Head of QSHE (Quality, Safety, Health & Environment)

Responsible to: Managing Director, Praxis Facilities Management (PFM)

Location: On-site with travel at either London, Birmingham, Glasgow or Manchester offices.

Main Purpose:

To lead the strategic direction and operational delivery of the QSHE (Quality, Safety, Health & Environment) function across the Praxis Facilities Management business. This role ensures the organisation not only complies with all statutory and industry standards but consistently exceeds them, fostering a culture of safety, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. The Head of QSHE will be a key voice at senior level, driving change in a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment.

Overview of Duties:

The Head of QSHE is responsible for translating strategic QSHE priorities into operational excellence across a broad and growing national property portfolio – including major shopping centres, business parks, commercial offices, and public realm spaces. Acting as the senior lead for QSHE, the role ensures that compliance and continuous improvement is at the heart of PFM whilst achieving our commercial goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Strategy
  • Set the QSHE vision and roadmap in alignment with business strategy.
  • Actively participate in board-level discussions, providing subject-matter expertise and strategic recommendations.
  • Build a high-performance QSHE culture that enables growth, compliance, and client confidence.
• Compliance & Accreditation
  • Ensure ongoing legal compliance with HSE legislation and industry codes of practice.
  • Lead the creation, implementation, and periodic review of QSHE policies, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and industry standards.
  • Maintain and lead compliance with relevant engineering and FM compliance standards (e.g Gas Safe, NICEIC, REFCOM etc) and other relevant regulatory frameworks and support broader regulatory and audit readiness.
  • Secure and maintain certifications to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001. Develop and maintain all necessary QSHE documentation, policies, and systems.
  • Oversee internal monitoring and auditing of compliance. Act as a subject matter expert when pitching for new FM mandates, aligning standards with client expectations.
  • Regularly assess internal standards against peer benchmarks, ensuring PFM remains ahead of market standards.
• Operational Excellence
  • Support site operations, projects, and maintenance teams with expert QSHE guidance.
  • Conduct inspections and audits to identify risks, drive improvements, and share best practice.
  • Manage incident response processes and lead investigations, including root cause analysis.
• Performance Monitoring
  • Define, track, and report on QSHE KPIs.
  • Use data analytics to identify trends and proactively reduce incidents and non-conformities.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Act as the principal point of contact for relevant regulatory bodies.
  • Provide expert QSHE advice during property development, refurbishment, and major event planning.
  • Conduct regular briefings to senior leadership and stakeholders on QSHE risks, and strategy.
  • Partner with business development teams to support high-value pitches with credibility, clarity, and insight.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience (10+ years) in senior QSHE roles within engineering, property, FM or complex operational environments.
• NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent (essential).
• Chartered membership of IOSH (CMIOSH preferred).
• Experience in leading behavioural safety initiatives.
• Certified lead auditor for ISO 9001 / 14001 / 45001.
• Proven success in securing and managing accreditations and compliance schemes.
• Strong familiarity with UK QHSE legislation, risk frameworks, and auditing standards.

Person Specification:

• Confident communicator with excellent report-writing and presentation abilities.
• Skilled in stakeholder management (internal and external), negotiation, and performance reviews.
• A demonstrable ability to get things done and deliver change quickly and effectively.
• Highly self-driven and comfortable in a fast-growth, entrepreneurial setting.
• An ability to prepare and present concise business cases.
• Values-led leadership style that aligns with Praxis’s ethos: professional, proactive, and unafraid to challenge convention.