The Mission

MicroTau's mission is to improve the efficiency of the global aviation fleet, saving billions in fuel and megatonnes of CO2 every year. We need a Facilities & Workplace, Health and Safety (WHS) Manager to take end-to-end ownership of workplace health and safety across our manufacturing operations, while also managing facilities and supporting a planned site relocation. This role is responsible for developing and maintaining robust, audit-ready WHS and Safety Management Systems that protect our people, ensure legal compliance, and enable MicroTau to safely scale in a high-risk environment involving hazardous chemicals and ultraviolet lasers. You will report to the Chief Operations Officer.

What You Will Do

WHS Leadership & Compliance

• Build, implement and continuously improve MicroTau’s WHS framework, aligned with Australian WHS legislation and relevant ISO standards

• Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive Safety Management System (SMS) suitable for internal and external audits from aviation regulatory bodies

• Ensure ongoing compliance with all legal and government WHS requirements, including training, certifications, and licensing for relevant personnel

• Lead incident investigations end-to-end, translating findings into practical, preventative safety improvements

• Conduct periodic internal audits of processes, equipment, and facilities, and lead remediation of non-compliance

• Analyse WHS data and incident trends to proactively allocate resources and reduce risk

Documentation & Governance

• Own the lifecycle of WHS documentation, including risk assessments, JSAs, SWMS< SOPs, and safety registers

• Chair safety committee meetings and communicate audit findings, incidents and corrective actions clearly across the business

Facilities & Environment Management

• Manage the safe use, storage and handling of hazardous chemicals and substances

• Oversee facilities maintenance and safety-related requests to ensure a safe environment for employees, contractors, and visitors

• Partner with internal teams to embed safe work practices across manufacturing, laboratory, and office environments

Facilities Relocation

• Support and lead WHS and facilities aspects of relocating MicroTau to a new site, including risk assessments, compliance readiness, and safe transition to the new location

• Support development, commissioning and maintenance of manufacturing site, including implementation of clean room spaces (ISO7-ISO8), installation of services, fume hoods, regular chemical waste management, management of hazardous laser and radiation sources and temperature, light and humidity controlled environments.

What Success Looks Like

• First Month: You have mapped MicroTau’s existing WHS processes, risks and safety documentation, clearly identifying gaps and priority actions. You have established yourself as the owner of WHS matters, completing investigations and beginning remediation of any non-compliant processes or equipment. Safety documentation is accurate, current and communicated to relevant team members, providing a stable foundation for system development

• First Six Months: You have designed and implemented an audit-ready WHS and Safety Management System that meets all legal and regulatory requirements. You are collaborating with builders, contractors and internal stakeholders on the design and fit-out of MicroTau’s new facility, ensuring WHS requirements, risk controls, and compliance considerations are built into the new site from the outset

• First Year: WHS systems are mature, effective and operating at a leading standard, with a strong consistent safety culture embedded across the organization. You have successfully led the end-to-end relocation to the new facility, delivering a safe, compliant transition with minimal operational disruption. Safety performance data is used proactively to anticipate risk

About You

• Minimum 4 years in a WHS leadership role or comparable role

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline

• Strong working knowledge of Australian WHS legislation and regulatory frameworks

• Proven experience developing and implementing WHS systems in manufacturing, laboratory, or industrial environments

• Experience managing hazardous chemicals and ultraviolet radiation is highly desirable

• Demonstrated capability leading WHS incident investigations and audits

• Experience working in a start up or scale up environment is favoured

Why You Should Join MicroTau

• Impact: Aviation is one of the hardest to abate industries, and its share of global emissions is only growing. Join our mission to improve the efficiency of the global fleet and save millions of tonnes of CO2 every year

• Technology: Our technology leverages the drag-reducing properties of shark skin to make aircraft more efficient. You'll be exposed to expertise and developments in materials, photolithography, fluid dynamics, and scale manufacturing

• Team: Our team focuses on achieving our mission. We live our values of lift over drag, active transparency, and changing the boundary conditions, and we welcome new team members who want to do the same

• Corporate Jet: We have (most of) a corporate jet. It won't fly, but it sure does look cool