Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Injury Officer

🎯 Role Definition

An Injury Officer (also known as Injury Management Officer, Return-to-Work Officer or Rehabilitation Officer) is responsible for managing workplace injuries and workers' compensation matters end-to-end. The role coordinates clinical care, case management, rehabilitation plans and return-to-work strategies while ensuring legislative compliance, clear stakeholder communication and timely claims handling. The Injury Officer drives prevention activities, conducts workplace assessments, and acts as the primary liaison between injured employees, medical practitioners, insurers and management.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Occupational Health & Safety Officer
HR Advisor or HR Generalist with exposure to workers’ compensation
Claims Administrator or Insurance Claims Officer
Rehabilitation Assistant or Physiotherapy Assistant

Advancement To:

Senior Injury Management Officer / Senior Rehabilitation Consultant
Return-to-Work Coordinator / Manager
Workers’ Compensation Manager
Regional Occupational Health & Safety Manager

Lateral Moves:

Safety Advisor / Safety Manager
Employee Relations Specialist
Insurance Claims Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Manage a caseload of injured workers from first notification through to resolution, delivering end-to-end case management including assessment, planning, monitoring and closure of workplace injury claims to achieve timely, safe return-to-work outcomes.
Triage new injury notifications and incidents, perform initial injury assessments and determine appropriate medical referrals, supports and next steps in accordance with policy and legislation.
Develop, implement and monitor individualized return-to-work and rehabilitation plans in collaboration with injured employees, treating medical practitioners and workplace supervisors to facilitate early, safe and sustainable re-entry to suitable duties.
Maintain accurate, contemporaneous case notes, medical records, treatment plans and correspondence in claims management systems, ensuring documentation meets audit, legal and insurer standards.
Coordinate and manage communications between employees, supervisors, unions, insurers and healthcare providers, acting as the central point of contact to ensure clarity and continuity of care.
Assess work capacity and conduct workplace, ergonomic and job task assessments to identify reasonable adjustments, temporary duties or modifications required to support return-to-work.
Liaise with rehabilitation providers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists and allied health professionals to schedule interventions and monitor progress against rehabilitation milestones.
Review and interpret medical information, certificates and specialist reports to make informed case decisions, identify barriers to recovery and recommend evidence-based interventions.
Ensure all workers’ compensation and injury management activities comply with relevant legislation, enterprise agreements and internal policies; prepare documentation for insurer lodgement and regulatory reporting.
Coordinate referrals for vocational rehabilitation, independent medical examinations (IMEs) and second opinions where required to facilitate complex claim management and dispute resolution.
Monitor and report on claim status, costs and performance metrics; produce regular case reviews and management reports to inform leadership decisions and continuous improvement initiatives.
Negotiate return-to-work arrangements and reasonable adjustments with managers and employees while balancing operational needs, employee rights and workers’ compensation obligations.
Facilitate early intervention programs, education sessions and toolbox talks for managers and employees on injury prevention, reporting procedures and return-to-work expectations.
Conduct accident and incident investigations to identify root causes, recommend corrective actions and feed outcomes into injury prevention and safety improvement plans.
Manage complex and high-risk cases (e.g., mental health, chronic conditions, long-term disability) by escalating to clinical specialists and developing gradual reconditioning and vocational rehabilitation strategies.
Liaise with insurers and legal representatives on claim lodgements, liability issues, settlements and return-to-work outcomes; prepare information and evidence to support claims decisions.
Monitor and manage medical and allied health provider invoicing and approvals in line with budgets and policy frameworks; process authorisations for treatment and support services.
Maintain confidentiality and privacy of employee health information, ensuring records are stored securely and handling sensitive matters with empathy and discretion.
Drive continuous improvement by analysing claim trends, identifying high-risk tasks and recommending preventative programs, ergonomic improvements or policy changes to reduce recurrence.
Participate in multidisciplinary case conferences and return-to-work meetings, presenting case summaries, recommended actions and progress updates to stakeholders.
Provide coaching and upskilling for supervisors and managers on early intervention, reasonable adjustments and proactive management of injured workers.
Escalate complex or disputed claims through appropriate governance channels and support dispute resolution processes, including mediation or formal insurer reviews.
Manage post-settlement obligations and monitor outcomes after claim closure to ensure ongoing suitability of workplace adjustments and prevent re-injury.

