Divisional Head Of Health & Safety

Company Shop Group; Hanley; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounts and benefits package

Private healthcare options

Pension scheme

Performance bonus potential

Employee wellbeing programs

Cycle to work scheme

Paid time off and staff perks

Job summary

Company Shop Group, part of Biffa, seeks an experienced Divisional Head of Health & Safety to lead strategic H&S across the division. Reporting to the Divisional Managing Director, you will partner with operational leaders to embed risk ownership and drive a culture of safe, commercially aware decision-making.

You will manage the divisional H&S function, coach leaders, and align with Group standards while traveling nationally as required.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years of Health & Safety leadership experience
• Proven track record delivering H&S improvement strategies
• Strong commercial judgement and influencing skills

Responsibilities

• Act as principal Health & Safety adviser to the Divisional MD and Leadership Team
• Build H&S capability across operational leadership teams
• Coach and challenge leaders to improve risk management and safety performance
• Promote visible safety leadership and positive H&S culture
• Lead the divisional H&S team and ensure high professional standards
• Provide independent assurance over risk controls and significant risks
• Ensure investigations of incidents and learning translate to improvement
• Collaborate with Group H&S to share learning and best practice
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement using evidence and risk insights

Skills

Leadership at SLT level

Strategic H&S leadership

Influencing senior leaders

UK H&S legislation knowledge

Education

NEBOSH General Certificate (Level 3)

NEBOSH Diploma (Level 6) or Chartered IOSH

Job description

Divisional Head of Health & Safety

Company Shop Group, part of Biffa

Salary-£75-85k

Hours- 40 hours per week Monday-Friday

Location-Tankersley, Barnsley

Hybrid role- 3 days a week in the office , two days from home.

Company Shop Group (CSG), part of Biffa, are the largest commercial redistributor of surplus food and household products in the UK. We enable some of the biggest retailers, manufacturers, food service and logistics providers to unlock value from surplus stock which may otherwise have gone to waste.

The surplus we handle is redistributed through our Company Shop stores and our award-winning social enterprise, Community Shop, where we help build stronger individuals and more confident communities.

Working with our partners, we deliver an incredible impact – and we're proud to be a good business doing good.

The role

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and influential Divisional Head of Health & Safety to provide strategic Health & Safety leadership across our Division.

Reporting directly to the Divisional Managing Director, with a professional reporting relationship to the Group Director of Health & Safety, you'll be a key member of both the Divisional Leadership Team and the Group Health & Safety Leadership Team.

This is a senior leadership role with significant opportunity to influence how we operate. You'll work closely with operational leaders to ensure they have the capability, confidence and support to effectively own and manage risk within their areas.

Rather than simply directing Health & Safety activity, you'll act as a trusted strategic business partner – coaching, challenging and influencing leaders, helping embed strong operational ownership of Health & Safety and ensuring our business decisions balance effective risk management with commercial priorities.

You'll also lead and develop our divisional Health & Safety function, with responsibility for a wider H&S team.

What you'll be doing

As our Divisional Head of Health & Safety, you'll:

• Act as the principal Health & Safety adviser to the Divisional Managing Director and Divisional Leadership Team, influencing operational, strategic and commercial decision-making.
• Build Health & Safety capability across our operational leadership teams, ensuring ownership of risk sits with those managing the work.
• Coach, support and constructively challenge leaders to continually improve risk management and safety performance.
• Promote visible safety leadership and help develop a positive, proactive Health & Safety culture.
• Lead, develop and inspire the divisional H&S team, maintaining high professional standards and supporting talent and succession planning.
• Provide independent assurance over the effectiveness of risk controls, maintaining oversight of critical risks and escalating significant concerns where necessary.
• Ensure incidents and significant events are effectively investigated and, importantly, that learning is translated into meaningful organisational improvement.
• Work collaboratively with the Group Health & Safety function, contributing to Group standards and sharing learning, innovation and good practice across the wider business.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and use evidence, insight and risk to influence operational and investment decisions.

Requirements

What we're looking for

We're looking for an established Health & Safety leader who has experience of working at SLT level, reporting to an MD.

The individual will combine strong technical expertise with excellent commercial judgement and influencing skills.

You'll bring at least 8–10 years' experience leading Health & Safety teams, ideally within a large and operationally complex organisation, with a strong track record of developing and successfully delivering H&S improvement strategies.

You'll also have:

• A Level 3 NEBOSH General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety, or demonstrable equivalent.
• Graduate Membership of IOSH.
• Excellent knowledge of UK Health & Safety legislation and best practice.
• Experience contributing as a member of a senior leadership team, with the ability to add value beyond your functional specialism.
• A strong understanding of operational risk and relevant risk areas such as Retail, Logistics and Transport.
• The credibility and confidence to influence senior operational leaders and constructively challenge where required.
• A valid driving licence and the flexibility to travel nationally when required.
• A Level 6 NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent, Chartered Membership of IOSH and experience within the waste sector would be advantageous.

How you'll lead

• We're looking for someone who understands that great Health & Safety leadership isn't about owning every operational risk themselves – it's about creating the capability and culture for others to manage those risks effectively.
• You'll influence rather than direct, coach rather than take ownership, and challenge constructively.
• You'll be commercially minded while maintaining your professional integrity, comfortable making evidence-based decisions and willing to act with courage and objectivity when required.
• You will have experience of working at SLT level, reporting to an MD.
• You'll naturally collaborate across organisational boundaries, openly share learning and be able to look beyond the immediate Division when risks or opportunities have implications for the wider Group.

Benefits

What's in it for you:

• Free membership to Company Shop for you and 10 x nominees.
• 10% CSG colleague discount
• Doctor care Anywhere
• Annual Flu Injections, high street & leisure vouchers, and on-site Parking.
• Subsidised staff Canteen, Free Tea & Coffee, and Free Fruit Friday!
• Employee Assistance Programme – Grocery Aid.
• Eligible for Costco membership, Cycle 2 Work, Skoup skip hire, too good to go bags
• Medicash
• Simply Health Dental Plan
• Eye tests
• Contributory pension scheme with Life Assurance.
• Octopus EV Scheme
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Charitable giving
• PLUS Family friendly benefits.

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to take on a highly influential leadership position within a purpose-led organisation, shaping Health & Safety strategy and capability while working alongside senior operational leaders.

Success in this role will mean stronger operational ownership of Health & Safety, improved control of critical risks, a positive safety culture, consistent implementation of Group standards and a highly capable H&S function that works in partnership with the business.

At Company Shop Group, we're also committed to creating an inclusive workplace. We believe different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds are key to developing a creative and effective working environment, which is why you'll find us championing diversity and equality at every turn.

If you're an experienced Health & Safety leader who can combine professional expertise with strategic influence, commercial thinking and a genuine passion for developing others, we'd love to hear from you