Food Safety and HSE Manager in Derby

Location: Regional / National role (UK-wide travel required | Main base: Derby)

Package: £44,000 per annum plus Company Vehicle

Hours: 40 hours per week (Note: Contracted to 52 weeks per year)

Reporting to: Head of Safety - Defence Marine and Aerospace

Sector: Defence & Secure Government Contracts (ESS / Compass Group UK&I)

Lead Culture. Drive Safety. Make an Impact.

We are looking for an experienced Regional HSE Manager with a strong background in complex, food-biased environments to lead meaningful safety culture change across our high-profile Rolls-Royce contract within the Defence, Marine, and Aerospace (DMA) estate. This role goes far beyond static compliance. You will actively shape behaviours, influence senior operational leaders, and embed a culture where everyone truly owns safety.

The Role

Providing visible, risk-based HSE leadership across a multi-site UK estate, you will partner directly with Business Directors, Senior Operators, and General Managers. Your focus is to:

• Move teams from compliance to proactive safety ownership.
• Embed our “See, Care, Share” safety culture.
• Ensure safety, food hygiene, and allergen standards are integrated into everyday operational decision-making.

Food Safety & Hygiene Responsibilities

Given the food-biased nature of our complex estate, you will guide our Operators to ensure high levels of food safety assurance across our catering operations. Your responsibilities include:

• HACCP & Management Systems: Oversee, implement, and maintain the Food Safety Management Plan and HACCP systems to ensure full legal and corporate compliance.
• Allergen Control & Management: Enforce rigorous allergen management controls, ensuring strong communication to Operators to ensure robust application of policies.
• Hygiene & Operational Standards: Ensure high standards of food hygiene, kitchen cleanliness, and temperature monitoring are maintained, driving consistency through proactive site assessments and audits and complaint responses.
• Supply Chain & Traceability: Ensure strict adherence to approved food supplier policies, stock rotation procedures, and traceability protocols from delivery to service.
• Auditing & Inspections: Conduct detailed, proactive internal food safety audits. Support local teams through EHO inspections and client assurance audits.

What Else You’ll Do

• Lead Culture Change: Champion a proactive, open safety environment. Support leaders to take personal accountability, building a culture of trust and openness.
• Defence Governance & Compliance: Maintain and oversee the Workplace Safety Management System, ensuring all activities meet health and safety management plans.
• Operational Risk Management: Maintain direct oversight of high-risk activities. Manage permit-to-work systems, temporary works, and contractor-controlled activities.
• Incident Management & Learning: Lead investigations for food safety, health and safety, and allergen incidents, prioritising learning over blame. Ensure timely reporting.
• Assurance & Performance: Deliver a robust assurance program. Track performance for leading and lagging indicators, ensuring continuous ISO 45001 / 14001 compliance.
• Client & Stakeholder Engagement: Act as the primary HSE interface for clients during contract governance forums, performance reviews, and client assurance meetings.

What Success Looks Like

• Strong safety ownership and proactive engagement at all levels.
• Swift tracking and closure of corrective/preventive actions.
• A strong safety culture where the principles of See, Care, Share are applied.

What We’re Looking For

• Experience: Experience in an HSE role within complex, food-biased environments.
• Influence: Proven ability to challenge unsafe behaviours constructively, coach teams, and hold operational leaders to account.
• Culture: Positively demonstrate that people are the most important asset above all else.

Qualifications & Certifications

• Food Safety Level 3, ideally 4 (Essential)
• NEBOSH Certificate or equivalent (Essential)
• Advanced understanding of HACCP principles and Allergen Management (Essential)
• Ability to deliver role-relevant, targeted HSE and food safety training (Essential)

What’s in It for You?

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Financial & Career: Contributory pension scheme alongside career advancement through our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes.
• Health & Wellbeing: Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, wider healthcare benefits, and free wellness, mindfulness, and exercise classes.
• Lifestyle Perks: Exclusive travel discounts (TUI, Expedia, Booking.com), food shopping discounts (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons), and up to 44% off cinema tickets.
• Share the Perks: You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families!

Part of Compass Group UK&I, ESS is the Defence, Government, and Energy services sector. We support 250+ UK military establishments, high-profile police, secure environments, and government sites. Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We celebrate unique talents because diversity is our strength!