Safety Learning Lead

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

AXA Health medical

Life Assurance

Enhanced maternity & paternity pay

Discounted holidays & cruises

Retail discounts

Boost Benefits cash back

Job summary

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is seeking a Safety Learning Lead at our Ipswich Head Office. You will strengthen learning from incidents, audits, and observations, ensuring investigations are thorough and lessons embedded into practice across the fleet.

The role focuses on SMS effectiveness, risk trends and human factors expertise to support a safe, learning-focused culture. The ideal candidate has senior maritime operational safety or compliance experience, strong ISM knowledge, and the ability to

Qualifications

• Senior maritime operational, safety or compliance management experience.
• Experience leading or supporting complex incident investigations.
• Experience developing and implementing organisational learning initiatives.
• Experience analysing safety performance data and identifying improvement opportunities.
• Strong knowledge of ISM Code and Safety Management Systems.
• Knowledge of human factors and Human & Organisational Performance (HOP) principles.
• Root cause analysis and investigation methodologies.
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills.
• Ability to travel internationally on a monthly basis.
• Willingness to participate in emergency response arrangements.

Responsibilities

• Lead or support investigations into marine, occupational safety, environmental, and security incidents.
• Review investigation reports for quality and effectiveness.
• Apply root cause, human factors and HOP principles.
• Facilitate learning reviews and post-incident workshops.
• Monitor corrective/preventive actions and their effectiveness.
• Develop and maintain the safety learning framework.
• Identify trends from incidents, audits, and observations.
• Lead safety communications and learning summaries.
• Coordinate emergency exercises onboard and ashore.
• Support the Designated Person Ashore in SMS effectiveness.
• Oversee publication and archiving of safety documentation.

Skills

Senior maritime operational safety or

Incident investigations

Organisational learning

Safety performance data analysis

ISM Code & SMS knowledge

Human factors / HOP

Root cause analysis

Analytical & report writing

International travel

Presentation & facilitation

Job description

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is a family-run business that has been offering exceptional cruise experiences for over 170 years. With a fleet of ships that provide intimate, friendly, and immersive voyages, we are committed to delivering world-class service with a personal touch. Join us and be part of a proud heritage that is all about making lasting memories for our guests.

As we continue to grow, we are now strengthening our HESS team with a Safety Learning Lead in our Ipswich Head Office.

The Safety Learning Lead strengthens organisational learning from incidents, audits, exercises, observations and operational experience across the fleet. The role ensures investigations are undertaken with a learning focus, are consistent and improvement-focused, with lessons identified, shared and embedded into operational practice.

You will own the effective operation of the Safety Management System, helping to identify, analyse and accelerate safety risks, trends and emerging hazards. Furthermore, the role provides subject matter expertise in incident investigation, human factors, learning systems and safety culture, supporting trust, constructive challenge and continuous improvement.

Main Tasks & Activities:

• Lead and/or support investigations into high level marine, occupational safety, environmental and security incidents.
• Review investigation reports for quality, consistency and effectiveness.
• Apply root cause, human factors and HOP principles.
• Facilitate learning reviews and post-incident workshops.
• Monitor completion of corrective and preventive actions and their effectiveness.
• Develop and maintain the safety learning framework.
• Identify trends from accidents, incidents, near misses, audits, inspections and observations.
• Identify opportunities to improve through document change requests, safety suggestions and other interactions.
• Own safety communications, including bulletins, alerts, best-practice notices and learning summaries.
• Review and share relevant external industry lessons.
• Deliver safety campaigns focused on key risks, positive behaviours and emerging hazards.
• Lead initiatives that support a fair, open and learning-focused safety culture.
• Design, coordinate and evaluate onboard and shore-based emergency exercises.
• Support the Designated Person Ashore in monitoring SMS effectiveness.
• Oversee publication, distribution, archiving and control of marine, technical and safety documentation.

About You:

• Senior maritime operational, safety or compliance management experience.
• Experience leading or supporting complex incident investigations.
• Experience developing and implementing organisational learning initiatives.
• Experience analysing safety performance data and identifying improvement opportunities.
• Strong knowledge of the ISM Code and Safety Management Systems.
• Knowledge of human factors and Human & Organisational Performance (HOP) principles.
• Root cause analysis and investigation methodologies.
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills.
• Ability to identify trends, emerging risks and organisational learning opportunities.
• Excellent presentation and facilitation skills.
• Ability to communicate complex safety issues clearly and proportionately.
• Ability to foster trust, constructive challenge and a positive reporting culture.
• Ability to travel internationally on a monthly basis and visit vessels as required.
• Willingness to participate in emergency response arrangements, including out-of-hours support.

This is a permanent, full-time role, working 35 hours per week Monday to Friday.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines offer a wide range of benefits including AXA Health medical, Life Assurance, enhanced maternity and paternity pay, discounted holidays and cruises, plus retail discounts and cash back incentives through our Boost Benefits scheme. Attached to this advert you will find a full job description and details of our Company benefits on offer.

Our Values:

• We are one team -Working together, supporting each other and recognising that every role plays a part.
• We are ambitious - Always looking for opportunities to improve and deliver more for our guests, colleagues and business.
• We are curious - Asking questions, seeking new ideas and learning from the world around us.
• We are real - Bringing our authentic selves to work and creating genuine connections.

As an equal opportunity employer, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We want to ensure that you feel supported throughout the application process and provide reasonable adjustments where necessary and requested. If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of your application and interview process, please do not hesitate to let us know.