Location: Perth
Package: Up to $160k (will be pro rata- contract until November 2026)
The Role:
As a Senior Development Health & Safety Business Partner, you will provide strategic WHS governance, oversight and assurance across development and tenancy construction activities undertaken within a live shopping centre environment.
You will work closely with shopfitters and the partner construction organisation to influence health and safety processes and standards.
Operating within the organisation’s Active Client Safety Model, the role supports the developer in maintaining strong WHS governance while ensuring contractors retain full responsibility for the management and control of their work and associated risks.
The position works collaboratively with the Principal Contractor delivering base building works and with tenancy shopfitters undertaking concurrent fit-outs to promote high safety standards, strengthen safety culture and verify that risks are being effectively managed.
This is an influence and assurance focused role, not an operational control position. Responsibility for planning, supervising and executing construction activities remains with the relevant contractor.
Project Environment:
This role operates within complex development environments where construction occurs within or adjacent to an operating shopping centre.
Typical project characteristics include:
- A Tier 1 builder engaged under a Design & Construct contract acting as Principal Contractor for base building and common area works
- Multiple tenancy fit outs occurring concurrently
- Tenancy shopfitters acting as principal contractor responsible for their own construction activities within a tenancy
- Construction occurring within a live public environment, requiring careful management of risks relating to public interface, operational tenants, centre operations, essential services and shared access areas
Your duties and responsibilities will be as followed:
1. Active Client WHS Governance
- Provide WHS oversight across development and tenancy construction activities to support effective safety governance.
- Monitor safety performance, emerging risks and compliance with project safety expectations.
- Support the organisation in demonstrating due diligence and oversight of contractor WHS performance.
- Ensure alignment with the organisation’s development safety framework, policies and standards.
- Engage proactively with shopfitters and contractors to communicate project WHS expectations and site protocols.
- Promote consistent safety standards across multiple contractors operating concurrently.
- Encourage adoption of best‑practice controls relevant to retail construction environments.
- Facilitate constructive engagement between the Principal Contractor, shopfitters and development teams when safety issues arise.
- Act as a visible safety leader across the development
- Promote a positive, collaborative and accountable safety culture.
- Engage with supervisors and workers during site visits to reinforce safe behaviours and risk awareness.
- Support continuous improvement in contractor WHS performance through coaching, feedback and influence.
- Conduct regular site inspections and WHS engagements across development and tenancy works.
- Verify that contractors are implementing appropriate risk management practices.
- Monitor compliance with site safety requirements and project standards.
- Identify emerging risks and escalate where appropriate.
- Identify and document shopfitter WHS non‑conformances.
- Notify the responsible contractor and request review and corrective action.
- Monitor progress toward close‑out and escalate unresolved issues.
- Ensure responsibility for corrective actions remains with the contractor.
- Monitor risks arising from interfaces between base building works, tenancy construction, centre operations and public areas.
- Escalate risks that may impact public safety, operational tenants or essential services.
- Facilitate coordination discussions to support safe management of construction interfaces.
- Maintain accurate records of inspections, observations, audits and non‑conformances.
- Provide regular WHS performance reporting to development leadership.
- Escalate significant concerns or systemic issues to the National Development Safety & Environment Manager.
To maintain alignment with contractor duty frameworks, the Senior Development Health & Safety Business Partner does not:
- direct construction work methods
- supervise contractor workers • manage construction activities
- approve SWMS or risk assessments as the responsible party unless works are within the shopping centres areas of management and control
- implement corrective controls on behalf of contractors
- assume the duties of the Principal Contractor
The role provides oversight, verification and influence only.
Skills and experience required for the role:
- Ability to influence safety behaviours across diverse stakeholders.
- Strong relationship management with contractors, tenants and project teams.
- Deep understanding of construction risks within live public environments.
- Ability to verify contractor WHS performance while maintaining clear duty boundaries.
- Skilled in coaching, challenging and influencing to improve safety outcomes.
For more information, please contact Jade Whitmore at jade@redpathpartners.com or 04 2298 2108
