Health and Safety Lead

Babergh District Council and Mid Suffolk District Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Ipswich is seeking a Health and Safety Lead for a 12-month maternity cover. This role involves providing expert health and safety advice, conducting audits, and ensuring compliance across housing projects. The ideal candidate will have a NEBOSH qualification or equivalent, significant experience in Housing Health and Safety, and strong IT skills, particularly in Microsoft Office. This full-time position offers a salary of £45,091 to £52,413 per annum and a comprehensive benefits package including flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Generous leave entitlement (26 days, increasing to 31)

Local Government Pension Scheme

Private Health Care Options

Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme

Paid volunteering days

Qualifications

• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for site visits.
• Significant experience in Housing Health and Safety.
• Knowledge of fire safety, asbestos safety, gas safety, and electrical safety.

Responsibilities

• Provide health and safety advice and support for compliance.
• Conduct site inspections and audits.
• Assist in developing and implementing policies.

Skills

NEBOSH General Health and Safety

Strong IT skills

Experience in Housing Health and Safety

Education

NEBOSH qualification or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils

• Address: Wenham Operational Hub, Great Wenham, Ipswich, Suffolk C07 6PS
• Salary: £45,091 - £52,413 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: Full Time, 37 hours per week
• Contract: Fixed Term or Secondment opportunity for 12 months (maternity cover)

This role is open to full time, part time, and job share applications, all of which will be assessed equally.

Join our team

We are looking for a Health and Safety Lead to join us in the Property Assets and Compliance Team within our Housing Directorate for a 12‑month period of maternity cover.

If you share our values and you are motivated to make a difference for our residents, clients, and communities, we would love to hear from you.

About the role

Reporting to the Housing Health and Safety Manager, you will play a key role in supporting safe, compliant delivery across Property Assets and Compliance by providing expert Health and Safety advice, maintaining compliance systems, producing performance data, and supporting CDM requirements.

The role includes carrying out audits and site inspections, working closely with contractors and residents, and helping to deliver high quality, customer focused safety standards in a fast paced, regulated housing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide health and safety advice and support across all work activities to ensure compliance with legal obligations.
• Draft and review RAMS and ensure that CDM arrangements are in place for all relevant construction projects.
• Conduct site inspections, mini‑audits and annual Health and Safety reviews, providing recommendations for service improvements.
• Provide assurance around contractor management, including due diligence, onboarding, and monitoring safe systems of work.
• Support the development and implementation of policies, procedures, digital systems and training, including delivering Health and Safety engagement training sessions.
• Work collaboratively with internal and external partners to ensure regulatory compliance and resident engagement.
• Assist the Health and Safety Manager with reporting, audits, customer‑focused service delivery, and providing cover when required.
• Produce compliance and safety leaflets, website engagement and have a proactive approach to resident engagement pieces.
• Raise and process work orders, purchase orders, invoices, and variation requests efficiently.
• Represent Property Assets and Compliance in relevant corporate health and safety groups.
• Utilise strong IT skills, particularly in Microsoft Office, to support project delivery.

You will need to hold a full UK driving licence and have access to a vehicle for site visits.

About you

You will hold NEBOSH General Health and Safety in Occupational Health and Safety or equivalent qualification, or demonstrate comparable knowledge gained through experience.

You will have significant and demonstrable experience of working in Housing Health and Safety, a highly regulated environment.

You will have demonstrable knowledge of statutory, regulatory, and best practice requirements in relation to fire safety, asbestos safety, gas safety, lift safety, water hygiene, damp and mould, electrical safety.

You will have experience of managing contracts, preferably within a contract management framework.

Proactive and adaptable, you will bring a flexible and pragmatic approach to supporting and guiding colleagues, ensuring high standards of service and collaboration across all areas of work.

About us

At Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils we are passionate about building communities that people want to live, work, visit and invest in.

We serve around 200,000 residents across our two districts and are well known for our collaboration and partnership working across public, private and voluntary sectors.

We believe that the heart of Suffolk is an incredibly special place to live and work, with:

• 60 conservation areas
• two National Landscapes
• many picturesque market towns

It is no surprise we are ranked among the top 50 places to live in the UK (United Kingdom).

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Generous leave entitlement (26 days a year, rising to 31 days after 5 years).
• Competitive Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Wellbeing Support and Employee Assistance Programs.
• Private Health Care Options.
• Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme.
• Paid volunteering days.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements (Business needs permitting).
• Great learning and development opportunities.

For more information, visit our Employee Benefits page .

Our ways of working

We believe work is what we do, not just where we go.

We work in a hybrid way, with a mix of office, home, and remote based working (Business need permitting). Our hybrid working arrangements support flexibility and collaboration, helping our teams to thrive.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, providing opportunity and ambition for all, supporting and enabling our people to deliver the best possible services for our residents.

For more information

For an informal discussion or to learn more about hybrid working for this role, please contact Christie Solomons by emailing [e-mail]

Please read the Job Description and Person Specification (pdf) before applying for this job opportunity.

Closing date: 5pm, 23 January 2026.

Interview date: 2 February 2026 (provisional).

How to apply

Please ensure your:

• application form is fully completed, including employment and education history
• supporting statement clearly addresses how you meet the criteria in the Person Specification

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.