Head of Occupational Health

Be part of something great

Maximus is a global organisation that specialises in providing health and employment services to millions of people every year. Here in the UK we employ around 5,000 people across the country to deliver services that have a profound impact on people’s lives. From assessments and health services to employability programmes and specialist support, we do work that matters with people who care.

Job Summary

Lead the Occupational Health (OH) function, aligning it with business objectives, our overall wellbeing strategy and colleague needs. Develop and maintain a customer centric and quality service, that balances employee health with organisational priorities and ensure compliance with policies, clinical regulation and legislation, leveraging technology to deliver efficient and effective OH services.

Subject matter expert that partners with the organisation to assess, target, and mitigate relevant workplace health risks. Champion wellbeing across the organisation, creating health and wellbeing content and resources that are accessible, relevant and effective across our diverse employee groups, equipping managers to handle occupational health conversations effectively.

A critical role ensuring our colleagues are supported in safety, physical, financial and mental health, from day one and throughout their journey with Maximus.

Salary: £70,000 – £80,000.

Home based with travel once a quarter to team meetings.

Benefits include:

• 25 days annual leave
• Holiday trade scheme
• Flexible benefits
• 9% combined pension

We are happy to consider part time hours or other flexible working.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

* Develop and implement a proactive insourced occupational health strategy ensuring a balance between colleague wellbeing and business needs. Create and drive a customer-centric and relevant service, prioritising simplicity and accessibility for our diverse colleague groups. Oversee the design of a streamlined process that enables colleagues to access the support required to remain in or return to work.

* Establish effective controls, clinical governance frameworks, and policies to manage workplace health risks. Ensure policies are embedded effectively and comply with employment law, health and safety regulations and clinical statutory regulatory bodies. Implement and embed best in class Occupational Health standards and accreditations. Ensure effective audit frameworks and clinical governance are in place and audit recommendations are embedded. Remain updated on changes in legal and regulatory requirements and update policies accordingly.

* Lead and manage a team of OH advisors, ensuring successful execution of all occupational health operational activity across pre-employment screening, DSE assessments, night worker assessments and management referrals. Ensure a customer centric, consultative service, with comprehensive reports that comply with legislation, standards and accreditations and balances colleague wellbeing and business need. Develop team capabilities through ongoing training, mentoring, and professional development. Monitor team performance against KPIs to ensure timely, accurate, and professional service delivery. Support with the hands-on delivery of the OH service.

* Lead initiatives that assess, target, and mitigate relevant workplace health risks. Partner with the wider wellbeing, people team and operational leaders, to monitor, evaluate, and address key health trends affecting the workforce. Monitor and evaluate OH programmes to measure their impact on employee health, engagement, absence and business outcomes. Provide regular MI and data to keep stakeholders informed and support decision making.

* Champion a wellbeing culture across the organisation, developing evidence-based content and resource to educate and raise awareness of health and wellbeing services and reduce stigma around mental and physical health. Working closely with the wider wellbeing and engagement team to deliver impactful messaging and regular cadence. Equip managers with the necessary tools, training, and knowledge to handle Occupational Health conversations effectively and enhance manager capability in identifying, addressing, and resolving workplace health concerns. Bring together communities to share health risk mitigation and best practise.

* Build and maintain external networks with occupational health professionals, industry bodies and thought leaders to stay at the forefront of industry best practise, trends and innovations to continuously enhance our wellbeing initiatives and effectiveness. Take ownership of personal clinical learning and professional development, reflect on professional practice and seek feedback to continually improve the quality of OH services provided. Maintain professional registration and meet the requirements for continued professional development (CPD) as outlined by the appropriate governing body.

* Embed and manage Occupational Health technology systems. Ensure streamlined processes, accessibility, and provide actionable insights. Maintain data integrity and security, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and standards. Leverage technology to monitor health trends, risks, and the effectiveness of OH interventions and drive continuous improvement in OH technology to meet evolving business and colleague needs.

Key Contacts & Relationships:

Internal

Wellbeing

Safety

Engagement

Talent and development

Culture

People

Clinical standards

Audit and risk

Business Leaders

Colleagues

External

Relevant regulatory bodies – NMC, GMC, HCPC

Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).

Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Authorities

Accreditation assessment bodies

Society of Occupational Medicine

Faculty of Occupational Medicine

Key suppliers

Customers

External occupational health networks.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Degree or professional qualification in Occupational Health

• Professional registration with NMC, HCPC or GMC

• Experience of long-term health condition management within HR Policies / Employment Law

• In-depth knowledge of occupational health regulations, policies, and best practices.

• Experience in identifying and addressing key health risks within the workplace to improve absence and attrition

• Proven leader, able to build high performing teams to deliver a quality and effective OH service

• Demonstrable experience in managing pre-employment screenings, management referrals, and follow-up processes.

• A customer-centric mindset, prioritising the needs of both colleagues and business

• Excellent relationship skills and able to engage with individuals at all levels

• Ability to manage multiple projects and initiatives, working cross functionally to deliver positive outcomes

• Able to use data and technology to monitor initiatives and drive performance

Desirable

• Previous experience of embedding SEQOHS or similar accreditations

• NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent Health and Safety qualification

• Membership of the Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH)

Individual Competencies

• Leadership

• Communication and stakeholder engagement

• Collaboration

• Data analysis and interpretation

• Problem solving and decision making

• Innovation

• Influencing

• Growth mindset

• Strategic thinking and planning

• Care and empathy

• Report writing

• Organisational skills

• Openness to feedback and continuous improvement in professional practice.

EEO Statement

Maximus is committed to developing, maintaining and supporting a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the recruitment process. We know that feeling included has a dramatic impact on personal well-being and are working to ensure that no job applicant receives less favourable treatment due to any personal characteristic. Advertisements for posts will include sufficiently clear and accurate information to enable potential applicants to assess their own suitability for the post.

We are a Disability Confident Leader, thanks to our commitment to the recruitment, retention and career development of people with disabilities and long-term conditions. The Disability Confident scheme includes a guaranteed interview for any applicant with a disability who meets the minimum requirements for a job. When you complete your job application you will find a question asking you if you would like to apply under the Disability Confident Guaranteed Interview Scheme. If you feel that you have a disability and apply under this scheme, providing that you meet the essential criteria for the job, you will then be invited for an interview. Your Guaranteed Interview application will only be shared with the hiring manager and the local resourcing team. Where reasonable, Maximus will review and consider adjustments for those applicants who express a requirement for them during the recruitment process.