Health & Safety Advisor in Exeter

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Health and Safety Advisor to join our Organisational Assurance department based at our Service Headquarters. You'll join us on a permanent contract working 37 hours per week. In return, you will receive a salary starting at £48,226 rising annually to £51,356 (gross) per annum.

The Senior Health and Safety Advisor provides a critical role in the Service, working with the Health and Safety Manager, and leading a team of Health and Safety Advisors, to support colleagues across the Service to comply with health and safety legislation. The role ensures the provision of timely and effective delivery of assurance compliance to senior leadership teams to support continuous improvement and inform targeted interventions to improve safety. The Senior Health and Safety Advisor provides cover for the Health and Safety Manager in their absence, including representing the Service at regional and national forums and liaising with the Health and Safety Executive as required.

• Provision of professional advice: As a professional subject matter expert, provide proactive and reactive health, safety and welfare advice on complex issues to senior and middle managers in order to attain and maintain statutory conformity.
• Develop policy and provide assurance of compliance: Manage the development and review of health and safety related policies and guidance and develop and undertake audits against them.
• Promote and embed an engaged safety culture: Provide a pivotal role promoting, facilitating, embedding and continuously evaluating the safety culture within the Service. Work with managers and key stakeholders to ensure that strategic learning points identified through significant safety event investigations are embedded into operational and organisational practice and that staff concerns relating to health and safety are acted upon promptly and effectively.
• Lead and support the Health and Safety team: Provide support and direction to the Health and Safety Advisors and casual contract Safety Event Investigation Officers. Deliver the teams' plan of work, assessing and prioritising work loads and delegating as appropriate. Support the Health and Safety Manager in developing and delivering health and safety strategy.

The successful candidate must, by the commencement of employment, have the right to work in the UK. Holder of NEBOSH National Diploma or equivalent with relevant post qualification experience in health and safety. To effectively and efficiently carry out this role this is likely to be at least 5 years with evidence of continuous professional development over this period of time. Proven successful track record of working within a Health and Safety environment to at least middle management level. Evidence of a high level of organisational skills with the ability to deal with competing priorities to meet deadlines. Proven ability to work effectively and to collaborate and communicate with staff at all levels, including strategic managers. Experience in developing, implementing and maintaining policy. Proven team management / leadership skills to include delegation, coaching and mentoring.

About the Service: Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is the largest non-metropolitan Fire and Rescue Service in England. We provide prevention, protection and response services across the counties of Devon and Somerset. Our vision is that together, we will work to end preventable fire and rescue emergencies, creating a safer world for you and your family. Keeping people safe is what we do, and we owe our fantastic reputation to our highly skilled and motivated workforce.