Head of Safety

Lesedi; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,800,000 - 2,600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Executive exposure to leadership

Nuclear safety culture development

Job summary

Lesedi seeks a Head of Safety (Head of SHE) to own the strategic safety, health and environmental mandate across the organisation. Reporting to the CEO, you will set standards, drive Zero Harm culture, and ensure regulatory compliance across all divisions and sites.

This is a high-visibility role with external accountability to clients, regulators, and industry bodies. You will lead governance, risk management, audits, and continuous improvement of the IMS, ensuring integration with ISO

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in Safety, Health and Environment across multiple sites and industries.
• Proven ability to implement integrated SHE management systems and regulatory compliance.
• Experience with nuclear safety culture, human performance improvement, and risk-based decision making.

Responsibilities

• Own the strategic mandate for SHE and translate it into site-level plans across locations.
• Lead external engagements with clients, regulators, and industry bodies on safety matters.
• Ensure compliance with SHE legislation, construction regulations, and nuclear safety requirements across jurisdictions.
• Chair SHE governance bodies and manage budgets and executive reporting.

Skills

Strategic leadership

SHE governance

Stakeholder engagement

Nuclear safety

Regulatory knowledge

Risk assessment

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Management, Occupational Health and Safety, Engineering, or related field

Job description

The Head of Safety (Head of SHE) is the custodian of safety across the organisation. Reporting directly to the CEO, the successful candidate will own the strategic mandate for Safety, Health and Environment across the business and be accountable for ensuring full compliance in every industry, jurisdiction, and regulatory environment in which Lesedi operates. This is a senior, high-visibility position: the incumbent sets the direction, standards, and tone for SHE across the organisation, and ensures it is consistently understood and applied at every division, project, and site. The role carries significant external accountability as Lesedi's principal representative on safety matters with clients, regulators, and industry bodies, and is the escalation point for serious safety incidents with client, regulatory, or reputational consequence. The Head of Safety drives a proactive Zero Harm culture, a strong nuclear safety culture, and continuous improvement across the organisation. This position is a legal appointment in terms of Section 16(2) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, read together with Construction Regulations.

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

Strategic Leadership, Corporate Governance & Executive Reporting

• Own the strategic mandate for SHE, translating it into divisional and site-level plans across all locations.
• Report SHE performance, risk, and incidents to the CEO, EXCO, Board, and Social & Ethics Committee.
• Set enterprise-wide SHE standards and non-negotiables, and hold divisional and site leadership accountable against the SHE strategy and budget.
• Champion Zero Harm as a lived organisational value across all levels of leadership.

External Stakeholder, Client & Regulatory Engagement

• Act as Lesedi's primary point of contact for safety matters with clients, regulators, and industry bodies.
• Represent Lesedi in client SHE audits, pre-qualification assessments, and other high-level compliance meetings.
• Lead engagement with the Department of Employment and Labour and other regulatory bodies.
• Manage incident notification, client liaison, and reputational risk during significant SHE events.

SHE Governance, Compliance and Regulatory Management

• Ensure full compliance with SHE legislation, construction regulations, and nuclear safety requirements across all jurisdictions.
• Review and update legal registers, SHE procedures, and compliance documentation.
• Conduct SHE inspections, audits, and compliance assessments across all operational sites.
• Ensure statutory reports, notifications, permits, and SHE records are accurately maintained and submitted.

Nuclear Safety Culture and Risk Management

• Lead and promote nuclear safety culture initiatives, setting the tone for how safety is discussed and escalated.
• Conduct safety culture assessments, behavioural observations, and risk evaluations.
• Review baseline risk assessments and ensure alignment with operational and legal requirements.
• Investigate incidents, near misses, and non-conformances, and drive corrective action to closure.

Integrated Management Systems (IMS) and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain and improve the SHE components of the Integrated Management System (IMS).
• Ensure compliance with ISO 9001, ISO 1401, ISO 4501, ISO 19443, and ASME NQA-1 across every division.
• Coordinate internal and external SHE audits and track corrective actions to closure.
• Analyse SHE performance data and KPIs to identify improvement opportunities and report at executive level.

Operational SHE Support and Emergency Preparedness

• Support projects and operational teams with SHE guidance, ensuring corporate standards are applied at site level.
• Ensure project safety files and contractor SHE documentation comply with client specifications.
• Coordinate emergency preparedness plans, drills, and incident response activities.
• Deliver SHE awareness training and monitor PPE, occupational hygiene, and environmental management.

Team Leadership and Stakeholder Collaboration

• Lead, mentor, and guide SHE personnel and specialist teams across divisions and sites.
• Chair the SHE Committee, Nuclear Safety Culture Committee, and related governance meetings.
• Develop and manage SHE budgets and monitor expenditure against approved budgets.
• Provide executive reports on SHE performance, risks, incidents, and improvement initiatives.

QUALIFICATION

• Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Management, Occupational Health and Safety, Engineering, or a related field.
• Driver's licence required, together with own transport.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 10 years' experience in Safety, Health and Environmental management within industrial, engineering, construction, or nuclear environments.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in a senior leadership or management role.
• Proven experience implementing and managing integrated SHE management systems.
• Experience in nuclear safety culture, human performance improvement, and industrial safety management.
• Strong knowledge of construction regulations, environmental legislation, and occupational health and safety requirements.

Accreditations / Professional Memberships

• Registration with the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) as a Safety Manager.
• Membership with recognised SHE professional bodies such as the Institute of Safety Management (IOSM), SAIOSH, or related industry organisations is recommended.
• Lead Auditor certification and professional affiliations related to ISO management systems or nuclear safety are advantageous.

COMPETENCIES

Knowledge

• Extensive knowledge of occupational health, safety, environmental, and construction legislation.
• Strong understanding of nuclear safety principles and nuclear safety culture.
• Knowledge of Integrated Management Systems and ISO standards (ISO 9001, ISO 1401, ISO 4501, ISO 19443, ASME NQA-1).
• Understanding of risk management, incident investigation, and emergency preparedness.
• Knowledge of industrial operations, contractor management, and auditing principles.
• Working understanding of corporate governance, Board and EXCO reporting requirements, and the regulatory landscape across the industries Lesedi operates in.

Skills

• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the credibility to hold divisional and site leadership accountable for SHE performance.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, including with clients, regulators, and Board-level audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Report writing, auditing, and investigation skills, including preparation of executive and Board-level reporting.
• Skilled in negotiation and communication during serious incidents or compliance escalations.
• Computer literacy in Microsoft Office.
• Planning, organisational, and project coordination skills.

Behaviours

• High level of integrity and professionalism.
• Strong attention to detail and compliance focus.
• Assertive and confident decision-maker, comfortable escalating and acting decisively on safety risk regardless of commercial or operational pressure.
• Ability to influence and drive positive safety culture at every level of the organisation, from EXCO to site floor.
• Proactive and solutions-oriented mindset.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration abilities.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities.
• Ethical, accountable, and dependable.
• Gravitas and composure required to represent Lesedi externally on safety-critical matters.

Should you not hear from us within 21 days of the closing of the advert, kindly regard your application to have been unsuccessful.