WHS Lead - Contractor Management / Critical Risk

Perth Airport is Australia’s Western Hub connecting the people, businesses and communities of Western Australia with the rest of Australia and the world. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year, Perth Airport plays a significant role in providing economic, social and cultural benefits to West Australians.

Perth Airport is investing more than $5 billion in new infrastructure so we can support our airline partners to grow, offering more services to new destinations and an improved customer experience. This will be the largest funded private equity build in Western Australia for the last 30 years.

Over the coming decade we will expand T1 International, and build new domestic terminal facilities, a parallel runway, two multi-storey carparks and our first airport hotel. This will deliver one airport for the people of Western Australia which will host all flight services in a central location giving passengers a seamless, world-class travel experience.

The Perth Airport estate is spread over 2100 hectares and has developed a $1.5 billion portfolio of existing industrial premises and significant vacant land holdings.

We service a truly diverse community and play an important role in strengthening cultural, family and social bonds while supporting business, tourism and leisure travel.

We are on the lookout for a WHS Lead to join our team and play a pivotal role in strengthening safety outcomes across the Perth Airport estate.

This strategic position is responsible for leading the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of our Critical Risk and Contractor Management frameworks. Your expertise will help ensure the safety of all staff, contractors, tenants, and visitors by embedding high standards, fostering a Just Safety Culture, and delivering pragmatic solutions aligned with our Safety Management System.

What you'll do:

• Lead the development and execution of Perth Airport’s Critical Risk Framework (Fatality Prevention Program), ensuring robust controls for high-risk activities.
• Drive proactive WHS initiatives in collaboration with business units and contractors to reduce risk and enhance safety culture.
• Govern the Contractor Safety Management Framework, overseeing safe contractor engagement across all streams including capital works, maintenance, and tenant activities.
• Provide expert advice on PCBU and Principal Contractor obligations, ensuring legislative compliance and safety leadership.
• Lead or support investigations into serious safety incidents, embedding learnings into system-level improvements.
• Deliver timely and insightful safety reporting to inform leadership on trends, emerging risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Champion a collaborative, high-performance culture grounded in accountability, leadership coaching, and continuous learning.
• Support the integration of WHS systems into digital platforms to improve reporting, traceability, and contractor lifecycle management.

About you:

• You hold a tertiary qualification in WHS, Risk Management, or a related discipline, with a deep understanding of WHS legislation and model laws.
• You have demonstrated experience designing and governing Critical Risk and Contractor Management frameworks in complex environments.
• You are ICAM-qualified and experienced in leading complex incident investigations with a focus on high-risk and fatality potential events.
• You bring exceptional stakeholder engagement and coaching skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and contractor partners.
• You communicate clearly and confidently across all levels, tailoring your approach to different audiences and mediums.
• You thrive under pressure, demonstrating strategic thinking, resilience, and a calm, pragmatic approach to problem solving.
• You are known for your integrity, professionalism, and ability to lead with credibility while fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment.
• You take a systems-thinking approach to WHS, using data, trends, and insight to influence safety outcomes and drive continuous improvement.

About Us:

We offer a dynamic and supportive team culture, a contemporary workplace with great facilities and a modern approach to work/life integration. Our competitive remuneration package comes with additional company benefits including free parking.

Perth Airport is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We are committed to building an equitable and diverse workforce representative of the community we serve. We encourage and welcome applications from all communities and backgrounds.

Doing the right thing by the planet and future generations is important to us. At PAPL we place a strong emphasis on embedding sustainability throughout our business strategy and operations. We remain steadfast in our commitment to driving ESPG (Environmental, Social, People, Governance) performance across our value chain and areas that have material environmental and social impact.

If this sounds like you please get in touch.