Health & Safety Manager

hireful; Ellesmere Port; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work options

Free parking

Company pension

Generous holiday

Birthday off

Death in service

Gym flex

Job summary

SafeSchool is seeking an enthusiastic Health and Safety Manager to lead a team of H&S professionals and provide expert guidance to client schools across the Northwest and beyond. The role involves site visits, audits, risk assessments, and practical, compliant safety advice.

You will mentor a small team, maintain high-quality client service, and act as a key contact for schools. The position requires strong communication, training delivery, and up-to-date H&S knowledge.

Qualifications

• Holds a recognised Health & Safety Diploma or degree-level qualification.
• Professional membership with GradIOSH, CMIOSH, or equivalent.
• Proven CPD commitment to maintaining competence.

Responsibilities

• Provide health and safety advice to client schools and lead the H&S team.
• Conduct audits, site inspections, and risk assessments in schools.
• Deliver engaging H&S training to diverse audiences.
• Lead, support, and mentor the H&S team.

Skills

Communication skills

Leadership

CPD commitment

Risk management

Education

NEBOSH Diploma

GradIOSH/CMIOSH membership

Tools

MS Office

H&S software

Job description

SafeSchool is looking for an enthusiastic Health and Safety Manager to support our growing portfolio of client schools, lead a small team of H&S professionals, and help us expand our practical, positive approach to safety across the Northwest and beyond.

SafeSchool was established in November 2019 to provide a whole-school approach to health and safety in education. Our ethos is simple: because safety matters. We help schools drive compliance across every aspect of school life, and if it is important to our clients, it is important to us.

SafeSchool is now proudly part of the wider JMG Group, a top 30 UK insurance broker with a strong national presence and a track record of rapid growth and continued success in the market.

SafeSchool is expanding further into the Northwest and beyond. We bring a refreshingly positive approach to health and safety in schools, with new additional services covering fire risk assessments, asbestos, legionella, health and safety training, and wider compliance support.

We are currently looking to recruit an enthusiastic Health and Safety Manager who will provide health and safety advice and guidance to our client schools while leading a team of three H&S professionals.

You will bring the confidence and capability to lead, support and develop a small team while maintaining high-quality client service.

Your main duty within this role will be to act as a key point of contact for schools, visit client sites, audit and complete a range of health and safety consultancy activities.

You will support schools with accidents and provide guidance on RIDDOR and when required complete the RIDDOR report on behalf of the client.

You will respond to requests (telephone or email) from schools and provide relevant technically and legally correct Health and Safety advice in a professional and practical manner for the school environment.

You will advise clients on specialist areas such as Asbestos, Legionella, Fire, control of contractors, Administration of Medicines, Manual Handling, Working at Height, risk assessments, COSHH, DSE, and DfE guidance.

You will research information required to provide detailed health and safety guidance and technical support to clients and Consultants.

You will identify the requirement and create Training, Guidance Notes, Standard Policies and Check lists, Newsletters and Safety Alerts.

You will have experience delivering training in person or online sessions and webinars.

Essential Criteria

Qualifications & Professional Memberships

• Hold a recognised Health & Safety Diploma (e.g., NEBOSH Diploma, NCRQ Level 6, or NVQ Level 6) or equivalent degree-level qualification.
• Professional membership with a recognised H&S body (e.g., GradIOSH, CMIOSH, or equivalent).
• Proven track record of active CPD and an ongoing commitment to maintaining up-to-date professional competence.

Experience & Technical Expertise

• Proven experience delivering practical Health & Safety advice, comprehensive audits, and site inspections within schools, education settings, or comparable complex, premises-based environments.
• Robust, working knowledge of UK Health & Safety legislation, regulatory frameworks, and practical risk management techniques.
• Hands-on experience in developing and delivering engaging H&S training sessions to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated experience leading, supporting, or mentoring a team effectively.

Communication & Client Management

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to advise, influence, and build trust with senior leaders, governors, premises teams, and school staff.
• Ability to break down complex, technical regulatory issues into clear, accessible, and practical language for non-technical stakeholders.
• Skilled in producing high-quality, professional reports, actionable risk management plans, and pragmatic recommendations.
• Strong client-facing skills with a track record of developing long-lasting, supportive relationships.

Operational Requirements & Core Competencies

• Ability to commit to a full-time, 52-week contract.
• Ability to act as a positive brand advocate, actively promoting the SafeSchool solution and its value to prospective new schools and Multi-Academy Trusts.
• High attention to detail combined with the ability to manage competing priorities and focus on high-impact, risk-based actions.
• Confident using modern digital tools, including Microsoft Office suite and electronic H&S management/reporting software.
• Willingness and ability to travel to client school sites as required, alongside fulfilling all necessary pre-employment background checks, including an Enhanced DBS check.

Desirable Criteria

• Prior experience delivering commercial Health & Safety consultancy services within a client-facing role.
• Additional specialist qualifications, such as NEBOSH Fire Safety or NEBOSH Construction certificates.
• Chartered Member (CMIOSH) or Graduate Member (GradIOSH) status within the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.
• Direct experience in creating bespoke, comprehensive risk assessment frameworks.

What we Offer:

• Competitive salary commensurate with level of experience
• Hybrid working options considered following training & probation completion
• Free parking
• Company Pension scheme
• Generous holiday entitlement & Birthday off
• Death in service scheme
• Gym Flex
• Many more