Divisional Head: SHERQ at Unitrans

Job Advert Summary    

• The Divisional Head: SHERQ – Passenger is responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational oversight of all SHERQ activities within the division.
• This role ensures full compliance with the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), applicable regulations, client requirements, company policies, and ISO standards.
• The role promotes a strong safety and health culture, supports effective mining risk management, and drives continuous improvement in Safety, Health, Environment, Risk, and Quality performance across all operations and contracts.

Minimum Requirements    

• Bachelor’s degree in Safety Management, Environmental Science, Engineering, Risk Management, or a related field
• ISO Certification or Lead Auditor Training (ISO 45001, 14001, 9001)
• Professional Health & Safety Certifications (e.g. SAMTRAC, NEBOSH, IRCA, or equivalent)
• Minimum 10+ years’ experience in a senior SHERQ or Risk Management role within the SHERQ environments
• Demonstrated experience operating under the MHSA and OHSA.
• Proven track record in driving mining safety culture, leading audits, managing SHERQ strategy, and engaging with executive stakeholders
• Strong experience liaising with regulatory bodies, client mines, and third-party certification agencies
• Cross-border experience (particularly within Sub-Saharan Africa) is advantageous

Other Requirements

• Valid Driver’s License
• Willingness to travel extensively across regional operations
• Availability for crisis response and incident management support, including outside of standard business hours

Duties & Responsibilities    

Leadership and Strategy

• Lead the SHERQ function across the Passenger division, ensuring alignment with Unitrans’ SHERQ strategy, goals, and related standards
• Provide guidance and mentorship to divisional SHERQ teams, ensuring effective execution of responsibilities and consistency across owned sites, customer sites and contracts.
• Champion a proactive safety first and health culture through visible leadership, engagement, and communication at all operational levels.

Reporting and Information Management

• Consolidate SHERQ performance information and data from all sites and regional teams for divisional and corporate reporting.
• Review and analyse incident trends, high-potential incidents, road risk events, audit outcomes, and compliance indicators to identify systemic risk and improvement opportunities.
• Submit accurate and timely monthly SHERQ reports, highlighting critical risks, statutory compliance status, actions, and recommendations.

Safety, Health, Environment, Quality and Road Risk Management

• Ensure that all mining operations comply with the MHSA and OHSA, applicable regulations, Unitrans policies, client mine standards, and ISO 45001, 14001, and 9001 requirements where applicable.
• Oversee the implementation and effectiveness of mining risk assessments, principal hazard management, critical controls, safe work procedures, and emergency preparedness plans aligned with customer and other requirements.
• Ensure the development, implementation, review, and assurance of mandatory and site-specific Codes of Practice (COPs) as required under the MHSA.
• Coordinate incident and high-potential incident investigations, ensuring root causes are identified and corrective actions implemented and verified.
• Oversee road risk performance in passenger transport environments and promote driver behaviour, fatigue management, and route risk improvement initiatives aligned with mine and corporate road safety strategies.

Legal Compliance and Governance

• Ensure all management and supervisory personnel are aware of their legal responsibilities under the MHSA, OHSA and other applicable mining legislation.
• Review and verify that all statutory inspections, risk assessments, surveys, and health monitoring activities are completed within required timeframes.
• Support management in preparing for DEL and DMRE inspections, client audits, internal audits, and external certification audits.
• Ensure that OHSA and MHSA-reportable incidents are appropriately escalated, investigated, and managed in collaboration with mine management and relevant authorities.

Training and Competence Development

• Ensure that mining-specific SHERQ training needs are identified, planned, and implemented across the division.
• Monitor competency levels, ensuring that mandatory mining inductions, legal training, refresher training, and task-specific competencies are completed and recorded.
• Promote awareness and understanding of mining SHERQ standards, Codes of Practice, and behavioural expectations at all employee and contractor levels.

Communication and Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the key SHERQ liaison between the mining division, central SHERQ management, client mines, and relevant regulatory authorities.
• Facilitate regular SHERQ meetings, toolbox talks, safety forums, and engagement sessions to ensure alignment with mine requirements and corporate standards.
• Promote collaboration and the sharing of best practices across mining regions, contracts, and operational sites.

Closing Date    

• 2026/04/30