Senior SHEQ Advisor - NT Operations

• Full time, ongoing opportunity leading operation SHEQ support across Northern Territory operations, including the Top End Medical Retrieval service (TEMRS)
• Darwin - based role, with regular travel to Alice Springs, remote communities and other RFDS SA/NT operational locations.
• Influence safety outcomes by partnering with leaders and frontline teams across aviation, healthcare and remote service environments. 
  
  About the Royal Flying Doctor Service South Australia / Northern Territory (RFDS SA/NT)

We are one of Australia’s most trusted and respected health and aeromedical service providers, delivering essential care to people across remote, rural and regional communities throughout South Australia and the Northern Territory.

As part of our ongoing strategic and operational activities within the Northern Territory, we are focused on strengthening our workforce and enhancing capability across the region. Our five-year Strategic Plan prioritises building innovative, responsive and better-connected services that improve health and wellbeing outcomes for all Australians.

You can watch stories about our people, patients and the communities we serve at rfdsnt.com.au

About the Opportunity

The Senior SHEQ Advisor - NT Operations provides practical Safety, Health, Environment and Quality advice, coaching, implementation support and assurance through regular engagement with operations teams. 

As the Northern Territory operational SHEQ lead for the Top End Medical Retrieval Service, you will coordinate SHEQ readiness, risk and control integration, consultation, assurance, reporting and continuous improvement from mobilisation through to ongoing service delivery. 

Working closely with operational leaders, control owners and the broader SHEQ team, you will provide trusted advice, objective verification and constructive challenge to strengthen operational safety performance and support compliance with contractual, regulatory and organisational requirements.

Operational leaders and designated control owners remain accountable for managing operational risks and maintaining effective controls. This role advises, supports, verifies, reports and escalates without assuming operational risk ownership or specialist aviation, clinical or enterprise SHEQ system accountabilities.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Provide visible SHEQ leadership and practical, risk-based advice across NT operations.
• Partner with operational leaders and control owners to identify and assess critical risks, support effective controls and verify control effectiveness.
• Lead NT implementation and verification of approved critical-risk and critical-control requirements.
• Coordinate SHEQ readiness and assurance activities for TEMRS mobilisation, activation, transition and ongoing service delivery.
• Lead or support significant and complex SHEQ investigations, and verify the implementation and effectiveness of corrective actions.
• Plan and conduct risk-based inspections, audits, operational reviews and control-verification activities.
• Provide SHEQ advice and assurance for operational change, contractors, service providers, facilities and shared operational interfaces.
• Support effective remote and isolated-work controls across NT operations.
• Coach leaders and workers in consultation, operational risk management and practical application of RFDS SA/NT SHEQ requirements.
• Work collaboratively with the broader SHEQ team and specialist functions, sharing operational insights and contributing to consistent systems and continuous improvement across RFDS SA/NT.
  

About You: 

You are an experienced WHS professional with at least five years’ relevant experience in complex, multi-site, remote, high-risk or safety-critical operations. You can work autonomously, exercise sound professional judgement and manage competing priorities while maintaining clear role and accountability boundaries.

You have strong working knowledge of Northern Territory WHS legislation, regulations, approved codes of practice, consultation requirements and incident-notification obligations. You also bring demonstrated capability in operational risk assessment, critical-control verification, significant incident investigation and risk-based assurance activities.

You are an effective communicator with well-developed facilitation, coaching and influencing skills. You can build trusted relationships with leaders, workers, contractors and stakeholders across culturally diverse and remote settings while providing constructive challenge where required.

You will also have:

• A Diploma or higher qualification in Work Health and Safety, occupational safety or a closely related discipline
• A current unrestricted Australian Driver’s Licence
• Formal training in a recognised incident-investigation methodology, or demonstrated equivalent investigation capability
• The ability and willingness to travel regularly across the Northern Territory, including to remote communities and operational locations
  

Experience in aeromedical, aviation, healthcare, emergency services, transport, engineering or another safety-critical environment will be highly regarded.

Our Benefits

As part of our team, you will be supported to achieve your best while contributing to meaningful work that makes a real difference.

We offer :

• Generous salary packaging options (up to $15,899 + $2,650 meal & entertainment)
• Competitive remuneration
• Flexible work arrangements
• Employee Assistance Program
• Reward and recognition programs
• Learning and development opportunities
• Comprehensive onboarding program

Further Information

To access the position description, please click here. 

For a confidential discussion about the role, please contact Liz Hipper, Manager, Safety, Health, Environment and Quality on 0429 552 417.

For recruitment enquiries, please contact Nadia Hewage , Recruiter on 0448 911 245

Applications close at 11:59pm on 20th November 2026.

Please note, we reserve the right to appoint to the position before the published closing date. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible!

The Royal Flying Doctor Service is an equal opportunity employer that fosters a positive culture and offers a diverse, safe and supportive work environment. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are encouraged to apply.