Senior HSE Manager

James Fisher and Sons plc; Paisley; Remote; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Early finish on Fridays

Private Medical Insurance

Life Assurance

Cycle to work scheme

Company Pension

Job summary

James Fisher and Sons is seeking an experienced Senior HSE Manager to lead the Defence HSE function across multiple sites, promoting a proactive safety culture.

You will set strategic direction for ISO-aligned health, safety and environmental management, drive continuous improvement, and partner with operations, regulators and customers to ensure robust governance and risk controls.

Qualifications

• Must possess NEBOSH Diploma Level 6 or equivalent.
• Chartered IOSH member or actively working towards.
• Proven leadership of HSE in high-hazard environments.
• Strong knowledge of ISO 45001 and ISO 14001.
• Experience leading investigations and root-cause analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Defence HSE function, guiding operational leaders and driving HSSEQ strategy.
• Governance, assurance and reporting; own the HSE Management System.
• Drive site-wide compliance through audits and inspections.
• Oversee significant HSE risks and high-hazard activities with robust controls.
• Lead incident investigations and implement effective corrective actions.
• Provide HSE input on bids, tenders and product development.
• Interface with customers, regulators and certification bodies; represent Defence Division.

Skills

HSE leadership

ISO 45001

ISO 14001

Incident investigation

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Travel willingness

Education

NEBOSH Diploma (Level 6)

Chartered IOSH member

Tools

HSE Management Systems

Job description

About the Role

Senior HSE Manager

Inchinnan, Glasgow

Full-time, Permanent

Please note that this role requires security checks.

The Role

An exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior HSE Manager to lead, shape and elevate the Health, Safety and Environmental function across the Defence division, whilst promoting a positive safety culture across all operations.

In this leadership role, you will set the strategic direction for HSE—ensuring not only full compliance with legal, regulatory and corporate standards, but also fostering a culture where safety, wellbeing and environmental responsibility are at the heart of everything we do.

What you'll be doing

• Lead the Defence HSE function, providing expert guidance to operational leaders, supporting delivery of the HSSEQ strategy and building HSE capability through strong leadership, coaching and engagement.
• Establish and maintain effective HSE governance, assurance and reporting, including ownership and continuous improvement of the HSE Management System in line with ISO standards and legal requirements.
• Drive compliance and continual improvement across all sites through audits, inspections and assurance activities, ensuring consistent application of Group and Divisional standards.
• Oversee significant HSE risks and high-hazard activities, ensuring critical controls are identified, implemented and verified, and supporting teams to manage risk across the project lifecycle.
• Lead incident investigations to ensure robust root cause analysis, effective corrective actions and the sharing of lessons learned to strengthen organisational performance.
• Provide HSE input across bids, tenders and product development, ensuring appropriate resources, competence and product safety requirements are embedded in delivery.
• Act as the key interface with customers, regulators and certification bodies, leading audits and representing the Defence Division at Group HSE forums and governance meetings.

What we're looking for

• NEBOSH Diploma (or equivalent Level 6 qualification) and Chartered IOSH member (or working towards).
• Significant HSE leadership experience within a high-hazard environment.
• Strong knowledge of ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 management systems.
• Proven experience leading complex incident investigations and root cause analysis.
• Ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders within a matrix organisation.
• Strong leadership, communication and change management capability.
• Additional credentials such as Designated Person Ashore are advantageous.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Why join us

• Early finish on Fridays
• Competitive salary and benefits package aligned with experience (Private Medical Insurance, Life Assurance, Cycle to work scheme, Company Pension, etc.)
• Clear pathways for career development andorganisationalvisibility
• Inclusive and supportive culture that values individual contributions
• Meaningful work with impact across safety, innovation, and global operations

About Us

James Fisher is a global engineering services company operating across Energy, Defence, and Maritime Transport. With a strong heritage in maritime operations, we now deliver innovative solutions in challenging environments. Our One James Fisher strategy is focused on building a unified, sustainable business within the Blue Economy, driving progress through technology, expertise, and collaboration.

James Fisher Defence (JFD), part of the James Fisher Group, is a global leader in underwater capability, delivering cutting-edge diving, submarine rescue, and hyperbaric solutions to both commercial and defence markets. Operating worldwide, JFD is the foremost provider of submarine rescue services and a trusted name in submarine escape training. We’re also at the forefront of hyperbaric rescue innovation and a leading supplier of advanced diving equipment and saturation systems across the industry. Explore more about JFD

At James Fisher and Sons, we are committed to taking positive action on diversity and strongly encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and recognise that our success is driven by the talent and diversity of our workforce. To support an accessible and inclusive recruitment experience in the UK, we partner with Vercida. You can learn more about our approach by visiting our company page: James Fisher and Sons diversity, inclusion, culture - VERCIDA