Head of Health and Safety

We’re building thriving communities as one of the UK’s largest housing groups and a leading developer of affordable housing. We believe everyone is entitled to a good home they can afford, in a place they are proud to live. More than 100,000 people live in our homes. If you want to experience work that’s truly rewarding, join us. Because when we achieve together, customers and communities thrive. Work for Orbit. Believe in people.

This is a pivotal leadership role with responsibility for shaping and delivering the organisation’s Health and Safety Strategy, ensuring it supports corporate objectives while meeting all legislative and regulatory requirements. Reporting at a senior level, you will provide strategic leadership across a broad safety portfolio, overseeing workplace health and safety, building compliance, building safety case management, and construction risk. Working closely with operational and executive colleagues, you will ensure the organisation maintains a robust, competent and proactive health and safety service that protects customers, colleagues, contractors and communities.

This role is part of Regulatory & Governance where you'll help us give colleagues the support and expertise they need to be brilliant.

What you'll achieve

As the organisation’s senior health and safety expert, you will provide assurance and insight to the Executive Team and Board on safety performance, emerging risks and regulatory compliance. You will lead a multi-disciplinary team, driving high standards of governance, accountability and performance while embedding a culture of transparency, learning and continuous improvement. This is an opportunity to influence the safety agenda at a strategic level, ensuring that safety remains at the heart of decision-making across a complex and diverse built environment.

• Maintain and continuously improve the corporate H&S management system, ensuring alignment with ISO 45001 or equivalent standards.
• Lead incident investigation governance, root cause analysis, and corrective action programmes.
• Provide oversight of statutory compliance areas: fire, gas, electrical, water hygiene, asbestos, lifts, façade systems, and other building services.
• Provide oversight / assurance of building safety management functions, including fire safety, structural safety, building fabric integrity, and M&E compliance.
• Develop and monitor risk-based assurance plans, audits, and compliance programmes.
• Maintain high-quality technical specifications, asset standards, and operational procedures.
• Oversee contractor and supply-chain compliance with building safety, CDM, and occupational H&S requirements.
• Oversight of CDM compliance across all capital, development, and maintenance projects.
• Provide technical guidance on design risk management, site safety, and contractor competence.
• Ensure appropriate risk controls across all work activities affecting the built environment.
• Build productive relationships with regulators, emergency services, supply chain partners, resident groups, and internal leadership.
• Provide expert advice to senior management on emerging regulatory change, sector standards, and industry best practice.
• Lead organisational responses to regulatory reviews, inspections, and enforcement actions.

What you'll bring

Essential skills

• Chartered membership of IOSH (CMIOSH) or equivalent professional status.
• Extensive senior leadership experience in health and safety, property compliance, or building safety.
• Proven track record managing safety frameworks for complex built environments (e.g., housing, commercial, public sector, estates, infrastructure).
• Deep knowledge of the Building Safety Act, Fire Safety legislation, CDM Regulations, and related technical standards.
• Experience interacting with regulators, including managing regulatory submissions and audits.
• Strong capability in risk management, assurance, incident investigation, and continuous improvement methodologies.

Desirable skills

• Building surveying, engineering, or construction-related degree.
• Fire engineering or fire safety qualification (IFE, Fire Risk Assessor).
• Experience managing higher-risk residential buildings or complex estates.
• Knowledge of asset management systems, BIM, and digital golden thread technologies.
• Experience implementing ISO 45001, ISO 9001, or similar management systems.

Why Orbit?

Choosing us means being rewarded in every sense. Here’s what you can expect to enjoy with us:

• A rewarding experience that works for you. We strive to create an inclusive experience with benefits and wellbeing programmes designed to help you, and your loved ones, to thrive. For a better work life balance, we offer flexible working opportunities for many roles.
• A place to progress. From training programmes to professional qualifications, we provide opportunities to learn and develop at every stage of your career. Whether you’re a student, graduate or experienced professional we’ll support you to grow. For leaders, our tailored development journeys are designed to stretch and strengthen your leadership skills. As well as practical training, we give you access to renowned business schools and experiential programmes for greater breadth and depth of learning.
• A purpose to feel proud of. We’re proud to make a difference to people together. We’re values-driven with a commercial focus on performance - because the more profit we make, the more we can achieve for people. What brings us together is a passionate belief in progress and people.

How we hire

We aim to make our hiring process simple and fair: Online application, Interview(s), Decision and offer. We put the safeguarding of our customers, colleagues and contractors at the heart of everything we do and as such, certain roles will be subject to a DBS check.