Health & Safety Manager, APAC

About the Role

We are looking for a proactive and hands‑on Regional Health & Safety Manager to establish and lead AVTEL’s H&S function across Singapore, Australia, Korea, Japan, and India.

As AVTEL continues to expand, this is a greenfield role where you will build the foundation of our safety program in the APAC region —from core policies and procedures to reporting structures, training, and governance. You will work closely with our technical teams across the region, as well as collaborate with our EMEA Health & Safety team to ensure global alignment, shared best practices, and consistent standards across all regions.

The role supports employees working in corporate offices, retail sites, customer environments, and live or construction‑phase data centres, as well as our project and service teams who operate in the field daily.

Strong communication skills, a practical mindset, and the ability to partner with both internal teams and client H&S groups are essential.

This is a regional, hands‑on role suited for someone who is comfortable developing strategic frameworks while also being on-site to support day‑to‑day operations.

Key Responsibilities

Workplace Health & Safety Governance

• Build a H&S foundation for the region; WSHE practices, policies, procedures, checklists and reporting framework.
• Act as the APAC subject matter expert for:
• WHSE Safety and Risk Management Programs
• Injury Prevention
• Drug and Alcohol Management Programs
• Return to Work and Injury Management
• Business Continuity
• Establish country‑specific H&S action plans aligned to local legislation in Singapore, Australia, Korea, Japan, and India.
• Implement incident reporting, risk registers, dashboards, and corrective action tracking.
• Collaborate with Global H&S team to align standards, share insights, co‑develop templates, and contribute to global H&S consistency.

Project & Site Safety Support

• Support project managers, engineers, and field technicians with risk assessment method statement, permit to work systems requirements, and risk assessments.
• Conduct regular site inspections across project worksites, service calls, and data centre environments.
• Lead toolbox talks, pre‑start briefings, and site safety readiness checks.
• Ensure controls for high‑risk activities such as working at heights, LOTO/electrical isolation, hot works, lifting/rigging, and MEWPs.

Regulatory & Client Compliance

• Monitor and interpret H&S regulations across all supported countries.
• Serve as the safety liaison for client EHS teams, ensuring alignment with site rules and audit expectations.
• Maintain subcontractor compliance through onboarding, pre‑qualification, and scheduled audits.

Incident, Injury Management & Continuous Improvement

• Manage safety issues, lead incident and near‑miss investigations, root‑cause analysis, and follow‑up actions.
• Support managers in implementing recovery and return-to-work plans.
• Support the development of individual return-to-work plans as required.
• Oversee Workers Compensation vendor activity and collaborate with internal stakeholders.
• Maintain logs and KPI reporting for APAC leadership.
• Issue Safety Alerts and share learnings regionally and with the EMEA H&S group.

Training & Culture

• Develop and maintain a regional training matrix for inductions and site‑specific competencies.
• Train and coach managers and our technical teams on core safety practices.
• Promote a strong safety culture and build local safety Champions across markets.

Audit & Certification Support & Readiness

• Prepare for and support internal audits, client audits, external regulatory inspections, and H&S assessments across APAC markets.
• Maintain audit‑ready documentation, evidence, logs, and reports in accordance with both regional and global standards.
• Conduct and participate in site H&S assessments, subcontractor assessments, and periodic compliance reviews.
• Track, follow up, and close out audit and assessment findings, ensuring corrective and preventive actions are completed on time.

Who We Are Looking For

You have strong experience in construction, engineering, or technical services, with the ability to work confidently with both field teams and senior stakeholders. You are organised, solutions‑oriented, and capable of building systems and structure from the ground up.

You communicate clearly, simplify complex regulations, and work collaboratively with teams across multiple countries—including close partnership with global H&S teams. You thrive in dynamic, fast‑paced environments and are comfortable supporting employees in both office settings and active job‑site conditions.

To be successful in this role, you take a pragmatic and commercial approach to hazards and incidents, balancing regulatory requirements with operational realities. You are self‑motivated, able to work independently, and comfortable travelling regularly across different countries and job sites to provide on‑the‑ground support where it matters most.

Ideal Profile

• 8–12+ years’ experience in H&S within technical services, construction, MEP, data centres, or critical environments.
• Proven ability to build or significantly mature an H&S management system.
• Strong understanding of APAC H&S legislation and regulatory frameworks.
• Hands‑on experience with RAMS, permit‑to‑work processes, site audits, and incident investigation.
• Confident working directly with clients, principal contractors, and regulatory authorities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, SharePoint, and digital collaboration tools.
• Able to travel regionally (approx. 30–50%)

Nice to Have

• Relevant certifications: NEBOSH, IOSH, ISO 45001 Lead Auditor, or equivalent.
• Multilingual capability
• Experience with digital safety platforms or mobile inspection tools.
• Exposure to global audit programs or multinational safety frameworks.

Work Arrangement

Fully on-site at the office.