Associate Director - SHE Compliance

AstraZeneca plc; Macclesfield; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca plc in Macclesfield is seeking an Associate Director - SHE Compliance to lead the corporate and programmatic Safety, Health and Environment governance framework for the Campus. You will oversee learning, action plans, audits and KPI reporting to maintain robust compliance posture.

The role requires coordinating cross-pillar activities, managing regional actions and external reporting, and acting as the human judgement layer for the AI SHE toolset to ensure timely, audit-ready

Qualifications

• Degree-level qualification in business, environmental science, or related field (or equivalent professional experience).
• Previous SHE compliance or coordination experience at regulated industrial sites, including programme-level ownership.
• ISO 45001 / 14001 lead auditor qualification.
• Strong working knowledge of UK SHE compliance frameworks.
• Track record of compliance action management, event learning workflow, and audit coordination.
• Experience of digital SHE management-system tools and third-party contract management.

Responsibilities

• SHE Learning: Site-level SHE learning workflow (incident learning, near-miss learning, cross-pillar dissemination). Coordinate Campus response to AstraZeneca Group learning bulletins and cross-site learning; learning integration into the management system.
• Global Action Plans: Manage AstraZeneca Group compliance action plans at Campus level including assignment, tracking, close-out evidence, escalation, and Group SHE Standards attestation.
• Global Initiatives: Coordinate Campus adoption of AstraZeneca Group SHE initiatives including roll-out, local adaptation and adoption reporting back to Group.
• Regional Actions: Manage regional / UK action items from AstraZeneca UK SHE Council, UK peer forums, and regional regulatory intelligence.
• Audit Programme: ISO 45001 / 14001 / 50001 audit programme end-to-end (internal schedule, external recertification, AstraZeneca Global audits); external audit facilitation with the pillar Directors and SMEs.
• KPI Framework: Leading and lagging Key Performance Indicators; monthly dashboards; SHE pack assembly for periodic senior leader meetings; support Senior Director SHE on the site SHE risk register and top-risk profile.
• Responsible for external reporting inputs such as the SHE-portion of Sustainability Report, internal Group reporting, and regulator-audit evidence packs.
• SHE Systems: AI SHE toolset as named operating-user (apply judgement on ambiguous compliance cases); management system architecture support to the Director, SHE Management Systems; document control including COSHH Regulations exposure records retention.
• Cross-pillar compliance action management including assignment, escalation, close-out evidence and audit defence.
• SHE event management workflow including incident, near-miss, event learning coordination and escalation via AI/digital systems.
• OSP governance: matrix authority over SHE OSPs (Management Systems consultancy, Insurance & Risk advisory) with SLA governance.
• SHE training records, competency assurance, and statutory training compliance via AI/digital systems. Audit-defensibility of all SHE training records; competency-lapse, escalation and regulator inspection evidence. This is the back-end of the training process.
• Site legal register and compliance calendar (with Associate Director - SHE Regulated Operations for regulator-facing content).
• COMAH cost recovery budget administration alongside the Director – Process Safety; management of regulatory fees and subsistence charges reconciliation.
• Coordinate Employer / Public Liability claims support with Legal, including litigation and privilege management for SHE-related matters.
• Coordinate the Campus culture and safety maturity assessment programme with the Senior Director SHE.
• Cross-pillar coordination on shared SHE programmes.
• Direct support to Director, SHE Management Systems on management-system architecture work.

Skills

SHE compliance

Programme ownership

Lead auditor

UK regulations

Audit coordination

Digital SHE systems

Contract management

Education

Degree-level qualification in business/environmental science

Job description

Associate Director - SHE Compliance

Macclesfield

At AstraZeneca, we are driven by our commitment to deliver accelerated growth and to make people's lives better. We thrive in our often intense and ambiguous environment, seeking out new challenges and working towards new solutions. We are part of an inclusive and giving community, supporting each other on our journeys. We are leading the way in delivering Lean processes that drive greater efficiency and speed. Sustainable practices are at the heart of what we do, ensuring we manage our environmental impact across all our activities and products.

We are now looking for an Associate Director - SHE Compliance to join the team!

