National Health & Safety Specialist

Service Foods is one of New Zealand’s leading privately owned foodservice businesses, supplying fresh produce, butchery, seafood and essentials to customers nationwide.

Ready to shape health, safety and wellbeing across a fast-moving national foodservice business?

We are looking for a National Health and Safety Specialist who can turn strategy into practical tools, smarter systems and visible improvements across Service Foods.

The role

Reporting to the Head of Operational Excellence & Assurance, you will be the subject matter expert for practical health, safety and wellbeing systems. You will spend time with operations, working alongside sites to understand key risks first-hand, then use those insights to shape national initiatives, assurance activities and practical improvement plans.

What you will do

• Build simple, practical health, safety and wellbeing tools that help busy operational teams work safely.
• Drive national systems that support legal compliance, ACC AEP readiness, ISO 45001 certification or a similar recognised framework.
• Review incidents, identify serious or high-potential events and help coordinate effective escalation, investigation and follow-up.
• Coach leaders, managers, HSRs and frontline teams to make safety ownership part of everyday work.
• Turn data, audits and site feedback into clear reporting, useful dashboards and action-focused improvement plans.
• Lead projects that reduce harm, simplify processes and make health and safety easier to manage across our national network.
• Provide practical advice on key risks, including transport, fleet safety, travel, site visits and operational safety controls.

This is a role for someone who likes getting into the detail, building trust with operations and making systems work in the real world — not just on paper. Regular travel across Service Foods sites is included, giving you the visibility to understand operational risks and help shape practical national solutions.

About you

You are a practical, curious, and proactive health and safety professional who enjoys working closely with people and operations. You understand that strong safety outcomes are built through trust, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

You will bring:

• The ability to engage with operational teams and understand how work is actually performed in a real-world environment.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with the confidence to gain credibility quickly with leaders, Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs), and frontline employees.
• The ability to influence and drive positive change through practical solutions rather than unnecessary complexity.
• A proactive approach, strong accountability, and a continuous improvement mindset.
• A qualification in Occupational Health and Safety, Risk Management, Adult Education, or a related discipline.
• At least three years of health and safety experience within manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, transport, or another operational environment.
• A sound understanding of New Zealand health and safety legislation and the ability to apply it in a practical, risk-based manner.
• A current driver's licence and willingness to travel regularly across Service Foods sites.

• Experience with ISO 45001.
• ACC Accredited Employer Programme (AEP) readiness.
• Internal auditing.
• Digital health and safety platforms.
• Fleet safety management.
• Transport compliance.

If you're a proactive health and safety professional looking for the opportunity to influence safety nationally, make a practical impact, and help shape a stronger safety culture across a growing organisation, we'd love to hear from you

How to apply: Apply now with your CV and a brief cover letter telling us why this opportunity is the right fit for you.

Pre-Employment Checks

Successful candidates will be required to complete satisfactory pre-employment checks, including:

• Employment reference checks
• Government agency verifications (Ministry of Justice and ACC)
• Alcohol and drug testing conducted by an accredited New Zealand workplace substance testing provider

Applicants must have New Zealand citizenship, residency, or a valid New Zealand work visa.

Apply now

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