Head of Safety Management

Great Western Railway (GWR); Swindon; On-site; GBP 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free rail travel across the GWR сеть

Discounted travel with other Train OS

Defined benefit pension

Company-sponsored healthcare plan

Discounted shopping and gym membership

Employee Assistance Programme

Structured career development and pro 

Job summary

Great Western Railway (GWR) in Swindon is seeking a Head of Safety Management to shape our safety strategy and lead a team of safety professionals. You’ll influence decisions at the highest level and drive a learning-focused culture across operations.

You will champion a proactive safety agenda, oversee investigations, and ensure lessons are embedded to prevent incidents while strengthening our Safety Management System and overall safety performance.

Qualifications

• Experience leading safety leadership roles.
• NEBOSH Diploma (or equivalent) required.
• Ability to influence at all levels and champion safety.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to the Safety Management team and offer expert guidance across the business.
• Drive safety performance by partnering with senior leaders to improve culture and outcomes.
• Support investigations and ensure lessons learned are embedded to prevent incidents.
• Continually improve the Safety Management System to keep it robust and effective.
• Build a positive safety culture where staff feel empowered to raise concerns and learn from experience.

Skills

Health & safety leadership

NEBOSH Diploma

Influence & leadership

Safety improvement programmes

People development

Safety culture building

Education

NEBOSH Diploma (or equivalent)

Job description

Salary: up to £70k depending on skills and experience

Location: Swindon.

Contract: Permanent - Full-time

Closing Date: 19th October 2026

Who are we:

GWR is the proud custodian of Brunel's railway - one of the most prestigious networks in the world. We have some of the newest trains in the country and exciting plans to extend our services.

With more than one hundred million passenger journeys each year, we carry people to over 275 stations in the South West, from Cornwall and South Wales to London, passing through beautiful country and some of the UK's top tourist destinations.

We are transforming the way people think about train travel, empowering our team of over 6,000 people from all different backgrounds to make it a great experience for our customers. Together, we will revalue rail as a very special way to travel – relaxing, fast, efficient, friendly and fun.

About the job:

Ready to make a real difference to safety across the railway?

At GWR, safety is at the heart of everything we do. As our new Head of Safety Management, you’ll have the opportunity to shape our safety strategy, influence decisions at the highest level and lead a team of talented safety professionals who share one important goal: keeping our people and customers safe.

This is more than a leadership role. It’s an opportunity to drive meaningful change, champion a positive and learning-focused safety culture, and ensure safety remains a priority in everything we do.

If you’re a passionate and experienced safety leader who wants to make a lasting impact across a complex, operational business, we’d love to hear from you.

What you'll be doing:

• Providing strategic leadership to our Safety Management team, offering expert advice and guidance across the business.
• Driving safety performance by working closely with senior leaders to identify opportunities for improvement and strengthen our safety culture.
• Supporting investigations and ensuring lessons are learned and shared to help prevent future incidents.
• Continually improving our Safety Management System, ensuring our approach to safety remains effective and robust.
• Building a positive safety culture where people feel empowered to speak up, learn from experience and make safety a priority.

Skills and Experience:

We're looking for someone who:

• Is an experienced health and safety leader with a strong operational background.
• Holds a NEBOSH Diploma (or equivalent).
• Can influence, challenge and inspire at all levels.
• Has experience leading safety improvement programmes.
• Is passionate about developing people and building a strong safety culture.

Working pattern:

37 hour working week – Monday to Friday

Alongside your salary, you'll receive a fantastic benefits package, including:

• Free rail travel across the GWR network for you and your family
• Discounted travel with other Train Operating Companies
• Defined benefit pension through the Railways Pension Scheme
• Company-sponsored healthcare plan
• Discounted shopping and gym membership
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Structured career development and progression opportunities

We all belong at GWR.

This is our vision for providing an inclusive environment for all our colleagues, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA, ethnicity, religion and disability. We maintain zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below. We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/