HSE Manager | Major Energy Infrastructure

HSE Manager | Major Energy Infrastructure

Surat Basin FIFO | Senior Project Leadership | Permanent Opportunity

The best safety leaders don't police a project from the sidelines.

They're part of how it gets delivered.

They know what's happening in the field.

They understand the pressure construction teams are under.

They can challenge a decision when they need to—and bring people with them when they do.

Aequalis Consulting has been engaged to recruit an experienced HSE Manager for a major, long-term energy infrastructure project in Queensland's Surat Basin.

This is a senior project leadership role for someone who understands that a strong safety culture isn't created by another procedure, another poster or another box being ticked.

It's created by people.

The Opportunity

You'll take the lead on HSE across a major project environment, working as a trusted partner to the broader construction and project leadership team.

Your role will be highly visible.

You'll spend time where the work is happening, understand the operational challenges facing the project and lead an experienced HSE team to provide practical, credible and effective support across multiple work fronts.

Yes, governance matters.

Compliance matters.

Systems matter.

But this role is about much more than managing the HSE function.

It's about creating an environment where people take ownership of safety because they believe in it—not simply because someone is watching.

What You'll Be Taking On

You'll have genuine ownership of the project's HSE function and the opportunity to influence how safety is understood, led and embedded across the operation.

You'll be responsible for:

• Leading and developing a multidisciplinary project HSE team

• Partnering with senior project and construction leaders

• Building strong safety ownership across supervisors, crews and subcontractors

• Maintaining a visible presence across active work fronts

• Identifying emerging risks and addressing them before they become incidents

• Challenging behaviours and decisions constructively when required

• Strengthening systems, processes and ways of working

• Driving continuous improvement across project HSE performance

• Supporting effective incident investigation and learning

• Ensuring the project meets its regulatory, client and governance obligations

• Building strong relationships across the workforce, leadership team and key stakeholders

This is not a role for someone who wants to manage safety entirely from behind a desk.

You'll need to be comfortable in the field, credible with operational teams and equally confident sitting at the leadership table.

The Person We're Looking For

You've already led safety in complex, high-risk project environments.

You understand that what works in theory doesn't always work on site.

And you've developed the judgement to know the difference.

Your background will have been built within environments such as:

• Oil & gas

• Energy infrastructure

• Mining

• Major civil construction

• Heavy infrastructure

You'll bring substantial experience in senior HSE leadership roles and have previously led teams across complex project or operational environments.

You'll also have relevant tertiary qualifications in workplace health and safety, environmental management or a related discipline.

But qualifications alone won't make you successful in this role.

We're looking for someone with presence.

Someone who can walk onto a work front and have a genuine conversation with a crew.

Someone who can challenge a senior leader without creating unnecessary conflict.

Someone who understands that good HSE professionals don't simply identify problems—they help the project solve them.

And someone who can lead a team to become trusted advisors to the operation rather than the department people avoid.

A Note on Relevant Experience

This is a senior HSE leadership position within a complex, high-risk infrastructure environment.

Candidates must have significant HSE leadership experience within oil & gas, mining, energy, major civil construction or comparable heavy infrastructure environments.

This role is not suited to candidates whose experience has been gained solely within corporate, office-based or lower-risk environments.

You need to understand construction.

You need to understand operational risk.

And you need to know how to lead safety when the project is moving quickly and the decisions matter.

Why Consider the Move?

Because the right HSE leadership role gives you the opportunity to do more than maintain a system.

It gives you the opportunity to influence a project.

You'll join a significant, long-term infrastructure program with an experienced project leadership team and a strong pipeline of work.

You'll have:

• A genuine seat at the project leadership table

• The autonomy to lead and influence HSE outcomes

• A substantial, technically challenging project environment

• An experienced team to lead and develop

• Long-term project security

• The opportunity to make a visible impact on how the project operates

• A permanent career opportunity within Australia's growing energy infrastructure sector

Safety Leadership Should Be Seen, Not Just Reported

The best HSE Managers know the numbers.

But they also know the people behind them.

If you're an experienced HSE leader who believes safety should enable great project delivery—not sit separately from it—we'd like to hear from you.

This is a confidential search being managed by Aequalis Consulting.

Apply today or contact us for a confidential discussion.

Don't just manage safety. Lead the culture that creates it.