People and Safety Advisor (HR & Health & Safety)

People and Safety Advisor (HR & Health & Safety) At Veterinaryfirst Limited (VFL), we know our people are what make us different. We're proudly 100% Kiwi owned, with 17 clinics across New Zealand and a Support Office that exists to help our clinics do what they do best - caring for animals, supporting customers and making a difference in their communities. We're looking for a People & Safety Advisor who is passionate about people, leadership and creating safe workplaces. This is a hands-on operational role where you'll partner with leaders across our business, helping build capable teams, positive workplace cultures and a strong safety culture. If you enjoy building relationships, solving problems and making a genuine difference, we'd love to hear from you. It takes all sorts to make us great. At Veterinaryfirst Limited (VFL), we know our people are what make us different. We're proudly 100% Kiwi owned, with 17 clinics across New Zealand and a Support Office that exists to help our clinics do what they do best - caring for animals, supporting customers and making a difference in their communities. We're looking for a People & Safety Advisor who is passionate about people, leadership and creating safe workplaces. This is a hands-on operational role where you'll partner with leaders across our business, helping build capable teams, positive workplace cultures and a strong safety culture. If you enjoy building relationships, solving problems and making a genuine difference, we'd love to hear from you. About the role As our People & Safety Advisor, you'll be a trusted partner to our leaders, helping build capable teams, safe workplaces and positive employee experiences across VFL. Based in Canterbury, you'll partner with leaders and teams across our 17 clinics throughout New Zealand, providing practical People & Culture advice while helping build capable leaders, positive workplace cultures and a strong safety culture. This is a hands-on operational role where you'll spend time in our clinics, building relationships, understanding the challenges our teams face and working alongside leaders to find practical solutions. No two days are ever quite the same and that's exactly what makes this role so rewarding. What you'll be doing Every day is different, but you'll spend your time: Partnering with Clinic Coordinators and leaders to build confident, capable teams through practical advice, coaching and support. Coaching leaders through employee relations matters, recruitment, onboarding and leadership development. Strengthening Health & Safety practices by supporting leaders, incident investigations and continuous improvement. Building trusted relationships by spending time in our clinics and understanding what our teams need to succeed. Contributing to projects and initiatives that continue to strengthen our people, culture and business. About you You're someone who enjoys rolling up your sleeves, building relationships and making a genuine difference. You thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoy variety and are just as comfortable coaching a leader as you are working alongside them to solve problems and improve the way things are done. To be successful, you'll bring: At least three years' experience in an operational HR advisory role, with experience supporting Health & Safety within a New Zealand workplace. Strong working knowledge of New Zealand employment legislation and the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Confidence coaching and influencing leaders, with excellent communication and relationship-building skills. A practical, down-to-earth approach, with the drive, resilience and initiative to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced operational environment. A willingness to travel regularly and spend time in our clinics, building relationships and understanding what life is really like for our teams. Why join us? We're not perfect, but we're always looking for ways to improve, and we genuinely care about our people. We believe work should be more than just a job. It should be a place where you can grow, build meaningful relationships, make a real difference and feel proud of the impact you have every day. When you join us, you'll become part of a supportive team that's passionate about helping each other succeed, caring for our communities and creating a workplace where everyone feels connected, valued and safe. Along with a great team, you'll enjoy: Birthday pancakes in bed? Absolutely. Enjoy an extra paid day off on us. Long service leave because loyalty should be recognised and celebrated. Regular development conversations to support your growth and career goals. Leadership development, coaching and mentoring. Professional development and self-development opportunities. Competitive remuneration package. 3.5% KiwiSaver contribution on top of your salary. Extra parental leave support, including paid leave for non-primary caregivers. Annual flu vaccination. Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). Our Connected Lives wellbeing programme supporting you inside and outside of work. Teamfirst staff discounts across our veterinary services and products. Where you'll be based This role is based in Canterbury, so you'll need to be located near one of our clinics in Ashburton, Lincoln, Leeston, Ferrymead or Darfield. Regular travel throughout Canterbury and New Zealand is part of the role, giving you the opportunity to build relationships with our teams and experience life across our clinics. Ready to make a difference? If you're looking for a role where you can build capability, strengthen workplace culture and help keep our people safe, we'd love to hear from you. #J-18808-Ljbffr