Senior HSE Advisor Transmission and Substations

The opportunity

Downer is seeking an experienced Senior HSE Advisor to join our Energy and Utilities business, supporting our Power Projects Transmission and Substations portfolio.

This is a senior project HSE assurance role with genuine influence across project delivery. You will provide independent assurance and risk governance, ensuring HSE systems and critical controls are effective in practice and remain aligned with changing project risks, site conditions and compliance requirements.

You will lead site assurance activities, critical control verification and risk governance while maintaining the Zero Harm risk register. Working closely with project leaders, supervisors, subcontractors and clients, you will identify emerging risks, challenge ineffective controls and drive corrective actions through to effective closure.

Key responsibilities include

• Leading assurance over Health and Safety Management Plan implementation and critical risk controls

• Owning and maintaining the Zero Harm risk register and ensuring risks remain aligned with actual project delivery

• Conducting targeted site surveillance, workplace inspections and critical control verification

• Providing assurance over subcontractor competency, mobilisation, work readiness and HSE performance

• Supporting incident investigations and ensuring corrective actions address underlying control failures

• Providing assurance over plant, equipment, permits, training and competency requirements

• Supporting client, regulatory and external audits and assurance activities

• Coaching HSE Advisors, supervisors and operational personnel to strengthen risk and assurance capability

What we’re looking for

You will bring significant HSE experience gained within transmission, substations, utilities, infrastructure, construction or another high risk project environment. You will be comfortable working at site level while also providing credible challenge and advice to senior project stakeholders.

You will also bring

• A relevant qualification in Work Health and Safety or a related discipline, ideally Certificate IV, Diploma or higher

• A current construction industry White Card

• Strong knowledge of Australian WHS legislation and high risk construction controls

• Demonstrated experience with HSE assurance, risk management, SWMS, permits and critical control verification

• Experience managing project risk registers and assessing whether controls are genuinely effective in the field

• Experience supporting incident investigations and corrective action management

• Strong subcontractor HSE governance and contractor management capability

• Clear and credible written and verbal communication skills across frontline teams, leaders, clients and assurance stakeholders

• The judgement and confidence to intervene and escalate where critical controls are absent or ineffective

Formal training in incident investigation, auditing, risk management or critical control verification will be highly regarded.

What we offer

At Downer, you will have the opportunity to contribute to significant infrastructure projects while working alongside experienced professionals across our Energy and Utilities business.

You will join an environment where safety leadership is more than compliance. This role provides the scope to influence how risk is understood, controls are applied and HSE assurance is delivered across complex project environments.

About Energy & Utilities

Downer’s Energy & Utilities business provides services and solutions across Australia’s essential infrastructure. Our teams work across complex operational and project environments, bringing together specialist capability, strong delivery disciplines and a commitment to Zero Harm.

Downer is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone belongs.

How to apply

If you are an experienced HSE professional looking to make a meaningful contribution across Transmission and Substation projects, we encourage you to apply.

Please submit your application through the advertised Downer recruitment process.

Downer does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruitment agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our recruitment team or hiring managers. Downer will not be responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.