Senior Health & Safety Advisor in Swindon

On behalf of UKRI, we are looking for a Senior Health and Safety Advisor (Inside IR35) for a 9 month contract which is a hybrid role so does require up to 3 days a week in the Swindon office. Additional travel may be required to visit locations and this will be expensed.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the national funding agency investing in science and research in the UK.

Health & Safety Advisor (Stress Management & Psychosocial Risk)

Lead the development, rollout, and continual improvement of UKRI Stress Management Procedure and Stress Risk Assessment Framework. Ensure psychosocial risks (including workload, role clarity, control, support, relationships, change management) are identified, assessed, controlled, and monitored in line with UK legal requirements and best practice. Provide expert guidance to leaders and managers, enable data-driven decisions, and integrate stress management into the broader health, safety, wellbeing, and governance landscape.

As a Senior Health and Safety Advisor, your main responsibilities will be:

• Draft, consult, and publish a Stress Management Policy aligned with UKRI organisational values, legal requirements, and best-practice standards.
• Design and embed a tiered risk assessment approach - UKRI/ Council/ Centre and Institute/Departmental level (culture, structure, change programmes).
• Provide validated tools (e.g., survey instruments, focus groups, manager checklists) and guidance for hazard identification, control selection, and action planning.
• Develop a phased rollout plan with clear milestones, resources, and dependencies.
• Create manager toolkits, FAQ, and practical guidance for conducting stress risk assessments and follow-up actions.
• Define KPIs, leading/lagging indicators, and a measurement strategy (surveys, absence data, turnover, EAP utilisation, OH referrals, incident reports, workload metrics).
• Ensure compliance with UK legislation and guidance relevant to psychosocial risk & stress (e.g., employer's general duties, risk assessment requirements, management of health & safety, equality and reasonable adjustments).
• Align framework with HSE Stress management standards.

Essential Skills

• NEBOSH General Certificate (or equivalent) and demonstrable experience in psychosocial risk/stress management.
• Technical Member of Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
• Proven track record implementing stress risk assessments and organisational wellbeing programmes in complex organisations (multi-site, matrix, hybrid).
• Experience collaborating with HR/OD, OH, Legal, Unions/Staff Forums, and senior leaders.
• Strong data literacy (surveys, KPIs, dashboards); ability to draw actionable insights and present to senior audiences.
• Skilled trainer/facilitator with experience in manager capability building and culture change.

Desirable Skills

• NEBOSH Diploma (or working towards) or equivalent; Grad IOSH/CMIOSH membership.
• Experience with ISO 45003-aligned psychosocial risk programmes.
• Background in organisational psychology, ergonomics, or human factors.
• Experience in public sector/research environment and unionised settings.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, UKRI guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant

UKRI guarantees to interview veterans or spouses/partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates/military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following: 'this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.'