HSE Manager

HSE Manager

The HSE Manager is a strategic leader responsible for shaping and driving a culture of operational excellence, wellbeing, and sustainability across the company's largest and most complex programmes. This role goes beyond compliance, it is about influencing how projects think, plan, and perform to deliver world-class outcomes safely and responsibly.

As the senior HSE authority for the Major Projects sector, you will partner with Project Directors, operational leadership, and external stakeholders to align health, safety, environmental and wellbeing (HSEW) performance with business strategy, innovation, and long-term value creation.

Key Accountabilities

Strategic Leadership

• Set the strategic direction for HSE across Major Projects, aligning objectives with corporate goals and business priorities.
• Translate HSE strategy into actionable programmes that improve operational performance and drive sustainable results.
• Foster a proactive culture of human performance, learning, and continuous improvement, where safety and wellbeing are integrated into every business decision.

Operational Excellence

• Provide strategic oversight and governance across all project phases from concept and design through delivery and closeout.
• Ensure effective fulfilment of CDM roles across all projects.
• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of integrated management systems (ISO 45001, 14001, 9001,

Influence and Collaboration

• Act as the key HSE interface for clients, partners, contractors, and regulatory bodies, representing the organisation as a trusted and credible leader.
• Build collaborative relationships that enable shared learning, joint initiatives, and consistent performance improvement across the supply chain.
• Support bid and business development activities by providing strategic HSE insights that enhance competitive advantage.

Performance and Culture

• Use leading and lagging indicators to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Oversee investigation of significant incidents, ensuring meaningful learning and sustainable corrective actions.
• Lead by example, demonstrating visible, felt leadership that motivates and engages people at all levels of the organisation.

People and Capability

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of HSE professionals to deliver consistently high performance.
• Champion talent development, capability building, and succession planning within the HSE function.
• Embed accountability, empowerment, and collaboration across the team and wider project operations.

Qualifications and Experience

• Professional:
  NEBOSH Diploma (or equivalent), Chartered status (CMIOSH) preferred.

• Experience:
  Extensive experience in senior HSE leadership within major projects, infrastructure, or engineering environments.

• Technical Expertise:

• Strong understanding of UK HSE legislation, CDM Regulations, and ISO management systems.
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and influencing senior stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to turn data and insight into performance improvement and cultural change.

• Personal Attributes:

• Strategic thinker with operational credibility.
• Strong communicator and influencer with gravitas.
• Resilient, forward-thinking, and comfortable challenging conventional approaches.

Key Outcomes

• A clearly defined and executed HSE strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Tangible improvements in leading indicators, engagement, and cultural maturity.
• High levels of client and regulatory confidence in HSE leadership.
• Empowered, capable, and motivated HSE teams delivering consistent results.
• Sustained compliance with all regulatory and corporate standards while fostering innovation and adaptability.

Forward Vision

This role is not about maintaining the status quo. It is about leading transformation, integrating human performance, digital tools, sustainability, and wellbeing into the fabric of major project delivery. The successful candidate will help shape the next generation of safe, sustainable, high-performing projects.