Site Safety Lead

QinetiQ; Sevenoaks; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Matched contribution pension

Life assurance

Generous holiday allowance

Health Cash Plan

Private Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Employee discount portal

Armed Forces Covenant support

Volunteering opportunities

Job summary

QinetiQ is recruiting a Site Safety Lead for our Fort Halstead site in Kent. You will partner with site leadership to deliver expert HSE guidance, ensure regulatory compliance, and drive improvements to safety culture and performance.

Key requirements include NEBOSH Level 3 and extensive HSE experience, with eligibility for SC clearance and travel to other QinetiQ sites as needed. The role is 37 hours per week at Fort Halstead.

Qualifications

• Strong practical expertise in Health & Safety management systems, including ISO 45001 implementation and improvement.
• Proven experience leading site safety initiatives and driving behavioural change.
• Hands-on HSE management experience in practitioner or operational leadership roles.

Responsibilities

• Lead to promote a positive safety culture and embed Care and Thrive values across the site.
• Provide expert HSE advice and support to operations ensuring compliance and competence.
• Drive implementation of HSE policies, strategies and objectives with stakeholders.
• Deliver safety improvements through training, coaching and effective communication.
• Lead investigations into accidents and incidents with expert guidance and learning.
• Monitor and improve HSE performance through audits, inspections and ISO compliance.

Skills

HSE management

ISO 45001

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Root cause analysis

Education

NEBOSH (Level 3) General Certificate

Job description

Package: £47,025– £52,250 (salary dependent on experience) + Benefits

Role ID: SF20668

Are you ready to be part of the future? At QinetiQ, we’re not just imagining tomorrow we are creating it. From cutting-edge defence technology to ground‑breaking innovations our mission is to empower and protect lives. Join us as a Site Safety Lead at our Fort Halstead site, where you will have the opportunity to work with cutting‑edge technology in partnership with some of the most brilliant minds.

The Role

As a Site Safety Lead, you will act in a “business partner” capacity to provide support, competent and professional safety advice to the Site Operational Team in order to develop and continually improve all aspects of our safety culture, performance and management in accordance with the safety management system and relevant legislative requirements.

Day‑to‑day, you’ll drive a step change in the safety culture across the business contributing to improved safety performance.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Lead by example to promote a positive safety culture, demonstrating strong leadership behaviours and embedding Care and Thrive values across the site
• Partner with site leadership to provide expert HSE advice and support to operational teams, ensuring compliance and competence
• Drive the implementation of HSE legislation, policies, strategies, and objectives through strong stakeholder engagement and professional collaboration
• Deliver safety improvements through training, coaching, mentoring, and effective communication with internal and external stakeholders
• Lead and support accident, incident, and occupational health investigations, providing expert guidance and ensuring effective resolution and learning
• Monitor and improve HSE performance through audits, inspections, reporting, ISO compliance, environmental management, continuous improvement, and adherence to current legislation

Essential experience of the Site Safety Lead:

• Strong practical expertise in Health & Safety management systems, including implementation and continuous improvement of ISO 45001, with awareness of ISO 14001 requirements
• Proven experience leading site safety initiatives, driving behavioural change, and improving safety performance within complex operational and matrix environments
• Extensive knowledge of operations, engineering, and service delivery, supported by hands‑on HSE management experience in practitioner or operational leadership roles
• Skilled in accident and incident investigation, including root cause analysis, regulatory engagement, and the management of workplace health and safety risks
• Excellent communication, coaching, and influencing abilities, with a track record of engaging stakeholders at all levels to build safety capability and culture

Essential qualifications for the Site Safety Lead:

• NEBOSH (Level 3) General Certificate or equivalent

We value difference and we don’t have a fixed idea when it comes to background or education, provided you can show the required level of experience and willingness to learn then we would like to hear from you.

This role is 37 hours per week based at our Fort Halstead site. Travel to other QinetiQ and customer sites will be expected.

Our facilities at Fort Halstead, located in Kent, focus on a wide range of defence‑related research, particularly weapons systems and military technology. Modern laboratories enable engineers and scientists to conduct high‑tech research in material science, systems engineering, and advanced simulation techniques.

Please note that all applicants for this role must be eligible for SC clearance, as a minimum.

UKSV National Security Vetting Solution: guidance for applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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Our Recruitment Process:

At QinetiQ we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible and welcoming workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We believe that a diverse mix of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences drives innovation and leads to better outcomes for our people, customers and communities. We encourage applications from all candidates and are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know by emailing [e-mail]. One of our recruitment team will contact you.

Many roles in QinetiQ are subject to national security vetting being completed, applicants who already hold the appropriate level of vetting may be able to transfer it upon appointment. A number of roles are also subject to additional restrictions, which means factors such as nationality or previous nationalities may affect the roles that you can be employed in.

Why Join QinetiQ?

As we continue to grow into new markets around the world, there’s never been a more exciting time to join QinetiQ. The formula for success is our appetite for innovation and having the courage to take on a wide variety of complex challenges.

As a QinetiQ employee, you’ll experience a unique working environment where teams from different backgrounds, disciplines and experiences enjoy collaborating widely and openly as we undertake this exciting and rewarding journey. Through effective teamwork, and pulling together, you’ll get to experience what happens when we all share different perspectives, blend disciplines, and link technologies; constantly discovering new ways of solving complex problems in a diverse and inclusive environment where you can be authentic, feel valued and realise your full potential.

Visit our website to read more about our diverse and inclusive workplace culture. www.qinetiq.com/en/careers/life-at-qinetiq

• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Generous holiday allowance, with the option to purchase additional days
• Options to join Health Cash Plan, Private Medical Insurance and Dental Insurance
• Employee discount portal: Personal Accident Insurance, Travel Insurance, Restaurants, Cinema Tickets and much more
• We are proud to support the Armed Forces community by honouring the Armed Forces Covenant and maintaining our Gold Award standard in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme
• Volunteering Opportunities - helping charities and local community