts. You keep records of every inspection on emergency showers, eyewash stations and defibrillators. You help staff and students who need personal emergency evacuation plans. You talk to internal teams and external inspectors to close gaps before they become problems.

The pay range starts at $78,740 and goes to $89,310 plus up to 17 percent super. That is HEWL 5 level with five weeks annual leave, 15 days sick or carers leave, and salary packaging options. The position is full time and continuing, so the security matters if you plan to stay in regional Queensland.

Most applications fail because candidates send the same resume they used for every other safety role. Skip that. Match every bullet in your cover letter to the drill coordination, first aid plan administration, and Building Fire Safety Regulation experience listed in the ad. Name the size of sites you have worked on and the number of people you evacuated in practice runs.

1. Download the position description from the JCU careers site first.
2. Write one paragraph that proves you have run drills in large or isolated environments.
3. List the exact emergency equipment you have maintained and inspected.
4. Send the resume and tailored cover letter before the 5 August 2026 deadline.

Contact Andrew Reddicliffe on 4781 5290 if you need to clarify anything before you apply.

Strong candidates already understand the difference between a Fire Safety Adviser and a building warden. The adviser sets the overall system and trains others. Wardens carry out the plan on the day. This role sits at the adviser level and supports the whole Emergency Control Organisation across multiple buildings.

Regional campuses add extra layers. Townsville sits in an area that can face cyclones, flooding and long travel times for emergency services. Your plans must account for those realities, not just standard office fire drills.

The university offers practical perks that matter in Townsville. Fitness Passport, on-site childcare, medical centre and gym reduce daily friction. Professional development support lets you keep the Fire Safety Advisor qualification current and add new units if you want to grow.

Apply through the official link on the JCU site or the mirrored posting at Academic Jobs. Both routes lead to the same process: form, resume, and cover letter that shows you have already done the work they need done next.