Good things start here

This could be the very first step towards an exciting new career with us – a fresh beginning. At the Coles Group, these are moments we live for.

Starting good things is what drives our purpose: to sustainably feed all Australians so they can lead healthier, happier lives. With a team of 120,000 people and an iconic portfolio of Australia’s most trusted brands, we’re perfectly positioned to turn a promising start into a whole lot more.

About the role

Above all, we value the health, safety and wellbeing of our people and customers. Our Safety team is committed to driving this culture right across the business. Through raising awareness and support, and guiding each other on best practices, we’re building a happier, safer and more energised workplace every day.

We’re looking for an exceptional Head of Retail Safety to join our team.

What you’ll be doing
As the Head of Retail Safety, you’ll be responsible for developing and delivering the strategic safety plan for Coles Supermarkets including Coles Online and Coles Services. You’ll lead a team of safety professionals to improve the safety performance and culture across all States and Territories and partner closely with state regulators in both people and product safety. 

You’ll work alongside other safety leaders to identify key risks and work with internal stakeholders to implement safety improvement initiatives and programs aimed at these risks.

Other ways you can make an impact:

• build and lead a high performing national safety team, across safety and health and wellbeing, to ensure national consistency and delivery against targets set with clear succession planning
• ensure business reputation is protected through safety innovation and continuous critical risk reduction
• build effective relationships with safety regulators nationally to position Coles in the marketplace as a leader in retail safety

Good things you’ll need

• tertiary qualification in WHS / risk management in addition to several years’ experience in a senior safety management role reporting to Executive / Board level
• extensive experience in driving organisational wide change management programs
• the ability to integrate the safety agenda into broader business objectives in a fast-paced environment
• a track record of delivering measurable performance improvement in critical risk management, TRIFR, workers compensation and reputation with regulators
• comprehensive knowledge safety management systems and relevant state legislation, as well as key risk management
• a natural ability to communicate and build relationships with a wide group of key stakeholders, as well and internal and external customers from executive to store level
• strategic thinking and project management experience with an eye for continuous improvement

Why Coles?
We’re committed to making this a great place to work, from day one. From flexible working arrangements to discounts across all our internal brands (including 5% off at Coles supermarkets!), there are plenty of reasons to love working here. Explore all this and more at our Coles Careers website.

For everyone who shares our passion
We encourage applications from people of all ages, nationalities, abilities and cultures – including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the LGBTQI+ community and people living with disability. We’re happy to adjust our recruitment process to support accessibility needs – so reach out to us at inclusionrecruitment@coles.com.au.

We’d love to meet you
If you have the skills, experience and motivation to succeed in this role, please take the next step and submit your application.