HSE Expert Landfall - Principal Contractor in Lowestoft

Duration: 15/06/2026 to 31/01/2027

Rotation: Monday-Friday, 8 hours a day

Location: Lowestoft, UK

Project: Vanguard

Type: Outside IR35 Freelance

Role Purpose

To provide independent HSE assurance and oversight in support of the Principal Contractor’s duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, ensuring that Contractors plan and execute their works safely and in compliance with PC/CDM requirements, without harm to people or the environment. The HSE Expert will act as the Principal Contractor’s HSE representative on site, supporting and verifying that Contractors discharge their own HSE responsibilities. The role focuses on monitoring and influencing safe working practices throughout the construction of work scopes at the onshore landfall area of the project, without taking over operational control of Contractor activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Principal Contractor CDM Oversight
  • Support the Principal Contractor in demonstrating compliance with CDM Regulation 13 (Principal Contractor duties), with a clear focus on assurance and verification rather than direct operational management.
  • Monitor Contractor activities to ensure effective compliance with the Construction Phase Plan, Principal Contractor arrangements and project HSE standards.
  • Verify that Contractors and Subcontractors are discharging their duties appropriately (risk assessments, method statements, permits, competence, coordination and interface management).
  • Provide clear, evidence based feedback to the Principal Contractor HSE Manager on the adequacy and effectiveness of Contractor HSE management systems.
  • Coordinate and monitor overlapping contractor activities to ensure that interface risks, simultaneous operations and shared work areas are effectively planned, communicated and controlled.
  • Review interface risks between work packages, Contractors and subcontractors, ensuring that responsibilities, boundaries and control measures are clearly defined and understood.
  • Participate in SIMOPS planning and coordination reviews to verify that concurrent high-risk activities are assessed appropriately and managed in accordance with project HSE requirements.
• HSE Assurance and Monitoring
  • Conduct regular site inspections, HSE tours and audits focusing on key risk areas, including but not limited to: confined spaces and enclosed areas, energy isolation, stored energy hazards and release of mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical energy, lifting operations and lifting equipment, interface management and SIMOPS (multiple Contractors and public interface).
  • Identify unsafe acts and conditions, ensuring timely follow‑up with responsible duty holders and clear escalation where repeated or serious non‑conformances arise.
  • Ensure compliance with UK legislation, Client HSE standards, CDM 2015 and relevant ISO 45001 requirements.
  • Verify that appropriate emergency preparedness and response arrangements are established for landfall activities, including emergency access and egress, rescue arrangements and communication protocols.
  • Monitor the adequacy of confined space emergency and rescue arrangements, ensuring that equipment, competence and response capabilities are suitable for the planned activities.
  • Support coordination and interface management with public emergency services and relevant external stakeholders where required for high-risk or emergency response scenarios.
  • Verify that appropriate environmental emergency response measures, including spill prevention and spill response arrangements, are implemented and maintained for relevant work activities.
  • Verify that temporary works coordination, control measures and assurance activities are implemented in accordance with project requirements and applicable standards.
  • Monitor excavation support systems, temporary structures and associated high-risk interfaces to ensure ongoing structural stability and safe execution of works.
  • Review lifting operations involving temporary works or temporary structures to ensure that interface risks, load considerations and control measures are adequately assessed and managed.
• Reporting and Communication
  • Prepare concise weekly HSE reports for the Principal Contractor summarising: HSE performance and key indicators, significant findings from inspections and audits, recurring issues, emerging trends and high‑risk activities for the upcoming period, status of corrective actions and any overdue items.
  • Clearly communicate escalation triggers (e.g. serious or imminent danger, repeated non‑compliance, high potential events) and escalate promptly to the Principal Contractor HSE Manager, Project HSE Manager and functional HSE line as required.
  • Participate in package and coordination meetings with associated Contractors, including onshore landfall and offshore cable interfaces, raising HSE concerns and promoting proactive management of risk.
• Leadership and Culture
  • Promote a strong “We Care” culture across the project team and Contractors, emphasising personal accountability and proactive leadership on HSE.
  • Champion proactive reporting of observations, near misses and good practices, ensuring feedback and visible close out.
  • Encourage workforce engagement and wellbeing initiatives aligned with Client/Project values, including targeted toolbox talks, safety stand‑downs and campaigns related to key risk areas (e.g. lifting and confined spaces).
  • Promote awareness and proactive management of critical risk activities, including stored energy hazards and energy isolation.

Key Interfaces

• Principal Contractor Team (General Site Manager, Offshore Site Manager, Landfall / Site Managers, PC HSE Manager) and Tier 1 Contractors.
• Client Project Team (Client/Project HSE Manager, Package Managers and Environmental Lead).
• Functional HSE organisation for governance, standards and assurance.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• NEBOSH General or Construction Certificate (or equivalent Level 3 H&S qualification).
• Member of IOSH (TechIOSH).
• Experience within offshore wind, infrastructure, utilities or complex construction projects involving multi‑contractor interfaces.
• Strong knowledge of CDM 2015, UK HSE legislation and environmental requirements.
• Experience auditing and monitoring Contractors under CDM on complex multi‑contractor projects.
• Effective communication, influencing and reporting skills, with proven ability to challenge constructively and maintain independence.
• First Aid at Work, CSCS Card or equivalent.

Desirable

• NEBOSH National Diploma (or equivalent Level 6 H&S qualification).
• Member of IOSH (CertIOSH or CMIOSH).
• ISO 45001 Lead Auditor qualification.
• Root cause analysis training (e.g. Taproot, Tripod, Kelvin TOP‑SET).

Personal Attributes

• Proactive, confident communicator with a collaborative mindset, able to build strong relationships while maintaining independent assurance.
• Able to balance assurance, coaching and support roles without compromising independence or clarity of Contractor responsibilities.
• Strong ethical approach and commitment to continuous improvement.
• Able to adapt to changing site conditions (including offshore and marine environments), shifting priorities and multiple stakeholder expectations.

Typical Deliverables

• Weekly HSE inspection and assurance reports, including prioritised actions and owners.
• Documented HSE walkdown and audit findings, with follow up verification of close‑out.
• HSE contributions to method statement and permit to work reviews for high risk tasks.
• Timely notification, support and documentation for incident reporting, investigations and root cause analyses, including recommendations and lessons learned.

Scope of Work

To provide independent HSE assurance and oversight in support of the Principal Contractor’s duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, ensuring that Contractors plan and execute their works safely and in compliance with PC/CDM requirements, without harm to people or the environment. The HSE Expert will act as the Principal Contractor’s HSE representative on site, supporting and verifying that Contractors discharge their own HSE responsibilities. The role focuses on monitoring and influencing safe working practices throughout the construction of work scopes at the onshore landfall area of the project, without taking over operational control of Contractor activities.