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Health And Safety Manager
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Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) Manager
Food Manufacturing | Site-Based | HSE, Environmental & Sustainability
Some HSE roles are focused purely on compliance. Others give you the opportunity to get out into the business, influence people, improve standards and genuinely shape the safety culture of a site. This is one of those opportunities.
We’re supporting a highly reputable food manufacturing business to appoint an experienced HSE Advisor who can take ownership of day-to-day Health, Safety, Environmental and Sustainability activity across the site.
This is a highly visible, hands-on position where you’ll work closely with operational teams, managers and employees at all levels — helping to embed a proactive approach to HSE and ensuring the highest standards are maintained across a busy manufacturing environment. If you’re someone who enjoys being visible on the shop floor, building relationships and turning HSE standards into practical improvements, this could be an excellent next step.
The Opportunity
You’ll play a key role in driving the site’s HSE agenda, ensuring legal and company standards are consistently met while also identifying opportunities to improve how the business operates. You’ll be responsible for supporting the site HSE plan, leading investigations, managing audit actions, improving safe systems of work and helping develop a culture where Health & Safety is genuinely owned by everyone.
Alongside Health & Safety, you’ll also have exposure to environmental compliance and sustainability, supporting initiatives around waste, energy, carbon reduction, resource efficiency and environmental performance. This is a role where your influence will extend well beyond policies and paperwork.
Key Responsibilities
HSE Leadership & Culture
- Support the delivery of the site HSE&S plan and ensure actions are consistently achieved
- Build a strong, proactive Health & Safety culture across the site
- Be visible and engaged on the shop floor, working directly with operational teams
- Attend departmental meetings and use daily interactions to promote HSE awareness
- Build and lead an effective Health & Safety committee, including monthly meetings
- Develop strong relationships with employees, managers and external stakeholders
- Coach and mentor teams to improve ownership and understanding of HSE responsibilities
Safety Management & Compliance
- Ensure compliance with UK Health & Safety legislation and company standards
- Lead and manage accident and incident investigations through to completion
- Conduct root cause analysis and ensure appropriate corrective and preventative actions are implemented
- Maintain the site Health & Safety audit action plan and ensure actions are closed effectively
- Support the development and implementation of improved Safe Systems of Work (SSOW)
- Lead the creation and review of key SOPs across operational disciplines
- Support and validate the delivery of site Health & Safety training plans
- Ensure contractor management processes are robust, with contractors appropriately assessed and competent before work commences
- Support risk assessment activity across the site, including relevant PUWER and fire risk assessments
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Environmental Compliance
- Ensure the site remains compliant with relevant environmental legislation and requirements
- Support the management of environmental permits and regulatory requirements
- Monitor areas including waste management, emissions, water usage, legionella and effluent
- Liaise with relevant regulatory bodies and external stakeholders where required
- Monitor and report environmental KPIs and performance
- Identify opportunities to reduce the site's environmental impact and improve resource efficiency
Sustainability
- Support the development and implementation of the site's sustainability strategy
- Contribute to energy efficiency and carbon reduction initiatives
- Identify practical opportunities to improve environmental performance
- Engage employees in sustainability initiatives, awareness and training
- Work with operational teams to embed sustainability into day-to-day manufacturing activity
Reporting & Continuous Improvement
- Prepare and maintain monthly HSE, Environmental and Sustainability KPI data
- Identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement
- Work closely with Operations and other site functions on continuous improvement projects
- Support the business in moving beyond minimum compliance and towards best practice
- Ensure HSE considerations are embedded into operational and improvement projects
About You
We’re looking for an experienced HSE professional who understands the realities of a fast-paced manufacturing environment and can combine technical knowledge with a practical, people-focused approach. You’ll ideally have:
- Experience within food manufacturing, FMCG, beverage or a similar manufacturing environment
- NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety – essential
- NEBOSH Level 6 Diploma, or currently working towards it – desirable
- IEMA Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management, or equivalent – desirable
- Strong knowledge of UK Health & Safety legislation
- Experience with accident investigation and root cause analysis
- Experience managing HSE audits and corrective action plans
- Experience developing risk assessments and Safe Systems of Work
- Knowledge or experience of PUWER and fire risk assessments
- Legionella awareness and understanding of environmental compliance – desirable
- A genuine understanding of how to influence safety culture within a manufacturing environment
- Experience contributing to sustainability or environmental improvement initiatives
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Your Approach
Technical knowledge is important, but so is the way you operate. We’re looking for someone who is:
- Hands-on and visible — comfortable spending time on the shop floor rather than sitting behind a desk
- A strong communicator — able to engage everyone from production operatives through to senior management
- Confident to challenge — willing to have difficult conversations when standards aren't being met
- Influential and collaborative — able to bring people with you rather than simply dictate requirements
- Proactive and solutions-focused — someone who looks for opportunities to improve rather than simply identify problems
- Organised and objective-driven — able to prioritise effectively in a fast-moving environment
- Passionate about continuous improvement and creating sustainable change
- Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to work effectively under pressure
Why Join?
This is an opportunity to join a food manufacturing business where you can have genuine influence over the site's HSE performance and culture. You’ll have the opportunity to work across Health & Safety, Environmental Compliance and Sustainability, giving you broad exposure and the platform to develop your career further. Most importantly, this isn't a role where HSE sits in the background. You’ll be encouraged to be visible, challenge standards, engage with people and drive meaningful improvements across the operation.
If you’re an ambitious HSE professional looking for a role where you can make a tangible difference — we’d love to hear from you.
For more info please contact Shaf Islam on si@zestfoodjobs.co.uk
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