"Associate Director of Health and Safety"

Job Description

Te Ratonga Whakahaere Paenga | Facilities Management

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• Full-time (37.5 hours per week)
• Permanent position
• Generous annual leave provisions and professional development opportunities

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do

As Associate Director of Health and Safety, you will support the University of Canterbury's (UC) Senior Leadership in delivering the University's Health and Safety Policy, while taking accountability for the development and delivery of management systems, risk profile, and gap analysis. You will also provide high-performing health and safety services which deliver the University's strategic aims and operational priorities, taking into consideration the external environment.

You will hold, both individual and collective, responsibility for providing strategic planning, leadership, and assurance on health and safety compliance across the University, and supporting UC governance of Health and Safety. You will work in close collaboration with staff at all levels, including senior leaders, to ensure the:

• implementation of the University's cross-cutting health and safety agenda, including preparedness and response planning for pandemics and other significant incidents
• effective delivery of the health and safety function, meeting all statutory obligations and aligning with the University's values, policies, and procedures
• provision of expert advice to ensure compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and all other relevant legislation, including specific regulatory requirements related to radioactive substances, environmental protection, and chemical safety.

Mōu | Who You Are

You will have significant experience, between 10-15 years of leading a health and safety service area within an environment of complex regulations and procedures e.g. higher education, or in a similar large and complex organisation. You will also be able to demonstrate:

• Demonstrable experience of leading and developing teams within a complex and changing environment.
• Significant experience of writing, reviewing, developing, and delivering health and safety plans to secure a safe and compliant environment for all stakeholders.
• Ability to analyse complex situations and generate concise evaluations and opinions, orally and in writing.
• Ability to use and present quantitative and qualitative data (for example, with regard to health and safety risks and liabilities).
• Extensive experience working at scale in complex, multicultural environments with diverse and interconnected organizational structures.
• An alignment with our organisation's values and culture, promoting a positive and inclusive work environment.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With

UC is made up of approximately 150 buildings across 87 hectares, covering a gross floor area of 223,000m2. The University of Canterbury (UC) is situated on a beautiful campus located in Ilam, Christchurch. Through the delivery of the UC Campus Master Plan, we are committed to achieving and maintaining a community that encompasses sustainability, inclusivity, innovation, and collaboration resulting in a safe, secure and inspirational environment.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC

Ngā Uara | Our Values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and tiakitanga guide our decisions and behaviour and provide a roadmap for how we do things at UC, affirming our commitment to pastoral care and support for our ākonga and staff. They challenge and inspire us to be the best we can, and make UC a great place to work and study. For more info on Ngā Uara | Our Values visit us here.

We are committed to accessible higher education, service to the community and the encouragement of talent without barriers of distance, wealth, class, gender or ethnicity. The University explicitly aims to produce graduates and support staff who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to make a difference in the world.

We offer a range of fantastic benefits including flexible work practices, study opportunities and generous superannuation and leave provisions. For more information, please visit us: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/work-at-uc/benefits-working-uc. For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/

The closing date for this position is: 16 September 2025 (midnight, NZ time)

Please note applications will be reviewed after the close date.

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted via our careers website and should include a cover letter and resume.

Please note, we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process, please forward these to WorkatUC@canterbury.ac.nz

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency or hold a valid NZ work visa to be considered for this role.