SHEQ Manager

Vital Energi; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Vital Energi is hiring a SHEQ Manager for its EfW assets at Port Clarence and Drakelow, with travel between sites. The role concentrates on leading safety, health, quality and environmental initiatives, and coaching managers and staff to embed sound SHEQ practices across operations.

The successful candidate will drive reporting, investigations, risk reviews and environmental compliance, ensuring robust controls and continuous improvement in line with UK legislation and ISO standards.

Qualifications

• BSc in Environment/Engineering required or equivalent.
• NEBOSH General Certificate or higher preferred.
• IOSH membership or equivalent safety qualifications advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Influences safety culture across site personnel and stakeholders.
• Provides frontline SHEQ advice and coaching on site.
• Drives and supports reporting, investigations and corrective actions.
• Manages Safe System of Work (SSOW) and Permit To Work (PTW).
• Conducts risk reviews, site inspections and non-conformance follow-up.
• Maintains document control under ISO-aligned systems.
• Supports data analysis to inform decision making and action plans.
• Promotes continuous SHEQ improvement and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Leadership in SHEQ

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder engagement

Education

BSc in Environment/Engineering

NEBOSH General Certificate

IOSH Technician/Managing Safely

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

Job description

Start your sustainable career with Vital Energi at our EFW Power Plants! We’re transforming Energy from Waste, helping power local communities, and protecting the planet for future generations. Join us and be part of the future of energy.

The Opportunity

We’re excited to announce that we’re looking for a SHEQ Manager to support our EFW assets at Drakelow, Burton on Trent and Port Clarence, Stockton on Tees.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced SHEQ professional who will be responsible for driving cultural change and promoting Safety, Heath, Quality and Environmental aspects at the EfW facilities.

Lead professional safety and quality aspects, additionally providing lead support on environmental direction at the EfW sites, where a culture of safety and regulatory compliance comes before operational efficiency, thus ensuring that safety & environmental risks are effectively identified, managed and monitored.

Add value to the EfW facility by coaching managers and employees to fully engage in, and actively promote, sound SHEQ working practices, as well as identifying areas of improvement on the site.

The role will be based at one of the locations with travel to the other site as required.

Vital Energi- Port Clarence and Drakelow- Strategic asset ownership journey

Port Clarence represents the next phase of Vital Energi's evolution from energy solutions provider to significant asset owner, processing 320,000 tonnes of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) and produce over 30Mwe, this marks a substantial step-change in scale and ambition. Vital Energi will further invest in the optimisation of the Drakelow EfW plant to improve its productivity and returns, ensuring it continues to deliver robust operational and financial performance as part of the company’s growing portfolio. The energy generated by both facilities will be exported back to the national grid.

The Role

• Positively influences thinking and behaviours so that the site personnel engage, promote and understand the benefits of good SHEQ practice.
• Responsible for frontline SHEQ advice at site. Motivate, coach and encourage all site personnel in SHEQ matters. Influence and support improvements of SHEQ performance and engagement throughout both the site’s internal and external customer base.
• Drives and supports business ownership of SHEQ reporting, investigations and effective monitoring.
• Takes appropriate and robust action for any failings with standards and expectations.
• Assists site Management team in managing a Safe System of Work (SSOW) and Permit To Work (PTW) system for general site safety and safety from the system across the facility.
• Conducts risk reviews, gap assessments, site inspections accompanied with the Regional SHEQ Advisor to identify non-conformance and enable site to address areas of concern.
• Manages the document control process at site in accordance with site ISO accredited BMS and Company systems and standards.
• Supports and generates robust analysis of information to inform effective decision making and action plans.
• Encourages innovative ways of working and challenging existing operational practices to continually enhance and drive SHEQ excellence.
• Assists in ensuring that the site operates within its legal safety obligations, its environmental permit conditions and other permissions relevant to site, where any unsafe acts or environmental breaches are brought to the Company’s attention.
• Positively influences thinking and behaviours so that the site personnel engage, promote and understand the benefits of good SHEQ practice.

The Person

Education/experience:

• Strong practical understanding of relevant UK Health, Safety & Environmental legislation.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in Energy from Waste, waste management, or a similar regulated industry.

Qualifications:

• BSc or equivalent in an environment degree.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in Energy from Waste, waste management, or a similar regulated industry.
• Strong practical understanding of relevant UK Health, Safety & Environmental legislation.
• Fully conversant with ISO 9001, 14001, ISO 18001
• Familiarity in implementing, managing and developing fit-for-purpose and compliant
• Familiar with BSEN: 14181 air emissions monitoring & CEMS operation.
• Understanding of DSEAR/COMAH/ATEX/LOLER/PUWER/HAVS/PSSR/PED/PPE/RPE.
• Principal Designer, Client or experience of CDM works.
• NEBOSH general certificate and working towards NEBOSH Diploma.
• COTC L4 with EfW accreditation units.
• IT literate with advanced competency in MS excel and word for report and spread sheet production.
• Membership of IOSH (minimum Technician level).
• Member of IEMA / CIWM / WAMITAB.

Applicants must have the unrestricted and ongoing right to work in the UK for the duration of employment, without the need for sponsorship. Due to the nature of this role, we are unable to support visa sponsorship or employ individuals with time‑limited permission or conditions attached to their right to work in the UK.

The company is opposed to all forms of discrimination and will select for employment, training and promotion on the basis of suitability for the job and/ or merit. It is company policy that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment than another on the grounds of sex, race, colour, age, ethnic or national origins, political affiliations, religious beliefs, marital status, physical disability or is disadvantaged by unjustifiable conditions or requirements.