Secondary Functions

Support development and implementation of workplace health promotion and injury prevention initiatives such as wellness programs, ergonomic training and screening.
Maintain and improve case management processes, templates and knowledge resources to increase operational efficiency and quality assurance.
Assist in audits and compliance reviews related to workers’ compensation, injury management and return-to-work practices and implement corrective actions where required.
Provide input to HR, Safety and Legal on policy development related to injury management, absences and workplace adjustments.
Collect and analyse data on injury rates, claim costs and return-to-work performance to prepare actionable insights and management reporting.
Deliver training and mentoring for new injury management staff and act as subject-matter expert for ad-hoc workplace queries.
Support ad-hoc projects such as systems implementation, integration of case management tools and improvements to medical provider networks.
Participate in cross-functional safety, wellness and rehabilitation committees to align injury management strategy with broader organisational objectives.
Assist with escalation management during major incidents or aggregated claims events and coordinate appropriate support services.
Maintain vendor relationships and service level agreements with external rehabilitation providers and occupational health clinics.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Case management expertise: ability to manage a high caseload, prioritise tasks and maintain comprehensive contemporaneous records in claims systems (e.g., Lumera, Comcare, ClaimsXpress, ICL).
In-depth knowledge of workers’ compensation legislation and regulatory requirements relevant to the jurisdiction (e.g., state-based workers’ comp rules, national standards).
Clinical literacy: ability to interpret medical certificates, clinical reports and functional capacity evaluations to make evidence-based decisions.
Return-to-work planning: design and implement graduated duties, job modifications and reconditioning programs informed by medical advice.
Injury prevention and ergonomic assessment skills: conduct ergonomic evaluations, risk assessments and recommend control measures to minimise recurrence.
Rehabilitation coordination: coordinate allied health, vocational and psychological services, monitor progress and manage budgets for approved treatments.
Incident investigation and root cause analysis: apply structured methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, Fishbone) to investigate workplace incidents.
Proficiency with case management software, MS Office (advanced Excel for reporting), and electronic medical records.
Claims and insurer liaison: prepare claim documentation, manage insurer communications and support claim audit processes.
Data analysis and reporting: produce KPI reports, trend analysis and cost reporting to senior stakeholders for decision-making.

Soft Skills

Empathy and emotional intelligence: ability to handle sensitive health matters with compassion while maintaining professional boundaries.
Strong verbal and written communication: clear, concise reports, medical summaries and stakeholder updates for diverse audiences.
Negotiation and influence: secure manager buy-in for return-to-work solutions and manage expectations with external providers and insurers.
Problem solving and critical thinking: evaluate complex cases, identify barriers and develop creative, practical solutions.
Organisation and time management: juggle multiple competing priorities, meet statutory deadlines and maintain attention to detail.
Stakeholder management: build trust and credibility with employees, managers, unions, medical providers and insurers.
Resilience and adaptability: manage stressful or complex claims situations and adapt to changes in legislation or organisational priorities.
Confidentiality and integrity: handle sensitive personal health information in line with privacy laws and organisational policy.
Coaching and training: ability to upskill supervisors and team members on return-to-work best practices.
Cultural sensitivity: work effectively with diverse backgrounds and respect differing beliefs around health and recovery.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Certificate IV or Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, Case Management, Rehabilitation or related field; OR
Relevant clinical qualification (e.g., Registered Nurse, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy) combined with case management experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Social Work, Rehabilitation Counselling or Human Resources.
Postgraduate qualifications or accredited courses in Injury Management, Workers’ Compensation Law, Vocational Rehabilitation or Return-to-Work coordination.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Occupational Health & Safety
Nursing
Physiotherapy / Occupational Therapy
Rehabilitation Counselling
Human Resources
Social Work

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5+ years in injury management, workers’ compensation, case management or occupational rehabilitation.

Preferred:

3+ years’ experience managing workers’ compensation claims and coordinating return-to-work in a medium to large organisation or insurance/rehabilitation provider.
Experience with jurisdiction-specific workers’ compensation systems, insurer processes and medical/rehabilitation provider networks.
Demonstrated success in achieving early, safe and sustainable return-to-work outcomes and cost containment while maintaining statutory compliance.