Head of Safety and Wellbeing

Everyday our experienced team of 1,700+ people work alongside farmers, producers, and others throughout the food supply chain to help them uphold what Aotearoa stands for in food - a higher standard of quality and safety.  

We are passionate about our shared role as Kaitiaki Kai, guardians of food, and have a deep responsibility to do the right thing for food and the environments it comes from.  

We are committed to attracting, developing, and retaining great people, and supporting them to be the best they can be.  We know diverse teams are stronger teams and we believe in fairness and opportunity for all. 

Lead meaningful change in Safety and Wellbeing 

As our Head of Safety and Wellbeing, you will provide strategic leadership across a complex and diverse organisation, strengthening the systems, governance, capability and culture that keep our people safe and well. 

This is more than a traditional safety leadership role. We are looking for an experienced and credible change leader who combines strong Safety and Wellbeing expertise with the influence, courage and resilience to challenge the status quo and bring people with you. 

You will join the People & Culture Leadership Team and lead four high-performing Safety and Wellbeing professionals. Working alongside our Board, Executive, CEO, Health and Safety Representatives and people leaders, you will help make Safety and Wellbeing a genuine organisational priority during a period of significant transformation. 

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, you will have a strong partnership with our CEO. 

This is a full-time permanent position based in either Auckland (Mt Wellington), Hamilton or Christchurch (Burnside), with domestic travel approximately every 2 - 4 weeks to any of our regional hubs or meat processing plants, across New Zealand. 

Key responsibilities: 

• Lead the strategic direction for Safety and Wellbeing, aligned to AsureQuality’s People Strategy and broader organisational strategy. 

• Strengthen our approach to critical risks, ensuring safety risks are understood, effectively controlled and actively owned by leaders. 

• Mature Safety and Wellbeing governance, systems and reporting, using data and insights to drive accountability, action and continuous improvement. 

• Build leadership capability, accountability and ownership, embedding Safety and Wellbeing into operational and transformational decision-making. 

• Lead meaningful cultural change, challenging established ways of working and creating sustainable shifts in how Safety and Wellbeing is understood and embedded across our operating model. 

• Lead and develop a high-performing Safety and Wellbeing team while partnering across the organisation to drive innovation and better outcomes. 

We are looking for an experienced leader, ideally with strong Safety and Wellbeing expertise, who has the capability to lead meaningful change, influence at all levels and deliver strong organisational outcomes. 

You will bring: 

• Proven senior leadership experience, ideally with significant Safety and Wellbeing experience in a complex, operational or high-risk environment. 

• Strong understanding and forward-thinking approach to critical risk. 

• A proven ability to lead and embed organisational change, challenging the status quo and turning strategic intent into sustainable improvements. 

• The credibility and influence to engage and challenge senior leaders, build leadership capability and create genuine ownership and shared responsibility. 

• Strong commercial, analytical and relationship-building capability, with the judgement to navigate complexity and make sound, evidence-based decisions. 

• Relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent experience and experience with ACC AEP (Accredited Employers Programme). 

Make your mark at a pivotal time 

This is an opportunity where your leadership can genuinely shape the future of Safety and Wellbeing at AsureQuality. 

• Influence at the highest level – with strong endorsement and partnership with a CEO who is genuinely passionate about Health and Safety, giving you visibility, sponsorship and the opportunity to influence meaningful change. 

• Lead through transformation – Shape the future direction of Safety and Wellbeing across strategy, systems, culture, capability. 

• Create better outcomes – Challenge the status quo, bring people with you and lead sustainable change that improves wellbeing and safety outcomes for our people and organisation. 

Key Benefits 

• Full-time permanent position – 40 hours per week, with flexible working hours, Monday to Friday. 

• Hybrid working – Typically 2–3 days in the office or in the field, with the remaining days flexible.

• Flexible leave options – Ability to purchase additional annual leave or take unpaid leave. 

• Competitive remuneration – Base salary + KiwiSaver + Short-Term Incentive, with Annual Salary Reviews. 

• Tools to do your job – Work laptop and mobile phone provided, alongside regular domestic travel to locations across New Zealand. 

If you are an experienced leader, ideally with strong Safety and Wellbeing expertise especially in safety critical environment, and are looking for an opportunity to lead change, influence at the highest level and create better outcomes, we would love to hear from you. 

Apply now – we’ll be reviewing applications as they come in.