Health & Safety Systems Advisor

Job Description:

Te Ratonga Whakahaere Paenga |Facilities Management
Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• 5 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• Professional development opportunities
• Generous superannuation provisions (up to 6.75% employer contribution)
• Permanent position
• 37.5 hours per week

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do
As a Health and Safety Systems Advisor you will operationalise strategy by delivering expert advice, building effective systems, and developing engaging training programmes that support a strong health and safety culture. You’ll collaborate widely across the University, influencing stakeholders at all levels and helping drive continuous improvement in how we manage risk and wellbeing.

As a trusted advisor, you will:

• Develop, review and maintain UC’s Health & Safety systems, policies and procedures
• Lead consultation processes and collaborate with stakeholders across faculties and service units
• Design and deliver health & safety training programmes and learning solutions
• Build and enhance system capability, including Assura and Safety Culture platforms
• Analyse data and insights to inform continuous improvement initiatives
• Provide practical advice and coaching to support a proactive safety culture
• Contribute to accessible and user-friendly health & safety resources and communications

This is a highly collaborative role where your ability to influence, communicate and build trusted relationships will be key.

Mōu | Who You Are
You will have at least 5 years’ experience in health and safety within a complex organisation, with strong knowledge of health & safety legislation and best practice. You will also be able to demonstrate:

• Experience in developing systems, frameworks, or training programmes
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability
• A detail-oriented, process-driven approach
• Confidence working both independently and within a team
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in IT, systems, or a related field
• Health & Safety qualification (Level 4–5 minimum, e.g., NEBOSH IGC)
• NZISM membership (preferred).

Desirable:

• Experience with Learning Teams / Safety II approaches
• Experience with learning management systems and data analysis
• Familiarity with Assura, Safety Culture, or similar tools.

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. You will be a valued member of the Health & Safety team, working within Facilities Management. 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
At UC, being part of our team means more than just a job. We are committed to supporting our kaimahi | staff’s career and wellbeing with benefits designed to help our kaimahi grow and feel connected, supported and valued.

UC’s Benefits approach is shaped by Ngā Uara | Our Values Whanaungatanga, Tiakitanga, and Manaakitanga. They are designed to be relevant, support and inspire our people, they include:

• 5 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• UC Parental Leave (up to 9 weeks paid) + 26 weeks Government paid parental leave and onsite childcare facility
• generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)
• flexible working arrangements
• professional development and study opportunities
• supportive working environment
• a wide range of retail discounts across shopping, entertainment and travel
• on-campus staff discounts including UC RecCentre
• living in revitalised Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand
• a unique working environment in a beautiful campus with access to UC facilities such as UC RecCentre and Staff Club at discounted rates plus onsite cafés and eateries, and more.

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: 5 June 2026 (midnight, NZ time)
Please note, applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place before 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 [email protected]

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency to be considered for this role.