Head of Health, Safety, Environment and Quality

Head of Health, Safety, Environment and Quality UK-Wide £90K - £110K plus Excellent Benefits

Irwin & Colton are delighted to be partnering with a leading UK transport organisation to recruit a Head of HSEQ. This is an exciting opportunity to take on a senior leadership role within a complex, multi-site business, helping to shape HSEQ strategy, strengthen governance and drive meaningful improvements in safety performance across the organisation.

Reporting directly to the Group HSE Director, the successful candidate will play a pivotal role in bringing together HSEQ professionals across multiple operating businesses, providing strategic direction, technical expertise and leadership. The position requires someone who can operate confidently at Executive and Board level while remaining closely connected to frontline operations, building relationships and influencing positive change.

With significant investment in safety initiatives, technology and a refreshed three-year strategy, this is an excellent opportunity to make a genuine impact within a high-profile organisation.

The successful Head of HSEQ will:

• Lead the development and delivery of Group-wide HSEQ strategy, governance and improvement programmes across a complex, multi-site operation.
• Work closely with Managing Directors, senior executives and operational leaders, translating safety data, emerging risks and assurance findings into meaningful business improvements.
• Bring together HSEQ professionals across multiple operating businesses, building capability, sharing best practice and driving a consistent approach to safety.
• Oversee audit, assurance and incident investigation programmes, ensuring effective risk management, organisational learning and continuous improvement.
• Support the development of a refreshed three-year safety strategy, including ISO 45001 initiatives, safety technology and cultural improvement programmes.
• Lead and develop the central assurance function, providing technical guidance, coaching and constructive challenge across the wider business.

The successful candidate will have:

• A recognised Health & Safety qualification, ideally NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent, alongside significant senior HSEQ leadership experience.
• Experience operating within a complex, multi-site environment, ideally across transport, logistics, engineering, manufacturing or another operationally focused industry.
• A strong combination of technical HSEQ expertise and strategic leadership, with experience developing safety strategies, governance frameworks and improvement programmes.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to engage at Executive and Board level while building credibility with frontline operational teams.
• Experience leading major incident investigations, working with regulators and driving improvements in safety culture and operational performance.
• A proactive, collaborative and commercially aware approach, with the ability to influence across a matrix organisation and bring people together around shared objectives.

Join a forward-thinking organisation committed to safety, sustainability, and diversity. Grow your career in a supportive, inclusive culture where you can truly make a difference.

Irwin and Colton is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion please let us know if we can do anything to make the process more accessible to you.