Head of Operational Safety

GXO; Northampton; Hybrid; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading supply chain solutions provider is seeking a Head of Operational Safety in the UK. This director-level role involves strategic leadership for operational safety, ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations, and embedding a proactive safety culture. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in safety-critical operations, a degree in a relevant field, and a strong understanding of safety legislation. The position offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package.

Benefits

Competitive salary

25 days annual leave

Company car or car allowance

Private medical & dental insurance

Pension scheme

Access to online GP service

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading safety-critical operations in complex environments.
• Strong track record of developing impactful safety strategies.
• Clear head under pressure with ability to drive change across organizations.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement operational safety strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Monitor and review risk profiles, implementing effective controls.
• Lead major incident investigations to ensure safety protocols are followed.

Skills

Experience leading safety-critical operations

Decisive leadership skills

Strong working knowledge of safety legislation

Proficiency in MS Office Suite

UK Category B Driver’s Licence

Education

Degree in a relevant field (e.g., environmental health)

NEBOSH Diploma or IOSH Diploma

Tools

MS Office Suite

OHSAS45001

ISO9001

ISO14001

Job description

Are you at the top of your game? Do you live, eat and breath all things Health & Safety? Looking for that role that will allow you to use your experience and shape the future?

Here at GXO, we are looking for a Head of Operational Safety to join our UK&I Team. This is a director level, high stake’s role and we are super flexible on where you are located as there is significant travel involved with this role.

You’ll provide strategic leadership for operational safety, enabling the achievement of world class performance executed through business and functional strategies ensuring compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations while embedding a proactive safety culture. You’ll drive continuous improvement, risk mitigation, and operational excellence through strong governance, stakeholder engagement, and innovation. You’ll provide assurance to the business on safety performance and compliance and proactive leadership in seeking out emerging issues; lead the development and implementation of safety frameworks for core business activities, ensuring compliance, managing risks, and responding effectively to incidents. Working with the EU/UKI QHSSSE Leadership team to define and deliver “Safety Basics” whilst overseeing investigations, maintain regulatory adherence, and integrate safety into all operational processes

This is a full time, permanent position, predominantly Monday to Friday but flexibility is required

Pay, benefits and more:

We’re looking to offering a very competitive salary and 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays). Your benefits package includes acompany car or car allowance at £595.00 pcm, a company sponsored pension scheme, private medical & dental insurance, a 24/7 online GP service, life assurance and a fully comprehensive employee assistance programme. You’ll also have access to our MyBenefits platform offering a variety of high street discounts, a cycle to work scheme, cashback cards, a saving scheme and much more!

What you’ll do on a typical day:

• Define and implement operational safety strategy aligned with business objectives and regulatory requirements
• In collaboration with Head of Compliance and others, develop and maintain robust safety policies, standards, and governance processes across all operations that are in line with legislation, seeking out industry and wider good practices
• Monitor and review the risk profile ensuring proactive measures, implement effective controls and resilience measures; and act swiftly where reactive support required. Use the risk profile to focus strategy, investment and general business decision-making. Develop & implement risk-based programmes of activity based on the risk profile. Ensure HSE critical controls are identified and managed
• Lead major incident investigations, ensuring protocols followed and relevant resource available
• This also includes Compliance Oversight, Continuous Improvement, Stakeholder Engagement, Team Leadership, Reporting and Assurance, Project Delivery

What you need to succeed at GXO:

• Proven experience leading safety-critical operations in complex, fast-moving environments. Demonstrated senior level health and safety leadership, with a strong track record of developing and implementing impactful safety strategies within relevant industries (e.g. logistics, construction, manufacturing).
• A clear head under pressure, decisive leadership skills, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders across different cultures business areas to drive change and embed a safety culture across the organisation
• A strong working knowledge of safety legislation, incident reporting frameworks, and duty of care practices
• A degree in a relevant field (e.g., environmental health, occupational safety and health)
• Professional certification A NEBOSH Diploma (Level 6) or IOSH Diploma in Occupational Safety and IOSH membership
• Prince 2 or Lean Six Sigma Practitioner preferred
• Advanced proficiency in MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, and Co-Pilot)
• Working knowledge of management systems including OHSAS45001, ISO9001, ISO14001
• UK Category B Driver’s Licence with ability to travel by sea, air, rail, and tunnel
• Willingness to work unsociable hours and overnight stays when required and ability to pass CRB checks and driving assessments
• Fit to work in high-risk environments (food, magnetic fields, confined spaces, at height)

We engineer faster, smarter, leaner supply chains.

GXO is a leading provider of cutting-edge supply chain solutions to the most successful companies in the world. We help our customers manage their goods most efficiently using our technology and services. Our greatest strength is our global team – energetic, innovative people of all experience levels and talents who make GXO a great place to work.GXO is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate, support and thrive on diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that diversity and inclusion in our business is critical to our success as a global company, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. We are an Armed Forces friendly organisation and Disability Confident Leader as part of the Disability Confident Scheme (GIS) and actively welcome applications from people with disabilities.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. Review GXO's candidate privacy statement here.