North Division Head of SHEQ

MWH Treatment; Hattersley; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

MWH Treatment is recruiting a Divisional Head of SHEQ to provide senior strategic leadership for the MWHT Northern Division. You will work with Regional Senior Leadership Teams, linking Regional Heads of SHEQ with the SHEQ & Sustainability Director and the wider business across Severn Trent, United Utilities, NI Water and Scottish Water frameworks.

You will establish enterprise standards, oversee governance, performance insight, assurance and organisational learning while supporting

Qualifications

• Substantial senior SHEQ leadership experience in UK construction, infrastructure or utilities.
• Experience leading across large projects, programmes or multiple frameworks.
• Formal occupational safety/health qualification at diploma, degree or equivalent.
• Chartered IOSH membership (or working towards) or equivalent senior professional standing.
• Strong communication, influencing and governance skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide clear, consistent SHEQ strategic direction across Division and Regions.
• Offer evidence-based insight on regional performance and risk.
• Coach Regional Heads of SHEQ to lead with appropriate autonomy.
• Set divisional SHEQ governance framework, reporting and escalation routes.
• Lead development of divisional and regional SHEQ plans aligned with strategy and obligations.
• Maintain a robust assurance and audit programme with timely action closure.
• Promote consistent application of management systems across regions.

Skills

Senior SHEQ leadership

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Governance

ISO 45001

Education

Diploma/degree in SHEQ or equivalent

Job description

MWH Treatment are looking to strengthen our SHEQ team with a Divisional Head of SHEQ. You willProvide senior strategic SHEQ leadership across the MWHT Northern Division, working directly with Regional Senior Leadership Teams and as the principal link between Regional Heads of SHEQ, the SHEQ & Sustainability Director and the wider business. Working across the Severn Trent, United Utilities, Northern Ireland Water and Scottish Water frameworks, the role will influence regional strategy, governance, performance and material risk decisions, ensuring SHEQ priorities support safe, compliant and successful business delivery.

The successful candidate will establish clear enterprise and divisional expectations, provide proportionate oversight and constructive challenge, and enable Regional Heads of SHEQ to lead within their regions with appropriate autonomy and accountability. The role will focus on governance, performance insight, assurance and organisational learning, alongside operational control, intervening where material risk, performance or consistency requires senior support. Through pragmatic leadership and strong relationships, the postholder will strengthen regional capability, promote consistent outcomes and support the SHEQ Director and wider business on cross-divisional priorities and improvement.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Provide clear, consistent SHEQ strategic direction across the Division and to specific Regional Senior Leadership Teams, ensuring SHEQ governance, performance and material risk are integral to strategic and operational decision-making.
• Provide clear, evidence-based insight and constructive challenge on regional performance, emerging risk, assurance findings and improvement priorities.
• Support, coach and enable Regional Heads of SHEQ to lead their functions effectively, retaining appropriate regional autonomy while operating within clear business standards, delegated authority and governance expectations.
• Set and maintain the divisional SHEQ governance framework, including accountabilities, reporting, assurance and escalation routes.
• Lead the development and oversight of divisional and regional SHEQ plans aligned with business strategy, client expectations, joint venture arrangements and legal obligations.
• Establish a consistent performance management rhythm across the division, using leading and lagging indicators, assurance intelligence, incident learning and operational insight to identify trends, test control effectiveness and direct improvement.
• Direct a proportionate, risk-based programme of assurance, audit and review, ensuring findings are prioritised, ownership remains with the relevant region and actions are closed effectively and sustainably.
• Promote consistent application and continual improvement of MWH Treatment and relevant joint venture management systems, while allowing regions flexibility in how compliant outcomes are achieved.
• Provide senior oversight and support for significant incidents, regulatory matters and material client concerns, ensuring proportionate escalation, robust learning and effective corrective action.
• Build senior relationships with clients, joint venture partners, regulators and the supply chain, representing MWH Treatment professionally and supporting Regional Heads of SHEQ on complex or strategically important matters.
• Support the SHEQ & Sustainability Director in shaping and delivering the functional strategy, governance agenda, business plan and executive reporting.
• Contribute to wider business priorities beyond the Northern Division, leading or supporting cross-divisional initiatives, sharing learning and providing senior SHEQ capacity where required.
• Develop a strong community of Regional Heads of SHEQ and their teams, promoting collaboration, consistent professional standards, succession, talent development and efficient deployment of specialist capability.
• Prepare and present concise, decision-focused performance reports, recommendations and escalations to Regional SLTs, the SHEQ Director, executive leaders, clients and governance forums.

Essential:

• Substantial senior SHEQ leadership experience within UK construction, infrastructure or utilities, including responsibility across large, complex projects, programmes or multiple frameworks.
• Proven ability to influence executive, divisional, client and joint venture leaders and to provide pragmatic, risk-based advice that enables delivery.
• Demonstrable leadership of multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed SHEQ teams, including capability development, resource planning and succession.
• Expert knowledge of current UK health and safety legislation, CDM Regulations, relevant HSE guidance and recognised construction good practice.
• Strong working knowledge of environmental, quality and sustainability obligations and their integration within operational management systems.
• Practical experience of ISO 45001 and externally certified integrated management systems, assurance and continual improvement.
• Formal occupational safety and health qualification at diploma, degree or equivalent level.
• Chartered membership of IOSH (or working towards) or equivalent senior professional standing.
• Strong judgement, communication, public speaking, influencing and decision-making skills, with personal credibility from site to board level.
• Current full driving licence and appropriate CSCS card.

Desirable:

• Senior leadership experience in the water sector and within joint venture or multi-partner delivery environments.
• Knowledge of infrastructure, non-infrastructure and process safety risks relevant to water and wastewater operations.
• Experience of overseeing projects or programmes valued at £100m or more.