Programme Manager, Safety Culture

ESB; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

ESB is seeking an experienced Safety Culture specialist to design and deliver pivotal safety, health and wellbeing culture initiatives aligned with our Net Zero 2040 ambition and Safety Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2026–2030. The role leads a team across ESB to embed S&S across the organisation.

You will partner with OD and HR leaders to implement evidence-based interventions that improve safety, employee experience and performance, while modelling inclusive leadership.

Qualifications

• A Third level qualification in safety, health, environment, HR, organisation development, engineering, or equivalent relevant experience
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in roles related to safety, leadership, or organisational development or relevant industry experience
• Deep understanding of culture transformation principles, with a strong commitment to safety ethos, leadership development, and coaching
• Self-motivation with the ability to motivate, lead, and raise team performance levels
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing ability to build relationships and drive collaboration across all levels
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills and the ability to engage effectively with direct reports, managers at all levels, staff and third parties
• Strong problem‑solving skills combined with resilience and adaptability in complex environments and situations
• Good knowledge of the ESB businesses
• Experience in a health, safety or well‑being capacity

Responsibilities

• Ensure alignment of S&S and other Safety Culture works with Our Behaviours
• Partner with business units and transformation teams on the people and culture elements of S&S and other change initiatives—supporting stakeholder engagement, readiness, adoption, communications and reinforcement
• Lead and develop a team of culture partners / coaches
• Collaborate with the wider Culture & OD Strategy Manager to align S&S with group-wide culture and capability programmes
• Provide expertise in culture transformation, change management and adaptive leadership, including identifying emerging trends
• Build leadership capability by modelling best practice, promoting psychological safety and supporting collaborative decision making
• Coach and develop team members to foster a high performance, open & inclusive culture where people feel valued and trusted
• Conduct diagnostics using interviews, focus groups, engagement insights and organisational data, translating findings into clear recommendations and actions
• Support development of meaningful measures for OD and culture work, contributing to tracking, reporting and continuous improvement

Skills

Culture transformation

Leadership development

Coaching

Stakeholder management

Facilitation

Change management

Communication

Education

Third level qualification

Job description

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ESB is seeking an experienced Safety Culture specialist to design and deliver key safety, health and wellbeing cultural change initiatives aligned to ESB’s purpose, values, Net Zero 2040 ambition and our Safety Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2026 - 2030.

Safe & Sound (S&S) is ESB’s employee‑centred culture programme focused on strengthening people’s connection to safety, health and wellbeing by shaping attitudes and behaviours. The S&S team ensures the programme continues to embed across ESB by:

• Building leadership capability in coaching and S&S principles
• Leading and supporting S&S activity across ESB Group
• Facilitating learning and best‑practice sharing
• Managing S&S assurance and reporting

The Programme Manager for Safety Culture will lead a team of culture and leadership partners, working across ESB to broaden and deepen S&S. Working in collaboration with the Organisation Development (OD) Centre of Excellence, the role will partner closely with S&S leadership teams, Business Unit HR, transformation programmes and leaders to deliver practical interventions that improve safety, organisational effectiveness, employee experience and performance.

The successful candidate will bring strong culture transformation understand as well as diagnostic, facilitation and programme delivery skills, ensuring culture initiatives are evidence‑based and outcome‑focused. They will build on S&S successes and help implement OD frameworks and tools that support change and embed ESB’s desired culture

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure alignment of S&S and other Safety Culture works with Our Behaviours
• Partner with business units and transformation teams on the people and culture elements of S&S and other change initiatives—supporting stakeholder engagement, readiness, adoption, communications and reinforcement
• Lead and develop a team of culture partners / coaches
• Collaborate with the wider Culture & OD Strategy Manager to align S&S with group-wide culture and capability programmes
• Provide expertise in culture transformation, change management and adaptive leadership, including identifying emerging trends
• Build leadership capability by modelling best practice, promoting psychological safety and supporting collaborative decision making
• Coach and develop team members to foster a high performance, open & inclusive culture where people feel valued and trusted
• Conduct diagnostics using interviews, focus groups, engagement insights and organisational data, translating findings into clear recommendations and actions
• Support development of meaningful measures for OD and culture work, contributing to tracking, reporting and continuous improvement

Experience and Qualifications

• A Third level qualification in safety, health, environment, HR, organisation development, engineering, or equivalent relevant experience
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in roles related to safety, leadership, or organisational development or relevant industry experience
• Deep understanding of culture transformation principles, with a strong commitment to safety ethos, leadership development, and coaching
• Self-motivation with the ability to motivate, lead, and raise team performance levels
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing ability to build relationships and drive collaboration across all levels
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills and the ability to engage effectively with direct reports, managers at all levels, staff and third parties
• Strong problem‑solving skills combined with resilience and adaptability in complex environments and situations
• Good knowledge of the ESB businesses
• Experience in a health, safety or well‑being capacity

Location

This position will be based in 27 Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2.

Smart Working at ESB is designed to make ‘in‑person’ time together as purposeful as possible while also enabling the effective use of digital tools and hybrid arrangements to preserve our commitment to flexibility. The successful candidate may work flexibly within the jurisdiction where they have been employed, with attendance at the workplace for in‑person collaboration at least two days per week. All Smart Working arrangements are subject to regular review based on the operational requirements of the role, the team, and the business.

Reporting To Group SHE Support Manager.

Why Work with Us?

• Opportunity to lead Ireland’s transition tonet zero carbon future
• Career developmentthrough mentoring andtraining
• Corporate Social Responsibility Opportunities
• Sports and Social Clubs
• Networking opportunities
• Credit Union
• Access to staff well‑being programmes
• Generous parental leave entitlements
• Strong values‑based and inclusive culture
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• Great team environment working to our Core Values: Courageous, Caring, Driven and Trusted

Closing Date

Thursday 12th November 2026

Interview

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will complete a Behavioural Interview based on each of the following Behaviours, which underpin how we work at ESB and are critical to delivering our strategy:

Your application will be held in reserve for 6 months should you be suitable for the role.

The successful candidate will be required to evidence their right to work in the Republic of Ireland prior to commencement of employment.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement

ESB is committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all sections of society and ensure that no one is discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or belief, ethnicity or nationality, disability, age, citizenship, marital status, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation or gender identity, or any other basis as protected by law.

Applicants who anticipate requiring assistance or reasonable accommodations for any part of the application or interview process may contact, in confidence, [e-mail].

About ESB

Join us in our mission to achieve a net‑zero electricity system by 2040. ESB is Ireland’s leading energy utility, with activities spanning electricity generation, transmission and distribution, energy supply, energy services and international consultancy. Operating in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain, we invest over €1 billion each year to deliver a new energy future based on reliable, affordable zero‑carbon electricity.