Head of Occupational Health

As Head of Occupational Health, you will provide strategic leadership for the organisation's occupational health and public health agenda within a safety-critical and highly regulated operating environment.You will be responsible for setting the strategic direction for workforce health risk management, establishing the governance, assurance and policy frameworks that ensure health risks are managed with the same rigour and discipline as safety risks. Working across the organisation, you will embed health considerations into operational decision-making, business planning, capital programmes and resilience strategies, helping to protect both our people and the continuity of our operations.This role has overarching accountability for occupational health standards, outcomes and organisational integration. You will determine how occupational health services and specialist provider capabilities are deployed to meet business needs, including clinical assessments, health surveillance programmes, case management and specialist advice. While operational delivery may be provided through external partners, you will retain ownership of strategy, governance, quality assurance and performance outcomes.The successful candidate will be a visible and influential leader, working with senior stakeholders to drive continual improvement in workforce health, and public health initiatives, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and supporting the organisation's commitment to maintaining a healthy, safe and resilient workforce.Click here to view the job spec: HAL_B_Head of Occupational Health.docxThere’s something so special about working at the world’s most iconic airport. Its sights. Its sounds. Its constant air of excitement. Heathrow is an amazing backdrop to a career filled with unique opportunities.Every day, you’ll discover a world full of fresh possibilities and end the day buzzing with stories to tell, as you encounter people from all cultures, nationalities and experiences. A world full of pride for what we do and no end of exciting career prospects to explore.It brings out the best in all of us. And inspires everyone to deliver on our ambitious plans. Together, we’re working to welcome millions more passengers while ensuring aviation can continue to be a force for good by leading global efforts in sustainability.Join us on that journey and we'll help you achieve your ambitions too. Supporting you to learn, encouraging you to be yourself, backing you to achieve more than you might ever have imagined. Because there’s no place like Heathrow. Our rewardsWe offer competitive salaries and excellent benefits that will support you now and in the future. As well as performance-based annual bonuses and our longer-term Share in Success Bonus plans, we also offer generous annual leave allowances and market-leading pensions. With family friendly policies, access to private health insurance and a wide range of wellbeing tools, we’ll support you to be at your best inside and outside work. And of course, we’ll provide varied learning and development opportunities too. Here you’ll find everything you need for a fulfilling career journey that can take you in exciting directions. Working LocationOur Hybrid working approach offers the opportunity for colleagues in some roles to work from home for an average of two days a week, providing the flexibility to work in an agile way whilst ensuring we deliver for the operational needs of Heathrow. Working arrangements vary from team to team and will be confirmed during the recruitment process. You’ll need to be based in the UK and within a commutable distance to Heathrow. Sustainable Travel to workHeathrow’s Sustainable Travel Guide sets out easy and sustainable travel options that everyone can access.Equal OpportunitiesAs an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all. We believe that diverse talent makes us stronger – not least because we welcome passengers from all corners of the globe, every single day. Heathrow is an accessible place to work. With five diversity networks, we champion inclusivity and celebrate individuality.People are at the heart of Heathrow. Not just the millions of passengers who travel, trade, shop, eat, connect and explore with us every year, but also the thousands of colleagues who go the extra mile to give every one of them the best airport service in the world. In the People team, we partner with people across our business to help to make Heathrow a place where everyone is accepted for who they are and can achieve their best. We’re a community of human resources and health and safety professionals, encompassing all aspects of HR and wellbeing. Whether your passion is in business partnering, reward, learning and development, or any other specialist area, you’ll be part of a team creating and delivering Heathrow’s innovative People Strategy. We are committed to being a truly inclusive organisation that represents the diversity of the local community at every level. There’s no place like Heathrow – for the buzz, for the variety, for the sense of belonging and for the chance to go on a really fulfilling career journey. We’re passionate about our colleagues’ experience, making Heathrow a great place to work and creating careers, not just jobs. Proven experience leading Occupational Health strategy and workforce health risk management within a large, complex organisation.Strong expertise in governance, policy development, assurance and risk management, ideally within a regulated or safety-critical environment.Ability to translate complex health risks and data into clear strategic insights, influencing decision-making at senior and executive level.Experience managing and assuring the performance of external occupational health providers and clinical partners.Registered healthcare professional (NMC, HCPC or equivalent) with a postgraduate qualification in Occupational Health or a related discipline.Demonstrable senior leadership experience in Occupational Health, employee wellbeing and/or workforce health governance.Strong understanding of occupational health legislation, clinical governance, confidentiality and GDPR requirements.Ideally, you’ll also have:Experience integrating Occupational Health into operational resilience, business continuity and emergency preparedness arrangements.Experience working within aviation, transport, infrastructure, construction or other complex operational environments.Master's degree in Occupational Health, Public Health or a related field.Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (SCPHN) qualification or equivalent public health qualification.Additional qualifications or recognised expertise in areas such as mental health, fatigue management or organisational resilience. #LI-HybridDevelop and lead the organisation's Occupational Health and Public Health strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives, regulatory requirements and the operational risk profile.Provide governance, assurance and expert oversight of workforce health risk management, ensuring health risks are managed with the same rigour as safety risks.Define and maintain occupational health policies, standards and clinical governance frameworks, ensuring compliance with legislation, regulatory expectations and best practice.Lead the strategic deployment and performance management of occupational health service providers, ensuring high-quality delivery, value and alignment to organisational priorities.Drive a risk-based approach to health surveillance, prevention and early intervention, using data and insight to improve workforce health outcomes and reduce occupational health risks.Partner with operational, safety, engineering and project teams to embed health risk controls and Health by Design principles into business activities, programmes and future developments.Provide strategic leadership on public health, organisational resilience and health-related incident preparedness, working closely with internal stakeholders and external partners. Full timePosting Date: 2026-08-11