Health and Safety Inspector

About this role

• Make a positive difference to the health, safety and wellbeing of all Aotearoa
• Frontline Inspector roles are dynamic, with no two days the same
• This role is crucial to our duties, so we're investing in growing this team

Become a Health and Safety Inspector and help influence our community to ensure everyone who goes to work comes home healthy and safe.

About us - Mo tatou

He aha te mea nui o tēnei ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

What is the most important thing in the world, it is people, it is people, it is people 

Kia ora, Noa'ia, Talofa lava, Mauri, Mālō e lelei, Tālofa, Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Mālō ni, Kia orana. 

Ka noho mātāmua te orangatonutanga o te tangata ki a mātou o Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa. Ko te aronga matua kia haere haumaru ngā tāngata katoa ki te mahi, kia hoki haumaru ki te te kāinga. Inā ka ngākaunui koe ki ēnei āhuatanga, tomo mai ki tēnei whare whakaruruhau. 

WorkSafe New Zealand Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa, is the primary workplace health and safety regulator – our vision is that everyone who goes to mahi comes home healthy and safe.  Our kaimahi are passionate about our vision and embrace and demonstrate our Mātāpono WorkSafe Values through the mahi they do: 

• Whakakotahi – we're united in a strong purpose 
• Kōrero mai – we engage meaningfully 
• Tiakina mai - we're entrusted with a duty of care. 

We offer a range of benefits including:

• Free life insurance
• Discounts on health insurance and eye care
• Five weeks annual leave
• 15 days sick leave and
• Learning and professional development opportunities

There are a growing number of employee-led networks to promote the goals and needs of our diverse communities, such as our Te Rōpū Atuapiko Rainbow Network, Tivaevae o Tangata Tūkētūkē Pacifika Network, Wāhine Network, Tū Rangatira Māori Network.

About your team - Ko te tīma  (The Inspectorate)

The Inspectorate at WorkSafe Mahi Haumaru plays a critical role in workplace health and safety. The Inspectorate's overall goal is to prevent workplace harm, promote a culture of health and safety, and hold organisations accountable for maintaining healthy and safe working conditions.

Guided by evidence about acute, chronic, and catastrophic harm, WorkSafe Mahi Haumaru prioritise high-risk sectors and high-risk activities. Across these priority areas, WorkSafe Mahi Haumaru deliver enforcement, engagement and permitting activities to maximise our influence and achieve better, more equitable outcomes.

We have open vacancies in Dunedin, Invercargill, Napier, Gisborne, Nelson, Rotorua, Timaru, Wellington and Whangarei.

About the role - Ō te tūranga

You start your journey as a Trainee Health and Safety Inspector and will progress your way through a series of in-house training courses, on the job experience and coaching until you obtain a Certificate of Appointment giving you powers as an Inspector. As your career as an inspector continues, you will continuously build your skills and knowledge to become a highly competent Inspector.  

As a Health and Safety Inspector, you can expect that no two days will be the same! Inspectors complete a range of mahi. This could be a site visit completing an assessment, compiling reports, or investigating an accident. The work is varied and interesting, but at times can be challenging due to the nature of the role as you may beexposed to traumatic events, files, photos and statements.

You will love building rapport with stakeholders and have a natural ability to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds. The conversations may not always be easy, but you will remain calm under pressure and be able to appreciate the viewpoints and perspectives of others. You will assess all of the information and risks to identify the best outcome. In doing so, you will work towards achieving a common goal of ensuring that all New Zealander's that go to work come home healthy and safe.

If you are successful in making the final stages of our interview process, we will offer our candidates the opportunity to go on a “ride along” with an Inspector. This will give you a real-life preview of a day in the life of an Inspector at WorkSafe.

What you will bring - Ko ngā pukenga ōu

• The ability to remain calm under pressure and adapt when situations change
• Strong communication and collaboration, with the ability to build relationships
• Cultural awareness and a willingness to build your understanding and skill in te reo and tikanga Māori
• The ability to use a range of methods to communicate, both written and verbal
• Proven experience in problem-solving
• The ability to plan and prioritise tasks effectively to achieve results
• Be a NZ/Australian citizen or NZ Permanent Resident/Resident
• Have a full, clean driver licence
• Confident in using various forms of technology
• Able to work across locations and once a qualified Inspector, be rostered for after hours and weekend work when required

 Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi. 

With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive

The full position description is available from the advert on our careers centre: WorkSafe New Zealand

Salary range - Awhe utu

As part of our remuneration framework, the starting annual salary for this role is $76,089 however, once you have satisfied the requirements and successfully completed the Inspector Foundation Development Programme and are appointed to Inspector I level, the annual salary is increased to $82,990. Note: KiwiSaver/SSRSS employer contribution is additional to/on top of your base salary.

How to apply - Me pēhea te tono

Click the apply link, complete the application form and submit a copy of your CV and cover letter.

Applications close on 22/06/2025 - Ka kati nga tono 22/06/2025

The following dates are being targeted for this recruitment process:

- Kōrero ā-ipurangi – two-way kōrero (video/phone interviews): 25 June – 3 July 2025

- Wānanga ā-ipurangi - Online information session: 8 July 2025

- Whakamātau ā-ipurangi - Online testing completed by candidate: by 9 July 2025

- He arotake ngātahi - In-person kōrero:

o Christchurch: 21 and 22 July 2025

o Wellington: 23 July 2025

- Whāinga wheako - Ride along (in-person): 25 – 29 July 2025

- He taunaki whanonga – pre-employment checks: 25 – 29 July 2025

- Nau mai ki Mahi Haumaru - Offers made: 30 July – 1 August2025

- He timatanga hou - Start date: 1 September 2025

- Training begins: 15 September 2025

Please note while we will do our best to adhere to these timeframes, dates may change. We are committed to keeping you well informed throughout the process.

*If you are unable to attend, He arotake ngātahi - The In-person kōrero date specified or commence employment by 15 September, unfortunately we will be unable to progress with your application for this cohort. However, you are welcome to apply again in the future.​ 

For further information please contact newinspector@worksafe.govt.nz  with any queries, or to find out more about working for us, go to Health and Safety Inspectors

WorkSafe Mahi Haumaru is an equal opportunity employer.  We value diversity and welcome and encourage applicants from all walks of life.  We value the experience your point of difference could bring to us.

Please let us know if there is any support, we can provide to ensure the recruitment process is accessible to you. We look forward to reviewing your application and getting to know more about you.