OHS Lead

OHS Lead – 12-month fixed-term contract

Part-time – 0.6 FTE
Y Ballarat | Ballarat, Victoria
Travel across Victoria as required

Help shape safer workplaces across more than 110 services and programs.

Y Ballarat is seeking an experienced and proactive OHS Lead to strengthen our organisation-wide approach to occupational health and safety.

This 12-month fixed-term position offers the opportunity to develop and embed an enterprise OHS framework across a diverse portfolio, including Y Learn and Swim, Y Kindergartens, Outside School Hours Care, youth programs, corporate services, and the emerging Y School.

Reporting to the Executive Manager Child Safety and Organisational Compliance, you will provide specialist advice and practical leadership that supports safe workplaces, strong governance and a positive, prevention-focused safety culture.

About Y Ballarat

At the Y, we believe in the power of inspired young people.

Y Ballarat delivers services across Victoria through a large and geographically dispersed portfolio of more than 110 services and programs. Our vision is a better world with and for children, young people, communities and our work is guided by the values of Honesty, Respect, Caring and Responsibility.

About the role

As OHS Lead, you will strengthen the systems, governance arrangements, and whole-organisational capability required to manage workplace health and safety consistently across Y Ballarat.

A significant focus of the role will be developing Y Ballarat’s approach to health and safety alongside the effective management of hazards.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading the development and implementation of an organisation-wide OHS framework and annual work plan • Establishing and coordinating an organisation-wide OHS Committee and consultation arrangements. • Providing credible, practical and evidence-informed OHS advice to leaders
• Strengthening the identification, assessment and management of hazards
• Reviewing and developing OHS policies, procedures, tools and resources
• Improving workplace hazard, incident, injury and near-miss reporting and review processes
• Supporting incident investigations, root-cause analysis and corrective action management
• Developing meaningful OHS dashboards, indicators and organisational reporting
• Identifying systemic, recurring and emerging risks across Y Ballarat’s services
• Building the OHS knowledge and capability of leaders and employees
• Supporting emergency management arrangements and preparedness
• Developing appropriate OHS systems for the emerging Y School
• Manage critical incidents and provide tailored OHS support across Y Learn and Swim, Y Kindergartens, Outside School Hours Care and youth programs
• Integrate OHS with organisational risk, compliance, safeguarding, quality and operational systems.

About you

You are an experienced OHS professional who can combine technical expertise with practical implementation. You are comfortable working across a complex, multi-site organisation and can build trusted relationships while maintaining the professional independence required to identify and escalate risk.

To be successful, you will have:

• A minimum Certificate IV in Occupational Health and Safety or Work Health and Safety
• Demonstrated experience providing OHS advice in a complex, multi-site or geographically dispersed organisation
• Experience developing and implementing OHS frameworks, systems, policies and procedures
• Contemporary knowledge of psychosocial hazards and practical experience in psychosocial risk management
• Strong capability in hazard identification, risk assessment, incident investigation and corrective action management
• Experience supporting OHS committees, employee consultation and Health and Safety Representatives
• The ability to analyse OHS data and translate findings into practical organisational improvements
• Strong stakeholder engagement, influencing, written communication and reporting skills
• A collaborative, proactive and prevention-focused approach.

A relevant tertiary qualification and experience within education, early childhood, Outside School Hours Care, youth, community or human services will be highly regarded.

Why join Y Ballarat?

This is an opportunity to:

• Shape an enterprise OHS framework across a large and diverse organisation
• Lead meaningful work in psychosocial health and safety
• Influence safety systems for a new school from its establishment
• Work alongside leaders committed to safeguarding, compliance and continuous improvement
• Contribute to an organisation focused on creating a better world with and for young people
• Undertake a senior specialist role with the flexibility of part-time employment.

Conditions of employment

This is a part-time, 0.6 FTE position offered under a 12-month fixed-term contract.

The successful applicant will also be required to:

• Undertake a National Police Check
• Hold and maintain a valid employment Working with Children Check
• Hold a current Victorian Driver’s Licence
• Travel to Y Ballarat services and workplaces across Victoria as required.

Y Ballarat is committed to the safety, wellbeing, participation and empowerment of all children and young people. All employees are expected to uphold the rights and best interests of children and young people and comply with Y Ballarat’s safeguarding policies, procedures and Safe Behaviours.

How to apply

Please submit your current résumé and a cover letter outlining your suitability for the position through SEEK.

Applications close at midnight on Wednesday, 9 September 2026.

For further information or a confidential discussion, please contact Kim Porter, [email protected]

Y Ballarat values diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability and people of all ages, genders and identities.