Director of Safety, Risk and Building Facilities

Lead safety, risk and facilities at Carriageworks, enabling bold programming through strong governance and infrastructure.

POSITION TITLE:                  Director, Safety, Risk and Building Facilities 

BUSINESS UNIT:                Safety and Compliance

REPORTS TO:                      General Manager

STAFF REPORTING TO:    Facilities Manager

REQUIREMENT:                  Full Time, Permanent

CARRIAGEWORKS 

Carriageworks is a thriving cultural centre located on Gadigal Land in Redfern, Sydney. Built within the spectacular Eveleigh Railway Workshops, it hosts vibrant arts events and a thriving creative industries program. As well as popular events such as the weekly Farmers Market, Sydney Writers’ Festival, Australian Fashion Week, and Sydney Contemporary, Carriageworks presents its own compelling program of music, theatre, dance and visual arts.

CARRIAGEWORKS VALUES 

• Respect Each Other: Everyone is welcome. Everyone’s voice is important. We learn from each other by listening with empathy and care.  
• Share The Journey: Support others to be their best. We act with integrity and trust. We are collectively responsible.  
• Be Adventurous: Embrace creativity. We search for courageous ideas and new opportunities.   
• Take A Long View: Respect Country, priorities sustainability and nurture new ways of thinking out of old. We lay foundations for generations to come.  

OPPORTUNITY

The Director, Risk, Safety and Building Facilities is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping and delivering the organisation’s safety, risk and infrastructure strategy. This position ensures strong alignment between governance obligations, artistic ambition and operational capability, supporting the delivery of safe, innovative and sustainable programming.

Providing strategic oversight across safety, compliance, enterprise risk and building facilities, the Director ensures that people, programs, assets and operations are effectively managed in line with legislative, regulatory and asset management requirements. The role leads the Safety and Facilities team and works in close partnership with the Executive and operational leaders to embed a proactive safety culture, strengthen risk management practices and maintain high-performing, compliant and fit-for-purpose facilities. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Including but not limited to:

Safety, Risk and Compliance Governance

• Hold executive accountability of the organisation’s workplace health and safety, enterprise risk and regulatory compliance functions, shaping strategic direction to support safe, compliant and high-performing operations
• Lead and continually strengthen the organisation’s safety governance framework, ensuring policies, procedures and controls are strategically aligned, effectively embedded across the enterprise, and continuously monitored and enhanced to meet regulatory and organisational obligations.
• Take executive ownership of safety culture and performance, setting standards, driving accountability, and enabling informed strategic decision-making.
• Ensure compliance with the WHS Act 2011 (NSW), WHS Regulation 2025, and PCBU duties, embedding these obligations into operational practice.
• Advise Officers (CEO, Executive, Board) on due diligence requirements, psychosocial risk obligations, and emerging legislative changes.
• Lead and maintain the Organisation’s Risk Management Framework (ERMF), including risk registers, controls assurance, risk appetite alignment, and defined escalation thresholds.
• Oversee incident reporting, investigations, corrective actions, notifiable incidents, and regulator engagement.
• Fulfil organisation reporting obligations, including Board and committee reporting, incident escalation, trend and leading indicator analysis, and regulator notifications

Operational and Event Safety

• Provide strategic oversight and direction to programming, production, and technical teams to ensure the safe planning and delivery of events.
• Provide expert guidance on risk assessments, safety management plans, and high-risk activities.
• Ensure contractor, hirer, and resident company safety frameworks are robust and consistently applied.

Building, Facilities and Asset Compliance

• Executive oversight of facilities management, heritage and statutory building compliance, fire safety, and essential services.
• Maintain relationships with landlord, Create NSW, and regulators to align on compliance, maintenance, and capital works.
• Ensure audit trails and systems support regulatory obligations.
• Identify and support funding and capital opportunities to maintain and enhance the precinct’s infrastructure and operational capabilities
• Integrate sustainability into building services, maintenance, and capital works planning to support efficient resource use, compliant upgrades, and long-term asset performance.
• Oversee planned and reactive maintenance, capital projects, and asset upgrades.

Leadership and People Management

• Contribute to senior leadership strategy, resilience, and organisational culture.
• Lead and develop WHS and Facilities teams with clear priorities and accountabilities.
• Promote a strong safety and compliance culture across the organisation.
• Partner with People and Culture on inductions, training, and capability building.

Regulatory and External Engagement

• Represent the organisation with regulators, authorities, and external stakeholders.
• Oversee statutory compliance functions, including development approvals and liquor licensing.
• Act as Licensee (or oversee the Licensee function) for the Carriageworks liquor licence.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

• Tertiary qualifications in WHS, facilities management, engineering, building, risk or a related discipline, or extensive equivalent experience.
• In-depth knowledge of WHS legislation, regulations, Codes of Practice, and PCBU duties, including psychosocial risk obligations
• Strong understanding of enterprise risk management frameworks, incident reporting, and compliance governance
• Knowledge of heritage building compliance, fire safety, essential services, and facilities management
• Experience with event safety management, contractor compliance, and high-risk activity oversight
• Ability to develop, implement, and monitor WHS systems, risk frameworks, and compliance processes
• Strategic leadership and decision-making skills, with the ability to advise Executive, Board, and regulators
• Proven project and capital works management capability, including funding and asset planning
• Stakeholder engagement and communication skills across regulators, government, contractors, and internal teams
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and trend analysis skills to proactively manage risks and compliance obligations
• Flexible approach to working hours, including capacity to work evenings and weekends as required.
• An understanding of, and affinity with, the arts and cultural sector.

APPLY: Please submit your cover letter and your resume to [email protected], outlining your experience against the role responsibility areas. Applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. 

Carriageworks values diversity and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities. We encourage applications from individuals who may have less experience due to their unique circumstances but demonstrate a strong willingness to learn and grow in the role. If you are passionate about joining an exciting team and contributing to a culture of diversity and inclusion, we welcome your application and look forward to the unique contributions you can bring to our team.

Application Closing Date: Tuesday 24th March 2026