Director of Safety Services

Job Title: Director of Safety Services

Location: Manchester

Salary: Competitive salary

Job type: Full Time, Permanent - 1.0 FTE

Closing date: 21/04/2025

The University is part of the prestigious Russell Group of universities and highly respected across the globe as a centre of teaching excellence and research innovation and discovery.

With 25 Nobel Prize winners among our current and former staff and students, we have a history of world firsts, with our impact ranging from splitting the atom to giving the world graphene.

Our purpose is to advance education, knowledge and wisdom for the good of society, putting our three core goals of research and discovery, teaching and learning, and social responsibility at the heart of everything we do.

The Director of Safety will provide strategic leadership and direction to University leadership, their own Safety Services team and the wider University community. Working with colleagues delivering related portfolios in Health and Wellbeing, the Director of Safety will drive transformational change and foster a culture of health, safety, and wellbeing across the university.

Key Responsibilities, Accountabilities and Duties:

Strategic Leadership;

• Develop and implement comprehensive safety policies and procedures.
• Work with University leaders to integrate safety into the university's strategic goals.
• Influence University leadership processes to ensure that a Health & Safety culture is fundamental and embedded.

Team Management;

• Lead and manage the central Safety Services team
• promoting service excellence and developing the competence of all those with health & safety responsibilities providing direction and support to ensure efficiency and effectiveness
• Manage the Safety Services budget within agreed parameters

Risk Management;

• Identify potential safety risks and develop mitigation strategies
• Ensure that there is a regular programme of safety audits and inspections

Training and Development;

• Design and deliver safety training programs for colleagues at all levels
• Ensure continuous improvement in safety performance through ongoing education and training

Compliance and Reporting;

• Ensure compliance with the all safety-related regulators (HSE and others)
• Prepare and submit required safety reports to regulatory bodies
• Maintain accurate records of safety incidents (events, accidents and near-misses), corrective actions and their completion

Policy Development and Implementation;

• Develop and ensure effective implementation of the university's health & safety policy and procedures to ensure compliance with legal requirements and good practice guidance published by the Health & Safety Executive and HE sector bodies such as UCEA and USHA.
• Advise the university's leaders about health & safety aspects of their leadership and the integration of health & safety matters into strategy, plans and objectives.

Occupational Health & Safety;

• Advise on the occupational health & safety implications of new and emerging science and research, and of capital and refurbishment projects. Encourage and facilitate the elimination and control of risks by design.
• Devise and deliver programs of monitoring, auditing, and performance measurement to assure the Board that health & safety management arrangements are robust and compliant.
• Act as the University's main contact and liaison with health & safety enforcement agencies and be responsible for complying with statutory reporting requirements for accidents and dangerous occurrences and advise on the licensing and regulatory control of substances.

This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated individual looking to advance their career in a collaborative and forward-thinking environment.

We are looking for a highly skilled and experienced Director of Safety, we want a candidate that has experience of:

• Science degree and post-graduate health & safety qualification
• Extensive experience, knowledge and implementation of strategic and operational health & safety management in a complex organisation
• Strong knowledge and understanding of safety regulations and compliance requirements
• Familiarity with and ability to interpret a wide range of legal requirements in the context of a research-intensive university
• Corporate membership of, and continuing professional development record for, at least one relevant institute or professional organisation
• Corporate membership of, and continuing professional development record for, at least one relevant institute or professional organization

What you will get in return:

• Fantastic market leading Pension scheme
• Excellent employee health and wellbeing services including an Employee Assistance Programme
• Exceptional starting annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays
• Additional paid closure over the Christmas period
• Local and national discounts at a range of major retailers

Any CV's submitted by a recruitment agency will be considered a gift.

Please click APPLY to be redirected to our website to complete an application form.

Candidates with experience of: Safety Director, Health and Safety Director, Environment Director, Health and Safety Lead, will also be considered for this role.