Head of Occupational Health and Safety

at  Wessex Water

We are looking for a newly created Head of Occupational Head and Safety to join our growing team at Wessex Water.
You will lead a team of safety professionals and support the company to be an exemplar in occupational health and safety.
This is a senior multi-disciplinary health and safety role interfacing at CEO, director and senior manager levels.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

We are looking for:

• Health and Safety Practitioner qualified to diploma level or above
• comprehensive experience of health and safety management
• experience in developing health and safety systems to meet ISO45001
• demonstrable experience of working in a health and safety role and bringing about culture change within an organisation
• ability to demonstrate flexibility/versatility combined with initiative, drive and ability to meet deadlines
• a proven track-record of managing and delivering exceptionally high standards of compliance
• line management experience including providing positive support, advice and encouragement towards staff development
• a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of health, safety and risk management.

WHO WE ARE

We are one of the top-performing water and sewerage companies in England and Wales, serving 2.9 million people across the South West.
The work we do goes beyond providing an essential public service. We also aim to have a positive impact on the communities we serve and the natural environment.
Our people tell us Wessex Water is a great place to work, which is why so many of them stay with us! You will have the opportunity to develop and progress your career, while also receiving health and wellbeing support.
We also continue to promote diversity and inclusion – with that in mind, all applicants are welcome. We are delighted to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and are a Disability Confident Employer.
This is an exciting opportunity to join us and if you would like to be part of our journey, we would love to hear from you. Please do not hesitate to let us know about any additional support you may need.

You will drive a positive safety culture across the organisation, meeting service level expectations as well as ensuring the timely delivery of associated underpinning health and safety management action plans and operational programmes.

In this varied role, you will be:

• responsible for providing occupational health and safety professional leadership, guidance, and direction to staff at all levels
• supporting senior leadership teams with the development and implementation of the health and safety strategy and objectives
• working proactively with managers and other key staff to establish and maintain a programme of continuous improvement in the management of health, safety and wellbeing within their areas of responsibility
• establishing safety as a key value for Wessex Water and its contractors by enhancing behavioural safety mindsets to achieve a vision of zero harm, injury or damage to assets
• responsible for line managing the Wessex Water Health and Safety team to ensure outputs meet or exceed the agreed service level commitment
• working closely with the Assurance Manager monitoring trends and developing proactive intervention strategies
• effective communication skills including active listening along with the ability to clearly convey safety policies, procedures, and expectations to all stakeholders
• proven record of leadership and ability to influence at all levels. Inspiring and motivating team members, fostering a culture of safety, and leading by example
• ability to align health and safety initiatives with organizational goals and stakeholder expectations, anticipating challenges and opportunities
• competence in evaluating data related to health and safety performance, conducting audits, and assessing risks
• continuous improvement mindset through training, seeking feedback, and staying updated on best practice to enhance the team’s effectiveness
• credibility and integrity and associated skills to build trust through ethical conduct, transparency in decision-making, and adherence to safety principles
• ability to support the development of safety management procedures, guidance and safe systems of work
• experience with behaviour programmes and the ability to translate theory into practice making best use of H&S management systems
• taking high level ownership of the risk profile within Wessex Water so substantial and effective control measures can be implemented to mitigate harm as low as reasonably practicable
• establishing a service commitment to meet the requirements of all WWSL business areas agreed by stakeholders
• setting up processes and initiatives using the H&S systems to deliver continuous improvement
• using the health and safety system to set high level targets and objectives to ensure an effective cyclical audit and inspection schedule is enforced and followed to govern performance.