Group Head of Environment, Health & Safety

at  VetPartners Limited

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Group Head of Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) to join us at VetPartners. This is a new role with the objective of understanding EHS requirements in each of the countries in which we operate, reviewing existing EHS management systems, and developing and implementing an EHS strategy across the group.
You will report to the Group Director of Culture and People, manage the UK and Ireland Health & Safety team, and support those responsible for EHS in our other operating countries (primarily within the EU / EEC) via our matrix structure. This will also involve helping them to manage third-party contractors where appropriate, particularly in collaboration with our European country business units.

The main responsibilities of the role include:

• Foster a collaborative and supportive EHS culture across the group, in which colleagues and teams take EHS compliance seriously, and feel confident and supported in implementing EHS processes in their workplace
• Understand and document the EHS requirements in each of the countries in which we operate. Develop and implement an EHS strategy which takes account of the highly distributed and heterogenous nature of our sites, which currently have varying degrees of maturity and experience with respect to EHS management
• Communicate and obtain support for the implementation of the EHS strategy, with common processes and systems across the group where possible
• Pro-actively monitor the regulatory environment in VetPartners’ operating countries to ensure ongoing understanding of compliance requirements to meet national and international EHS obligations and industry best practices, ensuring changed requirements are communicated effectively across the group and appropriate actions are taken to remain compliant
• Lead the development and implementation of accident reporting and data collection processes, and use these metrics to identify key risks and priority areas of focus
• Manage and develop pragmatic EHS programmes, policies and processes to ensure the business complies with national EHS legislation and regulations and collaborate with other business functions as necessary to create a ‘joined up’ compliance programme across the group.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Prior experience developing EHS strategies in Europe/EEC
• A pragmatic risk-based approach to EHS
• The ability to motivate, coach and support a team – some of whom are ‘dotted-line’ relationships rather than directly managed by this role
• Leadership and influencing skills with the ability to build and develop a team and coach them to achieve their potential
• Strong problem-solving skills with a keen eye for detail
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• NEBOSH Level 6 or similar equivalent

• Foster a collaborative and supportive EHS culture across the group, in which colleagues and teams take EHS compliance seriously, and feel confident and supported in implementing EHS processes in their workplace
• Understand and document the EHS requirements in each of the countries in which we operate. Develop and implement an EHS strategy which takes account of the highly distributed and heterogenous nature of our sites, which currently have varying degrees of maturity and experience with respect to EHS management
• Communicate and obtain support for the implementation of the EHS strategy, with common processes and systems across the group where possible
• Pro-actively monitor the regulatory environment in VetPartners’ operating countries to ensure ongoing understanding of compliance requirements to meet national and international EHS obligations and industry best practices, ensuring changed requirements are communicated effectively across the group and appropriate actions are taken to remain compliant
• Lead the development and implementation of accident reporting and data collection processes, and use these metrics to identify key risks and priority areas of focus
• Manage and develop pragmatic EHS programmes, policies and processes to ensure the business complies with national EHS legislation and regulations and collaborate with other business functions as necessary to create a ‘joined up’ compliance programme across the group