Head of HSE and FM

Principal People Recruitment; Salford; Hybrid; GBP 59,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading transport operator in the UK is hiring a Head of HSE & Facilities Management. This senior role involves leading health, safety, and facilities compliance across multiple depots during a growth phase. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in HSE strategy, stakeholder engagement, and compliance assurance. Offering a salary of up to £70,000 plus bonus and benefits, this role provides autonomy in a high-growth environment, driving safety initiatives and improving operational standards.

Benefits

Up to 10% annual bonus

Pension scheme 5/3%

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Cycle-to-work scheme

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Qualifications

• Experience in depot-based operations, vehicle movements, fuelling, and cleaning operations.
• Background in transport, logistics, distribution, engineering, or similar.
• Strong cultural fit, grounded, and commercially aware.

Responsibilities

• Lead HSE & FM strategy and compliance across multiple depots.
• Coordinate and develop HSE strategies and ISO standards.
• Drive practical health and safety initiatives.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

HSE strategy development

Compliance assurance

Continuous improvement

Road safety management

Job description

We are partnering with a rapidly growing, franchised transport operator to appoint a Head of HSE & Facilities Management for a senior, business-critical role. This position will lead Health, Safety, Environment and Facilities compliance across a multi-depot operation during a period of sustained growth and contract expansion.

Head of HSE & Facilities Management

Location : Manchester (Multi-Site Role)

Salary : Up to £70,000 + bonus + benefits

Business Overview

Circa 400 vehicles across multiple depots in the North West

Combination of large and smaller operational sites

Organisation has trebled in size over the last five years

Operates within a franchised transport environment, working closely with a regional transport authority

Retains a non-corporate, agile culture despite scale, offering autonomy and high leadership satisfaction

The Role

You will have ownership of HSE & FM strategy and delivery across all depots, acting as a senior partner to engineering, operations, and depot leadership teams.

Key responsibilities

• Coordinating HSE strategy across a multi-site estate
• Maintaining and developing ISO standards
• Auditing, compliance assurance, and continuous improvement
• KPI development and performance monitoring
• Driving practical, innovative H&S initiatives
• Strong stakeholder engagement at all levels
• Regular depot visits, spot audits, and visible leadership presence
• Oversight of road risk, depot safety, and vehicle-related hazards
• Environmental management (fuel, waste, emergency response, EV transition)
• Facilities Management oversight with a compliance-focused remit

Candidate Profile

We are seeking candidates who are :

• Ambitious, energetic, and delivery-focused
• Pragmatic and credible, comfortable operating at depot level
• Able to work with autonomy while maintaining strong governance
• A strong cultural fit — grounded, personable, and commercially aware

Relevant sector backgrounds include :

• Transport, logistics, and distribution
• Engineering or manufacturing
• Aviation, airport, or similarly risk-led environments

Experience in depot-based operations, vehicle movements, fuelling, cleaning operations, engineering risks, and road safety will be highly relevant.

Working Pattern & Travel

• Standard hours : 9am–5pm, with flexibility
• Majority office and depot based
• 2–3 days per week visiting depots across the North West
• Travel expenses covered
• Out-of-hours involvement only in exceptional circumstances

Package

Salary : Up to £70,000

Bonus : Up to 10% annually (historically paid)

Pension : 5% employer / 3% employee

Holiday : 25 days + bank holidays

Benefits : Salary sacrifice schemes, cycle-to-work, EAP support

Why Consider This Role?

Senior leadership role with real autonomy and influence

High-growth business with a strong contract pipeline

Visible, operationally engaged position — not desk-bound

Opportunity to shape and future-proof HSE & FM across a growing estate