Health & Safety Risk and Oversight Specialist

NATS; Whiteley; Hybrid; GBP 54,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

NATS is seeking a Health and Safety Risk and Oversight SME to coordinate and implement Group H&S performance assurance. You will support 2nd line risk and assurance activities, ensuring the H&S management system delivers safe and compliant workplaces.

Under the Head of H&S, you will drive audits, assurance actions, and training, providing credible data and insights to stakeholders across the organisation. The role requires travel and a proactive, detail‑oriented approach.

Qualifications

• Hold a recognised H&S or Quality Management qualification (RQF level 3 or equivalent).
• Experience using qualitative and quantitative risk management approaches.
• Qualified ISO 9001/45001 Auditor or equivalent audit experience.
• Understanding of incident reporting systems and tools (Q-Pulse, incident reporting tools).
• Experience delivering continual improvement in H&S/Quality projects.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate, maintain and update the H&S legal register in line with ISO 45001 requirements.
• Lead 2nd line H&S risk and assurance activities and audits.
• Oversee ISO 45001 audit and inspection programmes and team audits.
• Act as Group H&S risk champion with ERM tools and control frameworks.
• Deliver H&S training for 1st line risk and assurance activities.
• Provide monthly/quarterly/annual oversight and performance reports.

Skills

H&S risk management

Auditing

Stakeholder engagement

Training and coaching

Education

ISO 9001/45001 Auditor

Tools

Q-Pulse

Incident Reporting Tools

Job description

Salary: £53,640.42 - £71,520.56

Closing Date: Tuesday 10th November 2026 NATS is the UK’s leading air navigation service provider, handling over 2.4 million flights each year. We provide air traffic control services from two control centres and at airports around the UK. We also provide a wide range of commercial products and solutions internationally. Our people are at the heart of our purpose to advance aviation and keep the skies safe.

Salary: £53,640.42 - £71,520.56 Closing Date: Tuesday 10th November 2026 NATS is the UK’s leading air navigation service provider, handling over 2.4 million flights each year. We provide air traffic control services from two control centres and at airports around the UK. We also provide a wide range of commercial products and solutions internationally. Our people are at the heart of our purpose to advance aviation and keep the skies safe.

Purpose Of The Role

The role holder is the Health and Safety (H&S) Risk and Oversight SME responsible for coordination and implementation of Group H&S performance assurance and oversight arrangements. The role holder coordinates NATS 2nd line H&S Risk and Assurance activities to ensure continued integrity and effectiveness of our management system and BMS content. Under the leadership of the Head of H&S, this role provides evidence that the NATS H&S management system is delivering performance as intended, and through 1st line implementation is delivering safe and compliant workplaces and work activities.

Accountabilities

• Coordinate, maintain and update the H&S legal register in line with company and ISO 45001 requirements.
• On behalf of the Head of H&S, maintain and deliver a robust programme of H&S compliance and risk assurance activities, demonstrating NATS H&S policies, processes and procedures are effective.
• Lead NATS H&S 2nd line audit and inspection programme, including ISO 45001 team audits at Centres.
• Ensure NATS H&S audits are conducted and reported on in accordance with relevant Quality standards.
• Be the Group H&S team Risk Champion, ensuring functionally owned H&S risks are recorded in the ERM Tool, with necessary control frameworks defined and assured against.
• The H&S point of contact into the CAG, working with the NATS Group Assurance and Risk functions to ensure NATS H&S assurance and risk management/control obligations are met.
• Coordinate Group H&S team assurance actions and ensure delivery against agreed timelines and agreed objectives, escalating shortfalls to relevant H&S responsible BA leaders and managers.
• Develop and deliver 1st line H&S risk and assurance training to enable proportionate, credible and consistent H&S self-assessments.
• Support the SLO community through development and delivery of assurance and inspection training, ensuring all SLOs have sufficient skills, knowledge, experience, systems and tools to undertake local inspection activities.
• Coordinate NATS ISO45001 audit and inspection activities on behalf of the NATS Group H&S Team.
• Lead H&S investigations as required in support of the Group H&S Team when required.
• Provide monthly, quarterly and annual oversight and performance reports for the NATS Group H&S team specifically relating to H&S audits and assurance ensuring access to credible and accurate Business Area data.
• Analyse Group and Business Area H&S assurance data to provide accurate and actionable insights to key stakeholders.
• BMS Process Expert for assigned Group H&S risk and Assurance related processes and procedures.
• Maintain oversight of all NATS H&S actions, driving delivery of improvement functionally and escalating issues to the relevant Responsible Director or Manager as necessary.
• Develop, coordinate and maintain the NATS Group H&S Function Business Continuity Plans ensuring operational dependencies are identified and managed.

Qualifications, professional knowledge and Skills

• Hold a recognised H&S or Quality Management qualification (RQF level 3 or equivalent).
• Experience of using both qualitative and quantitative approaches to risk management, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of different H&S risk control frameworks at tactical and strategic levels.
• Qualified ISO 9001/45001 Auditor (Desirable Lead Auditor certification) or equivalent experience in audit roles.
• Understanding of incident reporting and investigation systems and tools, including proficiency in use of Q-Pulse and the Incident Reporting Tools.
• Previous experience of delivering successful continual improvement and/or process efficiencies in H&S/Quality projects.
• Experience in coaching and training individuals or groups. Willingness to obtain Certificate in Education and Training or equivalent.
• Experience in analysing and reporting on performance in Quality, Risk or H&S.
• Ability to network and build relationships with all levels of management and staff,
• Excellent written, verbal, analytical and communication skills with attention to detail
• Good understanding of industry recognised ‘Assurance’ models, standards and oversight processes.
• Ability to define performance indicators and key performance indicators linked to service delivery plans and statutory performance reporting.
• Willing to self-develop by attending training and undertaking continual professional development (CPD)
• Flexible approach to working as this role may require travel.
• Desirable: Recognised training and/or experience in the use of various qualitative and quantitative risk assessment methodologies, e.g. H&S risk assessment, Bow-Tie analysis, SWIFT, FTA, FMEA, 5-Whys.
• Desirable: Experience in accident investigations (or other functional investigations) and root cause analysis.
• Desirable: Lean 6 Sigma Green Belt training.
• Complete NATS training and development activities relating to role, including Risk Champion and Nintex process development training.

Additional Information

We are proud to offer a fantastic total reward package to help you thrive both personally and professionally - for more information on what NATS can offer you please visit - Why NATS? - NATS.

All staff at NATS are subject to UK Security Vetting and Clearance (SC) and must maintain valid clearance throughout employment. We are unable to progress applications where an applicant does not meet eligibility requirements for clearance. For further guidance Security Clearance - NATS. We have adopted agile working to provide greater flexibility and increased choice over working arrangements, with the opportunity for this role to work in our modern office facilities as well as remotely.

If you share our passion to advance aviation and keep the skies safe – we would like to hear from you whatever your age, sex, race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, visible or invisible disability. Individuals that bring different perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds help us be at the forefront of our industry.