Head of HSE

Vickerstock; Banbridge; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Vickerstock partners with a leading Building Services and MEP contractor to appoint a Head of HSE. This senior leadership role shapes and executes Health, Safety and Environmental strategy across multiple regions and complex projects.

Reporting to the Technical & Compliance Director, you will lead the HSE function, drive culture change, and own the audit/assurance programme, ensuring robust incident investigations and continuous improvement across the organisation.

Qualifications

• NEBOSH Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety (or equivalent).
• GradIOSH membership or above.
• Minimum 3 years' experience in a senior HSE leadership role.
• Strong construction/MEP/building services project experience.
• Proven leadership of HSE professionals across multiple projects/regions.
• Strong knowledge of CDM regulations and UK HSE legislation.
• Knowledge of ISO 14001 environmental management.
• Experience in HSE auditing, assurance and incident investigation.
• Excellent leadership and ability to influence multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong commercial and operational awareness.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the HSE function across projects and regions with strategic direction.
• Define HSE priorities and standards, driving a positive culture.
• Provide visible HSE leadership with operations, clients and supply chain.
• Develop and improve HSE management systems per ISO 45001/ISO 14001.
• Ensure compliance with CDM regulations and UK health and safety law.
• Own the HSE audit and assurance program and close out findings.
• Oversee incident investigations with root cause analysis.
• Analyze HSE performance and drive improvements.
• Support HSE planning during mobilisation and delivery.
• Collaborate with projects and subcontractors to improve performance.
• Set enviro and sustainability objectives with senior leadership.
• Lead HSE campaigns and initiatives to boost engagement and accountability.
• Represent the business in client forums and external discussions.

Skills

Leadership

HSE strategy

Stakeholder management

Auditing & investigation

ISO 45001 knowledge

Environmental management

Education

NEBOSH Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety

GradIOSH membership or above

Job description

Vickerstock are working in partnership with a leading Building Services and MEP contractor on the appointment of a Head of HSE.

This is a senior leadership opportunity with responsibility for shaping and leading Health, Safety and Environmental strategy across a growing business delivering complex engineering and construction projects across multiple regions.

Reporting to the Technical & Compliance Director, you will lead and develop the wider HSE function, working closely with Operations, project teams and the supply chain to ensure HSE remains practical, visible and embedded throughout project delivery. The role combines strategic leadership with operational influence, giving you ownership of HSE culture, management systems, assurance, environmental performance and continuous improvement across the organisation.

In your new role:

• Lead and develop the HSE function across multiple projects and regions, providing clear strategic direction to HSE Managers, Senior Advisors and environmental/sustainability professionals
• Define HSE priorities, expectations and standards, driving a consistent and positive culture throughout the organisation
• Provide visible HSE leadership across live projects, engaging with operational teams, senior management, clients and supply-chain partners
• Develop, maintain and continually improve HSE management systems in line with ISO 45001 and ISO 14001
• Ensure compliance with CDM Regulations, UK HSE legislation, environmental requirements and client standards
• Own and develop the organisation's HSE audit and assurance programme, ensuring findings are effectively closed out and lessons embedded across the business
• Oversee incident management and investigation, ensuring robust root cause analysis, corrective actions and effective sharing of lessons learned
• Analyse HSE performance, trends and recurring risks to identify and implement strategic improvement initiatives
• Support HSE planning throughout project mobilisation and delivery, ensuring consistent standards across projects and regions
• Work closely with project teams and subcontractors to strengthen HSE performance and resolve operational challenges
• Set environmental and sustainability objectives with senior leadership and drive measurable improvements in environmental performance
• Lead HSE workshops, campaigns and targeted initiatives to improve engagement, behavioural safety and personal accountability
• Represent the business during client engagements, HSE forums and other external stakeholder discussions

What you'll need to succeed:

• NEBOSH Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety or equivalent
• GradIOSH membership or above
• Minimum 3 years' experience operating within a senior HSE leadership position
• Strong experience within construction, MEP, Building Services or a closely related project environment
• Proven experience leading, managing and developing HSE professionals across multiple projects, regions or business areas
• Strong working knowledge of CDM requirements and UK Health & Safety legislation
• Knowledge of environmental management principles and ISO 14001
• Strong experience across HSE auditing, assurance, incident investigation and root cause analysis
• Excellent leadership and people-management capability with the ability to influence multidisciplinary teams
• Strong commercial and operational awareness, with the ability to balance compliance, project delivery and business risk

Desirable (it would be great if you have this, but don't worry if you don't):

• Chartered Membership of IOSH (CMIOSH)
• Lead Auditor qualification in ISO 45001 and/or ISO 14001
• IEMA membership or equivalent environmental professional accreditation
• NEBOSH Environmental Management Certificate or equivalent
• Experience developing and improving HSE culture at an organisational level
• Experience leading sustainability or ESG initiatives
• Experience engaging directly with major clients and supply-chain partners on strategic HSE matters

This is an excellent opportunity for an established HSE leader to step into a business-wide leadership position with genuine influence over strategy, culture and operational performance, while continuing to maintain a visible connection with live project delivery.