At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead health and safety initiatives, ensuring a safe working environment across multiple sites.
- Company: Panda, a leader in sustainable waste management and recycling.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, diverse work culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Join a forward-thinking team committed to continuous improvement and safety excellence.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on safety standards and protect your community.
- Qualifications: Experience in health and safety, strong data analysis skills, and NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 £ per year.
About the Role
At Panda, we value waste. That means finding smarter, safer and more sustainable ways to recover value from materials, protect our people, and keep essential operations running safely and efficiently. We are looking for an experienced H&S Lead to join our Safety, Health, Environment and Quality team. This is a specialist role focused on some of our key critical risk areas, including fleet safety, traffic management, contractor management and work at height. As H&S Lead, you will act as a subject matter expert across the business, providing technical guidance, using data to identify risk trends, supporting operational teams and helping Panda stay ahead of safety, regulatory and industry expectations. This is a visible, operational role where you will work closely with sites, leaders and SHEQ colleagues to strengthen safety standards, improve controls and support a proactive safety culture.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Act as Panda’s technical lead for fleet safety, traffic management, contractor management and work at height.
- Develop, maintain and improve safety standards, procedures and practical guidance across specialist areas.
- Provide expert advice and support to operational teams, engineering teams and project functions.
- Lead specialist risk reviews, audits and assurance activity across sites.
- Keep up to date with emerging risks, legislation, technology and best practice across the recycling and waste sector.
- Represent Panda through industry conferences, workshops and specialist forums, bringing learning back into the business.
- Own and analyse specialist safety data to identify trends, themes and improvement opportunities.
- Produce dashboards, reports and insight papers to support decision-making.
- Present safety performance, risk themes and recommendations to senior leadership and board-level forums.
- Lead or support investigations relating to incidents, near misses and high‑potential events.
- Share learning across the business and help embed improvements into standards, controls and ways of working.
- Carry out regular site visits to provide visible support, coaching and practical guidance.
- Work closely with H&S Business Partners and operational leaders to build frontline safety capability.
About You
We are looking for someone who brings strong technical health and safety expertise, but who can also work practically with operational teams. You will be confident using data, comfortable influencing senior stakeholders and able to turn technical requirements into workable site‑level solutions. You will bring:
- Significant experience in a health and safety role within an industrial, recycling, manufacturing, engineering or similar operational environment.
- Strong knowledge of specialist risk areas such as fleet safety, traffic management, contractor management and work at height.
- Experience leading or supporting incident investigations and identifying root causes.
- Experience analysing safety data and producing clear management‑level reporting.
- Strong understanding of relevant legislation, standards and industry best practice.
- Confidence presenting information, risk themes and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
- The ability to challenge constructively, influence decisions and build trusted working relationships.
- A visible, hands‑on approach with credibility across operational environments.
- NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent, or working towards this.
- IOSH membership or membership of an equivalent professional body.
It Would Be Great If You Also Have
- Formal training or qualifications in fleet safety, traffic management, contractor management or work at height.
- Experience developing organisational safety standards, procedures or technical guidance.
- Experience presenting to executive or board‑level audiences.
- Chartered IOSH status, or working towards this.
What We’re Looking For
The right H&S Lead will be forward‑thinking, practical and confident working across multiple sites and stakeholder groups. You will be someone who takes ownership, spots risk early and helps turn safety insight into meaningful action. You will be:
- Visible and approachable across sites.
- Confident in coaching, supporting and challenging operational teams.
- Data‑led, with the ability to identify themes and drive improvement.
- Proactive, curious and committed to continuous improvement.
- Collaborative, working with others to find practical safety solutions.
- Focused on learning, prevention and building long‑term safety capability.
Panda is committed to attracting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we operate and the people we serve (DE&I Policy Statement).
Health and Safety Lead (Collections) in Chester employer: Beauparc
Panda is an exceptional employer that prioritises safety, sustainability, and employee development within the recycling and waste sector. As a Health and Safety Lead, you will benefit from a collaborative work culture that encourages continuous improvement and offers opportunities for professional growth through hands-on coaching and technical guidance. With a commitment to diversity and inclusion, Panda fosters an environment where your expertise can make a meaningful impact on both the organisation and the communities we serve.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Health and Safety Lead (Collections) in Chester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the health and safety field. Attend industry events, workshops, or even local meet-ups. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your expertise! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, don’t hold back on sharing your knowledge about fleet safety, traffic management, or any other relevant areas. This will help you stand out as a candidate who knows their stuff.
✨Tip Number 3
Be proactive! If you see a job that fits your skills, apply through our website. Tailor your approach to highlight how your experience aligns with the role of H&S Lead at Panda. Make it clear that you’re ready to take ownership and drive safety improvements.
✨Tip Number 4
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way. Use this opportunity to reiterate your enthusiasm for the role and mention any key points from the conversation that you found particularly interesting or relevant.
We think you need these skills to ace Health and Safety Lead (Collections) in Chester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in health and safety, especially in areas like fleet safety and contractor management. We want to see how your skills align with what we're looking for at Panda!
Showcase Your Data Skills:Since this role involves analysing safety data, don’t forget to mention any relevant experience you have with data analysis. We love seeing candidates who can turn numbers into actionable insights, so share examples of how you've done this in the past.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to see your key achievements and qualifications. We appreciate clarity and brevity!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you're keen on joining the Panda team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Beauparc
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your health and safety knowledge, especially around fleet safety, traffic management, and contractor management. Be ready to discuss specific examples from your past experience where you've successfully implemented safety standards or improved procedures.
✨Data is Your Friend
Since this role involves analysing safety data, come prepared with examples of how you've used data to identify trends or improve safety measures. Think about how you can present this information clearly and effectively to senior stakeholders.
✨Show Your Hands-On Approach
Panda values a visible and approachable style, so be ready to share how you've engaged with teams on the ground. Discuss any site visits you've conducted and how you've coached operational teams to enhance safety practices.
✨Be Proactive and Collaborative
Demonstrate your proactive mindset by discussing how you've identified risks early and taken action. Highlight your ability to work collaboratively with various teams to find practical solutions, as this will resonate well with Panda's focus on building long-term safety capability.
