National Safety & Wellbeing Manager

Summary

New national leadership role

Hybrid working | Melbourne-based

Board-level safety culture and psychosocial risk focus

No claims or RTW case management

Shape integrated management systems, strategy, leadership and culture

NHVL / CoR / fleet safety exposure highly regarded

Kent is entering a significant period of business transformation, and safety and wellbeing are central to how we do that well. We are creating a new National Safety & Wellbeing Manager role to lead the next phase of our safety journey — shifting from reactive compliance to a proactive, people-centred and system-driven approach. This is a rare opportunity to design the foundations of a function, embed modern safety and psychosocial risk frameworks, and implement the technology that will support them.

The Opportunity

This is not a “steady state” safety role. You’ll be responsible for:

• setting Kent’s national safety and wellbeing strategy
• building fit-for-purpose governance, reporting and escalation frameworks
• leading the implementation of modern safety and wellbeing systems and technology
• embedding psychosocial risk management in line with current and emerging regulatory requirements
• uplifting safety leadership capability across the business including oversight of safety governance in environments subject to NHVL, Chain of Responsibility and related regulatory frameworks.

You’ll work closely with the Executive team and Board, influencing decisions and providing clear, practical insights on safety risk and performance.

Why This Role Is Different

Safety at Kent sits within People & Culture, not as a bolt-on compliance function. That means you’ll be able to:

• design safety initiatives that are integrated into the employee lifecycle
• partner closely with People & Culture to influence culture, leadership and behaviour
• work alongside a dedicated RTW Advisor, allowing you to focus on prevention and systems, while recovery and return-to-work is managed separately and professionally
• avoid being pulled into claims management or administrative compliance work

This structure gives you the space to operate at the right level — strategic, preventative and influential.

The role has direct access to the Executive and Board, with clear authority to escalate material safety and psychosocial risks.

 What You’ll Be Building

In your first 12–18 months, you’ll:

• establish a Board-endorsed Safety & Wellbeing Strategy
• design and embed a national safety governance framework
• lead the selection and implementation of safety and wellbeing technology
• be at the forefront of embedding psychosocial risk management in a practical, regulator-ready way
• improve the quality and usefulness of Executive and Board reporting
• help shift Kent’s safety culture toward maturity and shared accountability

You’ll have the support of external expertise during the initial uplift phase, with clear transition to internal ownership.

Who We’re Looking For

This role will suit someone who:

• has senior safety leadership experience in complex, multi-site environments
• understands psychosocial risk at a system and organisational level
• enjoys building and implementing safety governance frameworks, not just maintaining them
• can influence executives and leaders without relying on authority
• wants to be part of meaningful transformation, not business as usual
• brings experience in transport, logistics, fleet safety or regulated warehousing environments (NHVL / CoR exposure highly regarded)

If your current focus is predominantly claims management, auditing, or operational safety delivery, this role is unlikely to be the right fit. 

Why Join Kent

• Shape a function from the ground up
• Influence real business transformation
• Work in a genuinely integrated People & Culture model
• Partner with leaders who are ready for change
• Implement technology that makes safety work smarter, not harder