Site HSE Lead

Staffline; Northampton, Wellingborough, Kettering, Rushden; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus up to 15%

Autonomy

Job summary

Staffline seeks an experienced Site HSE Lead for a market-leading FMCG manufacturing site in the East Midlands. You will partner with the Site Leadership Team and multiple functions to drive safety, environmental and wellbeing enhancements while embedding a culture of ownership across the operation.

You will lead safety strategy, coach leaders, and influence across shop floor to boardroom, delivering pragmatic improvements beyond compliance and shaping a world-class safety culture.

Qualifications

• Experience operating within ISO 45001 environments.
• Audit and management systems experience.
• Experience managing high-risk activities and contractors.
• Strong understanding of incident investigation and root cause methodologies.
• Data-driven approach to performance improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead the site's HSE strategy and continue the journey towards world-class performance.
• Coach and influence senior operational leaders to strengthen safety ownership.
• Develop trusted relationships across manufacturing, engineering, technical and supply chain teams.
• Drive behavioural safety initiatives and workforce engagement programmes.
• Act as a critical friend to the leadership team, providing pragmatic risk-based guidance.
• Lead investigations, root cause analysis and corrective action programmes.
• Analyse SHE performance data, trends and leading indicators to identify improvement opportunities.
• Support and maintain ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 management systems.
• Conduct audits, inspections and assurance activities across the operation.
• Drive contractor management and high-risk activity controls.
• Support environmental improvement initiatives and sustainability objectives.
• Champion a culture where safety is embedded within operational decision making rather than owned solely by the HSE department.

Skills

Relationship building

Stakeholder management

Influencing senior leaders

Coaching leadership

Communication skills

Culture change

Job description

£53,000 - £58,000 + up to 15% Bonus + Exceptional Pension

East Midlands / North Northamptonshire Corridor

Client:

Uk category market leader in manufacturing

Commutable from Northampton, Wellingborough, Kettering, Bedford, Rushden, Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Huntingdon and surrounding areas.

The Opportunity – Site HSE Lead

A market-leading FMCG manufacturer is seeking a highly visible and influential Site HSE Manager to help shape the next chapter of its already impressive safety culture.

This is an opportunity to join a household-name business with a reputation for operational excellence, continuous improvement, quality, and employee engagement. Operating within a complex manufacturing related operations environment, the site combines engineering, utilities, warehousing and supply chain functions under one roof, creating a fast-paced and highly engaging challenge for an experienced HSE professional.

Importantly, this is not a compliance-led, clipboard-carrying safety role.

The business already has strong systems, excellent leadership commitment and a mature safety foundation. They are now looking for an HSE leader who can influence behaviours, build credibility with operational teams, coach leaders, and help move the culture from good to genuinely world class.

You’ll be trusted with significant autonomy to shape the agenda, challenge constructively, and drive sustainable improvements across safety, health, environmental and wellbeing performance.

The Role – Site HSE lead

Reporting to the Regional HSE Category Manager, you will act as the site's Health, Safety & Environmental subject matter expert while partnering closely with the Site Leadership Team, Engineering, Production, Supply Chain and Continuous Improvement functions.

This role is about leadership and influence just as much as technical capability.

You’ll be a visible presence across the manufacturing operation, helping operational leaders take ownership of SHE performance while supporting key business objectives around safety, efficiency, quality, reliability and employee engagement.

Key Responsibilities – Site HSE lead

• Lead the site's HSE strategy and continue the journey towards world-class performance
• Coach and influence senior operational leaders to strengthen safety ownership
• Develop trusted relationships across manufacturing, engineering, technical and supply chain teams
• Drive behavioural safety initiatives and workforce engagement programmes
• Act as a critical friend to the leadership team, providing pragmatic risk-based guidance
• Lead investigations, root cause analysis and corrective action programmes
• Analyse SHE performance data, trends and leading indicators to identify improvement opportunities
• Support and maintain ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 management systems
• Conduct audits, inspections and assurance activities across the operation
• Drive contractor management and high-risk activity controls
• Support environmental improvement initiatives and sustainability objectives
• Champion a culture where safety is embedded within operational decision making rather than owned solely by the HSE department

Unlike many HSE positions, this role offers genuine exposure to the operational heartbeat of a manufacturing business.

You will work closely with:

• Operations and manufacturing teams
• Engineering and maintenance departments
• Automation and reliability functions
• Continuous improvement teams
• Utilities and infrastructure operations
• Warehousing and supply chain functions
• Capital project and contractor activities

The environment demands strong leadership, stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, making it highly transferable for professionals from food or heavier manufacturing, FMCG, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, packaging, chemicals, personal care, building products, automotive and other high-volume manufacturing environments.

About You – Site HSE Lead

You may currently be working as a Site HSE Manager, SHE Manage, Health & Safety Manager, HSE Business Partner, Regional HSE Advisor, Safety Business Partner, EHS Manager, Environmental Health & Safety Lead, Senior HSE Advisor

Most importantly, you'll be someone who can build trust, influence behaviours and drive cultural change across a large operational workforce.

You’ll Demonstrate – Site HSE lead

• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills
• Experience influencing senior leaders and operational teams
• A collaborative, coaching-led leadership style
• Confidence challenging constructively and professionally
• Strong communication and engagement capabilityExperience operating within fast-paced manufacturing environments
• The ability to gain credibility from shop floor to boardroom
• Passion for cultural improvement rather than simply policing compliance

Ideal Background – Site HSE lead

FMCG Manufacturing, Food Manufacturing, Beverage Production

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Consumer Products, Packaging Manufacturing, Building Products, Automotive Manufacturing, High-Speed Production or automation Environments

Qualifications & Experience – Sie HSE lead

• Experience operating within ISO 45001 environments
• Audit and management systems experience
• Experience managing high-risk activities and contractors
• Strong understanding of incident investigation and root cause methodologies
• Data-driven approach to performance improvement

Why Join? Site HSE Lead

• £53,000 - £58,000 salary target band
• Realistic 15% annual bonus
• Significant autonomy and influence
• Highly respected leadership team
• Strong investment in people, safety and continuous improvement
• Opportunity to create a lasting legacy within a nationally recognised manufacturing business

This is an excellent opportunity for an engaging, commercially minded HSE professional who wants to influence culture, develop leaders and help shape the future of safety performance within a successful and growing FMCG operation.