EHS Manager

Panda International; Gelderland; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Panda International is seeking an experienced Health & Safety Manager to lead H&S strategy across a major Netherlands project. You will ensure compliance with legal requirements, internal standards, and industry best practices from design through handover, acting as the H&S authority within the project team in the Nijmegen area.

You will develop, implement, and maintain safety programs, lead audits and investigations, and drive a strong safety culture with contractors and stakeholders on a

Qualifications

• Experience in Health & Safety within industrial, manufacturing, engineering, or construction projects.
• Strong understanding of H&S legislation and industry standards.
• Experience across project lifecycle.
• Experience with risk assessments, audits, inspections, and incident investigations.
• Knowledge of LOTO, permit-to-work, confined spaces, working at heights, electrical safety, lifting, and ATEX.
• Experience managing safety performance of contractors and external stakeholders.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management.
• Proactive, hands-on approach with focus on safety and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the project's Health & Safety strategy, plans, standards, and procedures.
• Translate corporate H&S policies into project-specific requirements.
• Act as the H&S authority within the project team.
• Ensure H&S requirements are integrated across design, engineering, construction, commissioning, and readiness.
• Lead project risk assessments and safety reviews.
• Establish and maintain safety procedures, work instructions, and permit-to-work systems.
• Define, communicate, and monitor contractor safety requirements.
• Ensure compliance with critical safety programs including LOTO, confined spaces, heights, electrical safety, lifting, contractor management, ATEX.
• Conduct site inspections, safety walks, audits, and behavioral observations.
• Lead investigations into incidents and near misses with root cause analysis.
• Develop and deliver H&S inductions, toolbox talks, awareness campaigns, and training.
• Coordinate internal and external H&S audits and regulatory inspections.
• Define, monitor, and report H&S KPIs and identify improvement opportunities.
• Collaborate with management, engineering, operations, contractors, regulators and stakeholders.

Skills

Health & safety knowledge

Project lifecycle experience

Stakeholder management

Leadership and coaching

Risk assessment experience

Audits and investigations

Job description

A leading international organization is looking for an experienced professional to join a major project as a Health & Safety Manager in the Netherlands.

In this role, you will be responsible for shaping, implementing, and maintaining Health & Safety (H&S) policies, standards, and programs across the complete project lifecycle. You will ensure that activities from design and engineering through construction, commissioning, and handover are executed in compliance with legal requirements, internal standards, and industry best practices.

This is a fully site-based position in Nijmegen area where you will work closely with project management, engineering teams, operations, contractors, and external stakeholders to establish and maintain a strong safety culture.

What You Will Do

• Develop and maintain the project's Health & Safety strategy, management plans, standards, and procedures.
• Translate corporate H&S policies and regulatory requirements into practical project-specific requirements.
• Act as the H&S authority within the project team, providing expert advice to project leadership.
• Ensure H&S requirements are integrated throughout design, engineering, construction, commissioning, and operational readiness.
• Lead project risk assessments, task risk assessments, and other safety reviews.
• Establish and maintain safety procedures, work instructions, and permit-to-work systems.
• Define, communicate, and monitor contractor safety requirements.
• Ensure compliance with critical safety programs, including LOTO, confined space entry, working at heights, electrical safety, lifting operations, contractor management, and ATEX where applicable.
• Conduct regular site inspections, safety walks, audits, and behavioral observations.
• Lead investigations into incidents, near misses, unsafe conditions, and non-conformities, including root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Develop and deliver H&S inductions, toolbox talks, awareness campaigns, and training programs.
• Coordinate internal and external H&S audits and regulatory inspections.
• Define, monitor, and report H&S KPIs and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with project management, engineering, operations, contractors, regulators, and other stakeholders.

What We Are Looking For

• Relevant professional experience within Health & Safety, preferably in a complex industrial, manufacturing, engineering, or construction project environment.
• Strong understanding of H&S legislation, regulatory requirements, and industry standards.
• Experience managing Health & Safety throughout different phases of a project lifecycle.
• Experience with risk assessments, safety audits, inspections, and incident investigations.
• Knowledge of critical safety programs such as LOTO, permit-to-work, confined spaces, working at heights, electrical safety, lifting operations, and ATEX.
• Experience working with and managing the safety performance of contractors and external stakeholders.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to coach project managers, engineers, supervisors, and contractors on H&S requirements.
• A proactive and hands-on approach with a strong commitment to safety and continuous improvement.

What You Can Expect

• A 12-month assignment within a major international project.
• A fully site-based position in Nijmegen Area, Netherlands.
• The opportunity to take ownership of Health & Safety across a complex and multidisciplinary project.
• Close collaboration with engineering, operations, project management, and external contractors.
• The opportunity to make a direct impact on safety culture, compliance, and project execution.
• A dynamic international working environment.

Interested?

Are you an experienced Health & Safety professional looking for a long-term project where you can take ownership of H&S strategy, compliance, and site safety?