Principal Advisor, Health Safety and Wellness (Construction Delivery)

Property and Facilities Division

Full-Time, Permanent Position

Total remuneration package will be in the range of $120,001 - $130,673

Based at our St Lucia campus

Join a team that’s redefining health, safety and wellness across one of Australia’s leading universities. As Principal Advisor, you’ll be at the forefront of embedding best-practice safety culture into UQ’s capital works and infrastructure projects—ensuring our campuses remain safe, vibrant, and future-ready.

About This Opportunity

This role is your chance to lead strategic safety initiatives across UQ’s construction delivery portfolio. You’ll work closely with Principal Contractors to ensure alignment with UQ’s Health, Safety and Wellness Strategy 2022–2026, and drive compliance in alignment with national legislation and standards.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Reviewing and advising on contractor safety documentation and systems
• Leading incident investigations and safety audits
• Supporting the Traffic and Transport teams by providing WHS expertise
• Facilitating onboarding and training for contractors working in complex campus environments
• Promoting a positive safety culture across the Property and Facilities Division

About Uq

As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world.

Everyone here has a role to play. As a member of our professional staff cohort, you will be actively involved in working towards our vision of a better world. By supporting the academic endeavour across teaching, research, and the student life, you will have the opportunity to contribute to activities that have a lasting impact on our community.

Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available, such as: 

• Up to 26 weeks paid parental leave or 14 weeks paid primary caregiver leave 

• 17% Superannuation Contributions

• 17.5% annual leave loading 
• Access to flexible working arrangements including hybrid working options, flexible start/finish times, purchased leave, and a condensed fortnight 
• Health and wellness discounts – fitness passport access, free yearly flu vaccinations, discounted health insurance, and access to our Employee Assistance Program for staff and their immediate family 
• UQ Study for Staff 
• On campus childcare options 
• Affordable parking (from just $6.15 a day) 

• Salary Packaging Options

About You

You Will Bring:

• A degree in occupational health and safety (or equivalent) with 4+ years of relevant experience
• Strong knowledge of WHS, fire safety, and electrical safety legislation
• Experience in construction environments, especially managing high-risk activities
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Proven ability to influence safety culture and lead investigations
• Confidence in interpreting policy and implementing procedures in large organisations

Desirable:

• Experience assessing method statements from third-party contractors
• Familiarity with safety challenges in higher education settings

The successful candidate may be required to complete a number of pre-employment checks, including: right to work in Australia.

You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.

Questions?

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Mitch Walsh at mitch.walsh@uq.edu.au.

For application inquiries, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team at talent@uq.edu.au, stating the job reference number in the subject line.

Want To Apply?

We welcome applications from all individuals and are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. To be considered, please ensure you upload:

• Your Resume

• A cover letter summarising how your background aligns with the 'About You' section

Our strength as an institution lies in our diverse colleagues. We're dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion, fostering an environment that mirrors our wider community. We're committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent. If you require an alternative method to submit your application due to accessibility needs or personal circumstances, please contact talent@uq.edu.au.

Other Information

UQ is committed to a fair, equitable and inclusive selection process, which recognises that some applicants may face additional barriers and challenges which have impacted and/or continue to impact their career trajectory. Candidates who don’t meet all criteria are encouraged to apply and demonstrate their potential. The selection panel considers both potential and performance relative to opportunities when assessing suitability for the role.

Applications close Wednesday 15th October 2025 at 11.00pm AEST (R-44350).

Please note applications will be reviewed as received. Candidates may be contacted prior to the job closing date. We encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible. The University of Queensland reserves the right to close this application process early.