Health & Safety Manager

Dorset Council; Dorchester; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorset Council is seeking an experienced Health & Safety Manager to lead the Health & Safety Team and strengthen our culture of prevention, learning and accountability across the organisation. This strategic role will work with leaders to embed robust safety practices and ensure the organisation supports a safe working environment for all staff and residents.

The postholder will shape health and safety arrangements, provide expert advice to senior leaders, and lead continuous improvement across

Job description

About the role

At Dorset Council, we believe that health and safety is everyone's responsibility and fundamental to creating a positive, safe and successful working environment.

We're looking for an experienced and credible Health & Safety Manager to lead our Health & Safety Team and help us continue to strengthen our culture of prevention, learning and accountability across the organisation. This role offers an exciting opportunity to influence how health and safety are embedded into everyday management practice, supporting leaders and teams to manage risk effectively while creating environments where people can thrive.

This is a strategically important leadership role within our People & Workforce Service. You'll provide expert advice and assurance to senior leaders, lead the development of our health and safety arrangements, and help shape a modern, proactive approach to workforce health and safety . Working collaboratively across services, you will build strong relationships, offer constructive challenge where needed, and support managers to take ownership of their responsibilities with confidence.

We're looking for someone who combines strong technical expertise with excellent people skills. You'll be an engaging leader, able to influence at all levels, translate complex legislation into practical solutions, and bring others with you through coaching, collaboration and a commitment to continuous improvement.

In return, you'll join an organisation committed to delivering great outcomes for our communities, where you'll have the opportunity to shape services, contribute to organisational priorities and work alongside passionate colleagues who care deeply about making a difference.

This is an opportunity to build on strong foundations whilst helping to shape the future direction of health, safety and wellbeing at Dorset Council.

About Us

At Dorset Council, it's not just about the work we do, it's about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video:

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We:

• provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.