Head of Health & Safety

Charlton Recruitment; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Charlton Recruitment is seeking a Head of Health & Safety to lead H&S across major civils contracts for the High Speed Two programme. This strategic role demands expertise in high-hazard industries and the capability to embed safety culture across varied and complex projects, influencing without direct authority and ensuring compliance. The position offers competitive salaries based on location, and the successful candidate will collaborate closely with multiple stakeholders.

Benefits

Health benefits

25 days annual leave

Qualifications

• Proven track record in high-hazard, fast-paced industries.
• Ability to lead without direct authority.
• Technical understanding to manage H&S on large programmes.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic health, safety, and environmental management advice.
• Oversee management of QHSSE Managers across contracts.
• Embed safety culture and performance standards in complex supply chains.

Skills

Health & Safety Leadership

H&S Technical Expertise

Transformational H&S

Influence

Positive safety culture

Education

Chartered Health & Safety accreditation

Job description

Pivotal Head of Health & Safety role for Main Works civils working on the High Speed Two programme, responsible for H&S across 4 multibillion-pound main works civils contracts, comprising:

• 350 sites, over 30,000 workers, and 5 million hours worked per month.

We are interested in Health & Safety leaders experienced in high hazard, fast-paced industries with multisite operations and complex supply chains, such as rail, manufacturing, utilities, civil, aggregates, waste, power, nuclear, aviation, stations, infrastructure, and complex buildings.

This high-impact, visible leadership role reports to HS2's Health & Safety Director for Construction and directly manages a team of H&S professionals.

Your Mission

You will provide strategic health, safety, and security leadership across four multibillion-pound Joint Venture contracts:

• SCS JV: £4.2bn Euston Tunnels & Approaches, Northolt Tunnels
• Align JV: £1.6bn Chiltern Tunnels & Colne Valley Viaduct
• EKFB JV: £4bn 80km from Chilterns to Brackley to Long Itchington
• BBV JV: £6bn 100km from Long Itchington to Birmingham Spur

You will collaborate closely with main contractors to embed safety culture and performance standards across a vast and complex supply chain, influencing without direct authority.

Working Situation

This is a visible leadership role, with most of your time spent on sites and at HS2 offices located between London and Birmingham. You will likely work four days a week from sites and offices, with the role formally based in London or Birmingham.

Head of H&S Salary

London: £100,000 - £120,000 + Pen (6:12) + health + 25 days
Birmingham: £90,000 + Pen (6:12) + health + 25 days

Duties & Responsibilities

• Provide strategic health, safety, and environmental management advice to leadership and delivery teams.
• Oversee the functional line management of embedded QHSSE Managers within Integrated Project Teams across the four main civils contracts.
• Support leadership on Safe Decision Making and CSM-RA compliance.
• Model and embed a Safe at Heart culture across development and delivery areas.
• Support health, safety, and security in the design of Main Works Civils.
• Validate and approve subcontractor H&S performance and support onboarding.
• Facilitate health, safety, and security services to development and delivery teams.

Required Criteria

We seek an inspirational, chartered H&S leader with a proven track record in high-hazard, fast-paced, multisite industries such as rail, manufacturing, utilities, civil, aggregates, waste, power, nuclear, aviation, infrastructure, and complex buildings.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Health & Safety Leadership: Ability to influence and steer complex supply chains despite no direct authority.
• H&S Technical Expertise (SME): Chartered (or equivalent) H&S expert with the technical understanding to manage H&S on large programmes, including understanding HS2 risks as Principal Designer (CDM).
• Transformational H&S: Ability to embed a positive safety culture across organizations and supply chains.
• Personal Traits: Confidence, resilience, inspiration, and presence to influence senior industry figures.