Principal SHEF Manager in Bristol

VIVO provides facilities management and accommodation maintenance for the UK military and its partners. VIVO embodies both experience and innovation.

We put our Customers and Families First. They are the driving force behind everything we do. We drive forward improvements for them to ensure the service they receive, whether reactive repairs or a major project, is completed safely and on time. In order to achieve this, we have 4 core values: open, caring, agile and collaborative. These are at the heart of everything we do.

Location: Bristol to cover down to the South Coast

Permanent, Full time

The Principal SHEF Manager holds a pivotal leadership role, combining strategic oversight with hands-on delivery to ensure the highest standards of Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF) performance across a wide geographic portfolio. In addition to acting as a Business Unit Lead, the role provides direct line management for SHEF team members within a designated area, shaping their objectives, driving performance, and developing capability to meet both contractual and organisational requirements. A core responsibility is the development of SHEF strategy based on evolving business risk, ensuring that the organisation remains compliant, proactive, and continually improving.

This role provides expert guidance and support to operational management teams to ensure that all construction activity is delivered safely, responsibly, and fully in accordance with CDM 2015 regulations, alongside all applicable company standards and procedures. That same level of professional support extends across non-construction environments including Soft FM, Grounds Maintenance, and office-based activities, ensuring that all work is risk-assessed, effectively controlled, and carried out within a robust safety management framework.

The Principal SHEF Manager plays an active role in key management forums, contributing insight, challenge, and forward-looking analysis. The role produces high-quality monthly reports, providing meaningful interpretation of SHEF metrics, incident trends, site observations, and emerging risks. Frequent site inspections form a fundamental part of the position, enabling the postholder to assess compliance, influence behaviours, and intervene swiftly where SHEF standards fall short. Decisive, informed action is a critical expectation of the role.

The role includes the delivery of agreed SHEF activities and project work, supporting both the Principal Designer and Principal Contractor to fulfil their statutory and procedural duties. The Principal SHEF Manager provides general health and safety training and targeted interventions where operational teams require improved knowledge or behavioural reinforcement. A combination of scheduled and ad-hoc inspections ensures that SHEF management remains effective, resilient, and aligned with both legislation and organisational expectations.

A vital part of the role is the ability to influence senior leaders, operational stakeholders, supply chain partners, and site teams—particularly when managing difficult situations, challenging unsafe behaviours, or addressing gaps in compliance. This requires not only a deep understanding of current and relevant health and safety legislation, but also strong communication, diplomacy, and the confidence to drive improvements across diverse environments.

The Principal SHEF Manager contributes directly to the organisation’s audit programme and plays a key role in maintaining BS 45001 certification. The role also actively supports sustainability objectives, ensuring environmental considerations are embedded into SHEF activity, and champions the organisation’s Zero Harm commitments across all contracts.

This role requires extensive travel from Bristol to the South Coast. Candidates must be located centrally and be prepared to travel as part of their role.

What You’ll Bring

Success in this role requires the ability to analyse data, identify trends, produce clear reports, and translate technical findings into practical guidance. Strong presentation skills are essential for delivering training, leading SHEF campaigns, chairing meetings, and engaging stakeholders at all levels. The ability to manage a dispersed workload, prioritise effectively, and maintain high professional standards while travelling regularly across a large geographic area is fundamental.

Candidates must bring demonstrable experience of managing SHEF within Facilities Management or Construction environments, coupled with strong knowledge of health and safety legislation, accident investigation techniques, and behavioural safety approaches. They must be confident in influencing, coaching, and challenging teams, and in navigating complex and sometimes difficult situations with professionalism.

Applicants should hold the NEBOSH Diploma (or equivalent), and ideally additional qualifications such as NEBOSH Environmental Diploma/Certificate, asbestos management training (P405), a fire risk assessment accreditation, recognised auditor status, and ‘train the trainer’ capability. Chartered membership of IOSH and membership of APS (or an equivalent body) are highly desirable.

The role offers flexible working arrangements, with home-based working where practical, combined with regular travel across the UK to support teams, inspections, audits, and operational activity.

What We Offer:

• 6% employee matched pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave
• Private medical cover for self and partner
• Bonus
• Life assurance 2x annual salary
• 1 x professional subscription per year

At VIVO, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. Therefore, we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working and operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly a Disability Confident Leader. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.