Head of Health and Safety

Head of Health and Safety

📍 New Plymouth, Tauranga or Wellington

🕐 Permanent - Full-time

Salary package - Competitive remuneration, medical insurance, life insurance, plus additional employee benefits within a values based and purpose led organisation.

Are you someone who can shape strategy, influence executives and contractors, lead an established team and continue the evolution from traditional safety management to critical risk leadership and organisational resilience? Read on.

About the role

At Powerco, keeping our people, contractors and communities safe is at the heart of everything we do. We've made significant progress in maturing our health, safety and wellbeing approach, but we're not standing still. We're looking for an experienced and influential leader to help us take the next step.

As Head of Health and Safety, you'll lead a high-performing team responsible for partnering across the business to strengthen critical risk management, embed a positive safety culture, and ensure our people and service providers return home safely every day.

This is a role that extends well beyond compliance. You'll be a trusted advisor to our Executive Leadership Team and Board, helping shape strategic decisions through the lens of health, safety and wellbeing, while supporting operational leaders to make practical, risk-informed decisions.

Success in this role is about creating the conditions where operational leaders own risk, our service providers are true partners, our critical controls are effective and verified, and our people have the confidence and capability to make safe decisions every day.

Responsibilities:

You’ll be doing lots of stuff, but some of your key tasks include:

• Continuing to mature Powerco's health, safety and wellbeing performance, with a strong focus on critical risk management and learning.
• Providing strategic advice and assurance to the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors.
• Partnering with operational leaders to ensure safety is integrated into everyday decision-making and operational excellence.
• Building strong, collaborative relationships with our service providers to drive shared ownership of critical risks and continually improve performance across our networks.
• Supporting the communities we serve by ensuring we have the right processes for the safe design, construction, operation and maintenance of our electricity network.
• Managing investigations, organisational learning and continuous improvement to strengthen our safety systems and culture.
• Representing Powerco at an industry level and facilitating industry-leading collaboration with our service providers.
• Championing wellbeing as an integral part of creating high-performing, resilient teams.

Skills & Experience

It’s not the be all and end all, but we’d love to hear form you if you have:

• Outstanding interpersonal skills bolstered with a depth of experience in health and safety or operational leadership in a high-risk industry.
• Proven results in delivering continuous improvement of critical risk management and health and safety systems.
• Good people management experience and a demonstrated ability to lead and influence safety culture across the business and industry.
• Confidence engaging with executives, boards, regulators and external stakeholders.

Our investment in you:

• Flexibility – our Thriving At Work Standard supports a myriad of flexible working arrangements, to be agreed with your leader.
• All the usual stuff, but better – 4% Kiwi Saver, ability to buy extra leave, paid volunteer days, free fruit in the office, amazing Parental Leave entitlements, free Life and Medical Insurance.
• Working with an amazing, supportive, and fun team - even if we do say so ourselves…

📅 Applications close: Monday 13 July 2026

Our ability to get the best out of people is what sets Powerco apart. We realise that candidates – especially from underrepresented and neurodiverse backgrounds – often won’t apply for roles unless they meet ALL the criteria. We encourage anyone who shares our passion for connecting communities to apply for any role that aligns to your strengths and interests. We will provide a safe space where you can bring your whole self to work and thrive.  

If you would benefit from support or adjustments in order to participate equitably in the recruitment process, please phone 0800 769372 or email kiaora@powerco.co.nz