Introduction to Role

The role will lead the corporate and programmatic Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) governance framework for the Campus. This includes overseeing SHE learning, global action plans and initiatives, regional actions, the audit programme, Key Performance Indicator framework, internal and external reporting, and the effective use of SHE systems, including the AI toolset.

You will coordinate cross-pillar compliance actions and provide matrix oversight of the SHE Outsourced Providers (OSPs). Acting as the critical human judgement layer for the AI SHE toolset, the position will help maintain the Campus’s corporate SHE compliance posture and ensure that governance activities are effectively managed, monitored, and reported.

Accountabilities

• SHE Learning: Site-level SHE learning workflow (incident learning, near-miss learning, cross-pillar dissemination). Coordinate Campus response to AstraZeneca Group learning bulletins and cross-site learning; learning integration into the management system.
• Global Action Plans: Manage AstraZeneca Group compliance action plans at Campus level including assignment, tracking, close-out evidence, escalation, and Group SHE Standards attestation.
• Global Initiatives: Coordinate Campus adoption of AstraZeneca Group SHE initiatives including roll-out, local adaptation and adoption reporting back to Group.
• Regional Actions: Manage regional / UK action items from AstraZeneca UK SHE Council, UK peer forums, and regional regulatory intelligence.
• Audit Programme: ISO 45001 / 14001 / 50001 audit programme end-to-end (internal schedule, external recertification, AstraZeneca Global audits); external audit facilitation with the pillar Directors and SMEs.
• KPI Framework: Leading and lagging Key Performance Indicators; monthly dashboards; SHE pack assembly for periodic senior leader meetings; support Senior Director SHE on the site SHE risk register and top-risk profile.
• Responsible for external reporting inputs such as the SHE-portion of Sustainability Report, internal Group reporting, and regulator-audit evidence packs.
• SHE Systems: AI SHE toolset as named operating-user (apply judgement on ambiguous compliance cases); management system architecture support to the Director, SHE Management Systems; document control including COSHH Regulations exposure records retention.
• Cross-pillar compliance action management including assignment, escalation, close-out evidence and audit defence.
• SHE event management workflow including incident, near-miss, event learning coordination and escalation via AI/digital systems.
• OSP governance: matrix authority over SHE OSPs (Management Systems consultancy, Insurance & Risk advisory) with SLA governance.
• SHE training records, competency assurance, and statutory training compliance via AI/digital systems. Audit-defensibility of all SHE training records; competency-lapse, escalation and regulator inspection evidence. This is the back-end of the training process.
• Site legal register and compliance calendar (with Associate Director - SHE Regulated Operations for regulator-facing content).
• COMAH cost recovery budget administration alongside the Director – Process Safety; management of regulatory fees and subsistence charges reconciliation.
• Coordinate Employer / Public Liability claims support with Legal, including litigation and privilege management for SHE-related matters.
• Coordinate the Campus culture and safety maturity assessment programme with the Senior Director SHE.
• Cross-pillar coordination on shared SHE programmes.
• Direct support to Director, SHE Management Systems on management-system architecture work.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Degree-level qualification in business, environmental science, or related field (or equivalent professional experience).
• Previous SHE compliance or coordination experience at regulated industrial sites, including programme-level ownership.
• ISO 45001 / 14001 lead auditor qualification.
• Strong working knowledge of UK SHE compliance frameworks.
• Track record of compliance action management, event learning workflow, and audit coordination.
• Experience of digital SHE management-system tools and third-party contract management.

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Pharmaceutical industry experience.
• AI-enabled SHE management-system tool experience.
• Chartered status (CMIOSH, IEMA)

Applications close midnight Wednesday 7th October

Please note that interviews for this role are likely to commence 14th October 2026

At AstraZeneca, we are leading our Operations function at an exciting time of growth and evolution. We pioneer new approaches and processes across our sites, empowering our teams to foster a Lean mindset and sustainable practices. Every change we make is to deliver better outcomes for our patients. We are the champions of Lean, ensuring our teams understand and embody the benefits it can bring. There's improved quality and safety, as well as speed. Our manufacturing sites are environments of constant and rapid change. It's a place to expect the unexpected. There's rarely an obvious answer to the varied challenges we face, so it takes adaptability, flexibility and patience to thrive here.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions.

Date Posted

25-Sept-2026

Closing Date

07-Oct-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.