Role: Senior Work Health & Safety Advisor - Taronga Zoo
- Located at Sydney’s Iconic - Taronga Zoo!
- Ongoing Full-time position
- TCSA Salaried Employees Award, Clerk Grade 7/8, annual package range from $128,726 - $142,492 (includes base salary $113,574 – $125,720 + plus superannuation & leave loading)
We’re growing our WHS team – and we’d love you to be part of it.
At Taronga Zoo, safety is more than a requirement – it’s at the heart of how we care for our people, our animals, and our visitors. We’re continuing to strengthen our WHS culture by growing our team to include a Senior WHS Advisor.
This is a Monday–Friday position on site at Taronga Zoo, with flexibility in work hours and hybrid arrangements discussed during interview.
This is a great time to join a passionate, supportive team who are making a meaningful difference across our operations.
Senior WHS Advisor
Influence, lead and guide safety across one of Australia’s most unique work environments.
In this role, you'll collaborate with diverse stakeholders – from keepers to vets, trades, commercial teams and conservation experts – to ensure the highest standards of safety. You’ll guide strategic safety initiatives, mentor others, and shape safety culture across both Taronga Zoo and Taronga Western Plains Zoo.
About the Role…
Your key focus will be on supporting people leaders, ensuring robust risk controls, and leading system improvements in a high-risk, fast-paced environment. You’ll also have an important mentoring role, helping WHS team members grow and succeed.
Key Accountabilities…
- Collaborate with teams to develop and implement effective safety protocols tailored to departmental risk management needs, ensuring appropriate mitigations and controls.
- Engage in high-level critical thinking and innovative problem-solving to manage short, medium, and long-term risks and opportunities.
- Analyse WHS data to identify trends, insights, and emerging risks, providing proactive recommendations and mitigation strategies to improve safety outcomes.
- Conduct operational reviews and audits of safety systems, reporting findings and recommending improvements through continuous improvement action plans.
- Coach and influence supervisors and managers to effectively implement risk management processes and enhance safety leadership.
- Provide supervision, guidance, and support to the WHS Advisors.
- Periodic travel to Dubbo to support the team in delivering an effective WHS program.
- Design and conduct local, topic-specific WHS training.
About You…
We are looking for candidates that have:
- 5+ years’ experience in a WHS role with a strong focus on risk management, and relevant qualifications are highly regarded.
- Demonstrated experience conducting WHS audits and operational reviews, with the ability to develop improvement plans and drive continuous safety enhancements.
- A proactive and solutions-focused mindset, with the ability to independently manage competing priorities and drive WHS initiatives in a dynamic environment.
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to coach and influence supervisors and managers to embed effective risk management practices.
- Proven ability to perform under pressure, managing tight deadlines, challenging circumstances, and high workloads while maintaining professionalism and delivering outcomes.
- Supervisory or mentoring experience, with the ability to guide and support WHS team members.
- Senior First Aid and a valid NSW Driver’s License.
- NSW Paid Working with Children Check.
Benefits…
Our employees enjoy generous employment conditions including some of the following:
- Flexible Hybrid work model - Taronga supports a blend of in-office, remote, and on-the-go workers!
- Complimentary family and friends passes across both Taronga’s Sydney & Dubbo Zoo’s
- Free onsite car parking, outside of peak periods
- A wide range of discounts on our award winning accommodation across both sites
- Discounted food and beverage purchases across the sites
- Fitness Passport
- We’re a social team - there’s always lots going on around the zoo that we get involved with!
- + more!
We Value Diversity…
Taronga is an equal opportunity employer, where we recognise the diversity of our workforce and community – be it on the basis of gender, age, culture, religion, language or personal circumstances.
Taronga is also committed to building on the perspectives, experience, knowledge and skills that this diversity brings to our organisation.
About Applying…
Please submit your resume and a cover letter of one page. You are also required to complete the two target questions as part of your application.
- Describe a real example from your own experience where you worked with leaders or operational teams to develop and implement a safety solution across different work areas with varying risk profiles.
Briefly outline the context, your role, the key challenges you faced, how you tailored your approach, and the outcome.
What would you do differently if you were to approach this situation again? - Provide an example of a complex incident investigation, audit, or safety system review that you personally led.
Describe the issue, how you identified root cause(s), how you assessed short‑ and longer‑term risk, and the recommendations you made.
What evidence did you use to support your advice, and what impact did your recommendations have?
Applications Close: 11:59pm, Sunday 15 February 2026