Health & Safety and Security Director

Policy, Standards & Compliance

• Define and maintain HSS policies, standards, and management systems.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, including ISO standards and Development Agreement obligations.
• Provide assurance to the Executive and Board on HSS performance and compliance.

Risk, Safety & Security Management

• Establish and lead integrated frameworks for managing HSS risks across the programme.
• Define and implement a robust framework for managing safety and security incidents, including response, escalation, and lessons learned.
• Lead organisational capability in incident response, crisis management, business continuity, and resilience.

Delivery Support & Integration

• Provide expert HSS advice to delivery teams and enable safe delivery through specialist support services.
• Ensure effective integration of HSS requirements across assets, projects, and supply chain partners.
• Embed safety, health, and security considerations throughout the full programme lifecycle.

People & Capability

• Lead and develop a high-performing, multi-disciplinary HSS function.
• Build capability across HS2 and its supply chain to deliver consistent HSS standards.
• Promote continuous improvement, learning, and professional development.

Governance & Stakeholder Engagement

• Support Executive governance and Board assurance, including relevant sub committees.
• Engage with regulators, government, JV partners, and external stakeholders to ensure alignment and compliance.

Culture & Inclusion

• Promote safety leadership, wellbeing, and inclusion across the organisation.
• Embed consistent behaviours, values, and expectations aligned to HS2 ways of working.

About you:

Skills:

• Strategic leadership of safety, health, and security in complex environments.
• Strong influencing and stakeholder management at Executive and system level.
• Risk-based decision-making and crisis leadership capability.
• Ability to drive cultural change and sustained performance improvement.
• Data-led thinking and performance insight application.
• Clear communication of complex regulatory and technical issues.

Knowledge:

• Health, safety, and security management in major infrastructure programmes.
• Regulatory frameworks and standards (e.g., HSE, ISO).
• Risk, assurance, and incident management frameworks.
• Performance management and data-driven safety approaches.
• Information security and SIRO responsibilities.

Type of experience:

• Significant senior leadership experience in HSS within large, complex infrastructure or engineering organisations.
• Proven track record of improving safety performance across organisations and supply chains.
• Experience working with regulators, government bodies, and delivery partners.
• Demonstrated leadership in incident management, resilience, and crisis response.
• Experience embedding safety culture and driving long-term organisational change.

The post-holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the HS2 values of Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect. It is expected that you will actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review. This removes bias from the process and makes it even more important that you attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application ensuring you include evidence directly related to the criteria in the job advert. Watch this video on how we remove bias in the recruitment process: Removing bias in the recruitment process - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWs5gdAY1Vg]

Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

High Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) will be the UK’s new high speed rail network. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between a number of Britain’s major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.

HS2 Ltd will create a skills legacy and develop a diverse range of talent. We aim to be a leader in EDI practice by creating a safe & inclusive working environment for all our staff - living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership.

In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

HS2 Ltd is also a safety-critical organisation. Employees are required to ensure reasonable care of their own and others’ health and safety by taking personal responsibility for working to our ‘Safe at Heart’ programme principles and following safe working procedures at all times.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential.