Safety and Compliance Manager (laboratory environment)

LifeArc; Stevenage; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading life science organization in the UK is seeking a Safety and Compliance Manager to ensure compliance with health and safety legislation in their laboratory environment. This exciting role involves promoting a positive safety culture and managing compliance as the organization transitions to a new headquarters in London. The ideal candidate will have a NEBOSH Diploma and significant experience in the field, including BSO responsibilities. The position offers a supportive environment with competitive benefits.

Benefits

Pension scheme with up to 12% employer contributions

Private health insurance

Annual leave of 31 days plus bank holidays

Qualifications

• Proven experience in health and safety compliance within a scientific or industrial setting.
• Experience with Biological Safety Officer responsibilities.
• Strong knowledge of health and safety legislation and industry best practices.

Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.
• Maintain compliance calendars for license renewals.
• Conduct safety audits and incident investigations.

Skills

Health and Safety compliance

Communication skills

Problem-solving skills

Organizational skills

Education

NEBOSH Diploma

Biological Safety Officer qualification

Job description

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Job Title: Safety and Compliance Manager ( Laboratory environment)Location: Stevenage (moving to London late 2027)Job Type: Permanent

Please note: relevant qualifications in Lab Health and Safety are essential for this role.

The closing date for applications is 21/08/25 with interviews to be held soon afterwards. We will require the successful candidate to start as soon as possible.

Agencies: We will only work with recruitment partners on our preferred supplier list and will not engage with speculative CVs submitted.

Are you passionate about making life science life changing and delivering impact for patients? We want to hear from you.

About the role:

The Safety and Compliance Manager is responsible for ensuring LifeArc's scientific activities comply with all relevant health and safety legislation and are updated regularly.

This role actively promotes a positive safety culture amongst the organisation and monitors and maintains high standards of safety and regulatory compliance.

This role will initially be based at our research centre in Stevenage and will transition to LifeArc's new London HQ c.2027.

This is an exciting opportunity to be an active part of the planning and transitional process for our research centre to London, and to continue in their role at the London office.

Key responsibilities:

• Ensure compliance with regulations from the Health and Safety Executive and other bodies including the Human Tissue Authority, Home Office, and HMRC.
• Maintain compliance calendars for license renewals, document updates and reviews and regulatory submissions.
• Provide strategic and technical health and safety advice across LifeArc as required and represent the organisation in interactions with regulators and inspectors.
• Proactively influence and promote a positive health and safety culture across all LifeArc sites.
• Serve as the appointed Biological Safety Officer (BSO).
• Develop, implement, and maintain a robust health and safety framework and share findings as required, including Incident metrics; training programmes and safety documentation (policies, SOPs, risk assessments, guidance)
• Conduct safety audits, inspections, and incident investigations. Generate metrics to assess risk profile and safety culture.
• Maintain legal and risk registers to support risk appetite discussions and inform senior leadership.
• Follow and provide all materials and evidence required for any internal or external audits

Education & experience required:

• Proven and demonstrable experience in health and safety compliance within a scientific or industrial setting (pharma/biotech preferred).
• Experience with BSO responsibilities, Human Tissue Authority, Home Office licensing, and safety/ethics committees.
• Ability to review and advise on technical GMO risk assessments.
• Strong knowledge of health and safety legislation and industry best practices along with the essential health and safety qualifications listed below
• Excellent organisational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Confident in conducting audits, inspections, and delivering engaging training.

Essential:

• NEBOSH Diploma and Grad/Tech IOSH (or equivalent) is essential
• Recent Biological Safety Officer (BSO) qualification is essential

Desirable:

• A-level education with further qualifications in science is preferred.

Skills & abilities:

• Operates with high autonomy, finding creative solutions in health and safety and compliance.
• Takes ownership of the quality and delivery of own work.
• Understands the long-term impact of decisions on site operations, compliance status, and organisational reputation.
• Collaborates effectively with internal stakeholders including scientists, operations teams, landlords, and leadership.

About us:

LifeArc is a not-for-profit life science organisation, leading the way for change in rare diseases in the UK and supporting promising initiatives in global health. We seek out research in areas of unmet need that has great potential, providing support to help it become breakthroughs that change lives.

What we can offer you:

Focused on finding life changing solutions for underserved patients, our people thrive in an inclusive, and supportive environment that prioritises their health and wellbeing. Our multidisciplinary approach guarantees our people growth opportunities, while our culture of innovation and collaboration drives the impact we make delivering on our purpose of 'putting patients at the centre of everything we do'.

We are dedicated to creating a diverse, flexible, equitable and happy work environment so our colleagues can thrive as their truest selves. We act with courage, curiosity, care & commitment to deliver quality & excellence for our patients and each other Join us, and you'll be given the scope to develop your professional skills and experience in a safe, supportive and challenging environment

Salary will be determined by qualifications and experience along with other exceptional benefits. Because we understand everyone has different requirements, our flexible benefits allow you to choose those which are important to you. Our pension scheme offers employer contributions of up to 12%, private health insurance, and annual leave of 31 days PLUS bank holidays.

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds, for example, are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At LifeArc we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so whatever your background or lived experience, if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. Our top priority is finding the best candidate, and you may be just right for this or other roles.

We all have potential. At LifeArc, you'll discover what you can really do with it.