The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is inviting applications for the post of Safety Director in the Transport Department (TD). The TD is the authority for administering the Road Traffic Ordinance and legislation for the management of road traffic, regulation of public transport services and operation of major transport infrastructures.

The Safety Director is the head of TD’s Franchised Bus Safety Team, which oversees all aspects of franchised bus safety. The main responsibilities of the Safety Director include –

(a) To oversee the studying of the feasibility of, and consider the way forward with regard to, the introduction of bus safety related initiatives / regulations / schemes / measures in light of the current operational and regulatory regime of FB operations in four main areas, namely (i) in-vehicle devices and technologies, (ii) bus captain training, fatigue management and working environment, (iii) safety performance management, and (iv) road safety and bus-friendly measures;

(b) To strengthen the Government’s monitoring on the training for bus captains, and formulate a holistic strategy for the development of a structured training and accreditation framework for the FB industry with the training modules and syllabi accredited by TD or its authorised body;

(c) To oversee a comprehensive study on identification and management of fatigue driving of bus captains in the FB industry in Hong Kong and formulate a comprehensive strategy on fatigue identification and management of bus captains in the FB industry, with a view to continuously devising and overseeing the implementation of measures in relation to fatigue management, working hour guidelines and rest breaks for bus captains, and other health and well-being considerations of bus captains in the unique operating environment in Hong Kong so that FB operators could devise measures at the levels of bus fleets and individual bus captains;

(d) To review and initiate enhancement of the existing regulation on FB safety through legislative and/or franchise requirements; and

(e) To oversee the accident trends, safety performance of FBs and individual FB operators, identification of causes of accidents, and formulation and implementation of road safety and bus-friendly measures.

Candidates should –

(a) be permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

(b) have a Bachelor’s degree from a university in Hong Kong, or equivalent;

(c) have extensive proven experience and track record in managing the operations, driver training and development, and/or corporate safety / quality assurance (or equivalent) of public passenger transport organisation(s), in which a minimum of five years of work experience in a senior level position (experience as a regulator in related government authorities would be a plus);

(d) have sound knowledge of the management and operation of the local and/or international public transport industry (relevant knowledge and/or experience in working with the public transport stakeholders e.g. public transport operators, bus/rail manufacturers, government authorities, politicians, media, etc. would be a plus);

(e) have strong leadership capabilities and managerial skills, excellent interpersonal skills to build and maintain effective teamwork, tactful networking skills to work successfully with people from different backgrounds, proactive in initiating changes, problem-solving capabilities, and strong analytical power and critical thinking to develop systems and processes; and

(f) have strong command of written and spoken English and be able to communicate in Chinese.

The successful candidate will be appointed on non-civil service terms from the date when he/she can report for duty not later than the end of Q4 of 2024 up to 30 November 2026, which may be renewable at the Government’s discretion.

The successful candidate will receive a salary of HK$189,150 per month. The package includes an end-of-agreement gratuity, paid leave with leave passage allowance, medical and dental benefits, housing benefits (subject to meeting the eligibility criteria stipulated in the relevant civil service regulations), and other benefits commensurate with a position of such seniority. The appointee will be subject to the provisions of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 485) and will be required to make employee’s contribution to a Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) scheme.

Upon satisfactory completion of the agreement, the Safety Director will be eligible for an end-of-agreement gratuity which, when added to the Government’s contribution to the MPF scheme, equals 15% of the total basic salary of the post drawn during the agreement period.

Letter of application setting out why the applicant considers himself/herself suitable for the post, together with a full curriculum vitae, should reach TT HO of Korn Ferry (HK) Limited, 15/F, St George’s Building, 2 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong (or by email to TD-SD@kornferry.com) marked Safety Director, Transport Department on or before 17 May 2024 (according to postmark). Candidates who are selected for interview will normally receive an invitation in about six to eight weeks from the closing date for application. Those who are not invited for interview may assume that their applications are unsuccessful.

For enquiries, please contact TT Ho at (852) 2971 2700.

(a) As an Equal Opportunities Employer, the Government is committed to eliminating discrimination in employment. The vacancy advertised is open to all applicants meeting the basic entry requirement irrespective of their disability, sex, marital status, pregnancy, age, family status, sexual orientation and race.

(b) Non-civil service vacancies are not posts on the civil service establishment. Candidates appointed are not on civil service terms of appointment and conditions of service. Candidates appointed are not civil servants and will not be eligible for posting, promotion or transfer to any posts in the Civil Service.

(c) The entry pay, terms of appointment and conditions of service to be offered are subject to the provisions prevailing at the time the offer of appointment is made.

(d) Where a large number of candidates meet the specified entry requirements, the recruiting department may devise shortlisting criteria to select the better qualified candidates for further processing. In these circumstances, only shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend recruitment examination and/or interview.

(e) It is Government policy to place people with a disability in appropriate jobs wherever possible. If a disabled candidate meets the entry requirements, he/she will be invited to attend the selection interview without being subject to further shortlisting. Applicants who have declared disabilities found suitable for appointment may be given an appropriate degree of preference over other applicants whose suitability for appointment is considered comparable to that of the former. The Government policy and other related measures on employment of persons with disabilities are set out in the booklet “Employ People Based on Their Abilities – Application for Government Jobs by Persons with Disabilities” which is available for reference on the Civil Service Bureau's website at http://www.csb.gov.hk under “Administration of the Civil Service – Appointments”.

(f) Holders of academic qualifications other than those obtained from Hong Kong institutions may also apply but their qualifications will be subject to assessments on equivalence with the required entry qualifications. They should submit copies of their official transcripts and certificates by mail to the address under “How to Apply” above by 17 May 2024.

(g) Personal data provided by job applicants will be used strictly in accordance with this Department's personal data policies, a copy of which will be provided immediately upon request. You may contact Assistant Secretary/Personnel 5 of the Transport Department at 16/F, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, or direct your request to her by fax (fax no.: (852) 2511 6545).

(h) Non-civil service vacancy information contained in this column is also available on the Transport Department's website at http://www.td.gov.hk.