HM Specialist Inspector - Process Safety

The Chemical Engineer; Basingstoke, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading regulatory body as a Specialist Inspector of Process Safety, where you'll use your expertise to enhance safety standards in major hazard industries. This role offers a competitive salary, flexible working options, and a supportive environment for professional development. Ideal for chartered Chemical Engineers with a strong background in the chemical industry.

Benefits

Civil Service Pension

25 days’ annual holiday increasing to 30 days after 5 years

Family-friendly policies

Access to Cycle to Work Scheme

Learning and development tailored to your role

Qualifications

• Experience in chemical and/or onshore/offshore downstream oil industry processing.
• Ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Chartered Membership or qualifications to achieve Chartered status within two years.

Responsibilities

• Inspect workplaces and assess safety systems.
• Engage with employers to secure compliance and drive safety improvements.
• Provide technical reports and act as an expert witness in legal proceedings.

Skills

Process Safety

Chemical Engineering

Risk Management

Communication

Decision Making

Education

Degree in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry

Job description

HM Specialist Inspector - Process Safety
Basingstoke, Birmingham, Bootle, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Milton Keynes, or Newcastle-upon-Tyne

About Us

The Health and Safety Executive is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We’re dedicated to protecting people and places, ensuring everyone can lead safer and healthier lives at work.

Our Chemicals, Explosives and Microbiological Hazards Division (CEMHD) is responsible for the GB-wide regulation of onshore major hazard premises and installations as well as the chemicals manufacturing sector as a whole. The sectors we regulate in CEMHD are essential to the country's economy and social infrastructure, but they often involve hazardous substances and processes with the potential for catastrophic accidents. The purpose of CEMHD is to make sure that the businesses that present a risk of such catastrophic events are managing those risks properly.

As a Specialist Inspector of Process Safety, you will be an essential part of the work that CEMHD do. You will use your technical knowledge and expertise to regulate major hazard industries and to influence whole sectors to improve health and safety standards, thereby helping to prevent catastrophic accidents. You can join us on a full-time, permanent basis, but we can also support the following part-time working patterns: four days per week, nine day fortnights and term time working, although some flexibility is needed during the first two years due to training, with advanced notice.

The Benefits

- Salary of £52,563 - £64,890 per annum
- A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
- 25 days’ annual holiday increasing to 30 days after 5 years' service, plus bank holidays and - 1-day Civil Service privilege leave
- Family-friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career
- Carer-friendly policies to help create a supportive working culture
- Access to a wide range of fantastic benefits, such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, E-Gift Cards, and Vouchers via our partner EdenRed
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

This is an exceptional opportunity for a chartered Chemical Engineer or Royal Society of Chemistry with strong chemical or onshore/offshore downstream oil industry experience to redirect their career with our respected and influential organisation.

You’ll be supported through a Specialist Training Programme (STP) to gain the skills and expertise to become a safety inspector. You will enrol on the STP and undertake a combination of study, practical experience and a final assessment ensuring you are equipped to operate at the forefront of your specialist area.

What’s more, you’ll benefit from flexible working and one of the most competitive benefits packages in the public sector!

So, if you’re ready to take your expertise to the next level and help shape the future of safety in major hazard industries, then apply today.

The Role

As a Specialist Inspector, after completing our Specialist Training Programme, you will ensure that major hazard industries effectively manage their process safety risks.

Drawing on your technical expertise, you will help prevent catastrophic incidents across a wide range of essential sectors, from petrochemicals to manufacturing.

You’ll inspect workplaces, assess safety systems, and lead investigations into serious process-related incidents. Your insights will shape legal decisions, influence industry practices, and contribute to national safety standards.

Additionally, you will:

- Engage with employers to secure compliance and drive safety improvements
- Provide technical reports and act as an expert witness in legal proceedings
- Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams and support complex investigations

Please note, enrolment in the Specialist Training Programme (STP) is a legal requirement that you will be required to study for and successfully complete.

About You

To be considered as a Specialist Inspector, you will need:

- Breadth and depth of practical Process Safety experience of chemical and/or onshore/offshore downstream oil industry processing. Including the application of industrial chemistry/chemical engineering skills and experience of controlling risks in the chemical industry
- A practical understanding of the design and operation of a chemical process plant, including experience of applying the principles of chemistry or chemical engineering to industrial scale processes
- The ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people at all levels of an organisation, to persuade and influence others. This should include communicating with both technical and non-technical people. You should also be able to communicate difficult messages that may not be popular, effectively but professionally
- The ability to make effective decisions and be held accountable for these, whilst being able to challenge stakeholder at all levels
- To be organised and self-motivated and able to plan and deliver your work, to a deadline, with a high level of autonomy
- A degree (or equivalent) in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or similar subject relevant to Chemical Engineering
- Chartered Membership or Chartered Fellowship of the Institution of Chemical Engineers or the Royal Society of Chemistry or currently have the academic and professional qualifications to apply and achieve Chartered status within two years of appointment to the post
- A full, valid driving licence

Please note, this role will include travel one to two times per month for inspections across the UK.

The closing date for this role is 4th June 2025.

Other organisations may call this role Safety Inspector, Specialist Inspector, Process Safety Engineer, or Process Safety Specialist.

Webrecruit and the Health and Safety Executive are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.

So, if you’re looking for a new challenge and want to become a Specialist Inspector, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.