HSE Manager in Huddersfield

JOB ROLE: HSE Manager
JOB LOCATION: Multi-Site
REPORTING TO: QESH Director

Shepley Spring are the UK’s leading bottled water manufacturer with over 30 years’ experience in production and are proud to remain a family run business to this day.

The company operates in three manufacturing facilities in Yorkshire and owns several high-speed production lines with the capabilities of producing both still and sparkling water servicing leading retailers such as Morrisons, Costco, Booker Tesco and Iceland through private label and produces the brands Ice Valley® and White Rock® exclusively.

Summary

The HSE Manager will lead the development, implementation and continual improvement of health, safety and environmental standards across Shepley Spring’s three-site food and beverage manufacturing operation.

The role will set the group HSE direction, provide visible leadership and practical support, and ensure legal duties, environmental obligations and company standards are applied consistently across all sites. Working closely with the Technical Director, Senior Leadership Team and operational leaders, the HSE Manager will strengthen governance, reduce risk and embed a culture where safety and environmental responsibility are part of everyday decision-making.

This is a hands-on, multi-site leadership role with responsibility for managing and developing the EHS Coordinator team. The role is focused solely on environmental, health and safety matters; ownership of food safety and product quality remains within the Technical and Quality function.

Role & Responsibilities

HSE Strategy and Leadership

• Develop and deliver the group health, safety and environmental strategy in line with business priorities, legal requirements and continued growth plans.
• Set consistent HSE standards, objectives, measures and improvement plans across all three sites.
• Provide trusted advice, practical support and constructive challenge to the Technical Director, Senior Leadership Team, site leaders and managers.
• Lead, support and develop the EHS Coordinators, setting clear priorities and ensuring effective site coverage, ownership and delivery.
• Provide regular, clear reporting on significant risks, performance, incidents, trends and improvement activity.

Health and Safety Management

• Maintain and continually improve the health and safety management system, policies, procedures and safe working standards across all sites.
• Ensure suitable and sufficient risk assessments, safe systems of work and control measures are in place, understood and regularly reviewed.
• Provide oversight of key manufacturing risks including machinery safety, workplace transport, manual handling, work at height, confined spaces, hazardous substances, contractor activity and occupational health risks.
• Ensure emergency arrangements, fire safety controls, first-aid provision and business response plans are appropriate, tested and reviewed.
• Promote effective workforce consultation, engagement and reporting of hazards, near misses and improvement opportunities.
• Develop and maintain effective environmental management arrangements across the three-site operation.
• Ensure environmental aspects and impacts, legal requirements, permits, consents and compliance obligations are identified, maintained and reviewed.
• Oversee controls relating to waste, water, energy, emissions, pollution prevention, chemical storage and responsible resource use.
• Work with Operations, Engineering and Supply Chain to identify practical opportunities to reduce environmental impact and improve efficiency.
• Provide accurate environmental performance data for internal reporting, customer requirements and business planning.

Compliance, Assurance and Governance

• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of relevant UK health, safety and environmental legislation, guidance and industry standards, translating requirements into practical actions.
• Develop and deliver a risk-based programme of audits, workplace inspections and compliance reviews across all sites.
• Maintain accurate HSE records, registers and evidence, ensuring readiness for regulatory, customer, insurer and third-party audits.
• Lead relationships with the Health and Safety Executive, Environment Agency, local authorities, insurers, external advisers and other relevant bodies where required.
• Escalate significant risks or non-compliance promptly and ensure corrective actions are clearly owned, prioritised and completed.

Incident Management and Continuous Improvement

• Lead the reporting, investigation and review of accidents, incidents, near misses and environmental events, including statutory reporting where applicable.
• Ensure investigations identify immediate, underlying and root causes, with learning and corrective actions shared across all sites.
• Analyse HSE data and leading indicators to identify trends, recurring risks and priorities for management action.
• Facilitate practical improvement plans and verify that agreed controls are effective and sustained.
• Promote a learning-focused culture where concerns are raised early and good practice is shared consistently.

Projects, Change and Business Growth

• Provide HSE input from the earliest stage of capital projects, new equipment, production lines, layout changes and business transformation activity.
• Ensure machinery, processes and workplaces are designed, installed and commissioned with appropriate risk assessment, guarding, controls, documentation and training.
• Complete or support HSE due diligence for changes, acquisitions, new locations and contractor-led projects.
• Ensure management of change arrangements identify and control HSE risk before operational changes are introduced.

Leadership, Culture and Capability

• Build effective relationships across Technical, Operations, Engineering, People, Supply Chain and other business functions.
• Coach managers and team leaders to understand and take ownership of their HSE responsibilities rather than relying solely on the HSE function.
• Develop and coordinate practical inductions, training, toolbox talks and communications appropriate to different roles and risk levels.
• Create a visible, approachable and consistent HSE presence across all sites.
• Support the development of HSE competence across the business, including role-specific training, refreshers and succession planning.
• Relevant health and safety qualification, ideally NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent level of professional competence.
• Chartered membership of IOSH, or demonstrable progress towards chartered status, is desirable.
• Relevant environmental qualification or recognised environmental management training is desirable.
• Significant HSE leadership experience within food and beverage, FMCG, manufacturing or a similarly regulated operational environment.
• Proven experience of leading HSE activity across multiple sites and influencing senior leaders, managers and operational teams.
• Strong working knowledge of UK health, safety and environmental legislation and its practical application within manufacturing.
• Demonstrable experience of management systems, risk assessment, audit, incident investigation, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement.
• Experience of machinery safety, contractor management, capital projects, production-line installation or site change is desirable.
• Confident leadership, coaching and influencing skills, with the ability to challenge constructively and build accountability.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, including root-cause analysis, risk prioritisation and performance reporting.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical requirements into practical actions.
• Ability to balance strategic improvement with visible, hands-on support in a fast-moving, multi-site environment.
• Confident use of Microsoft 365 and HSE management, auditing or reporting systems.
• Flexibility to travel regularly between company sites and respond to significant incidents or operational needs when required.
• Visible, approachable and credible, with high levels of integrity, consistency and personal accountability.

Mission Statement

As a family-owned company, our priority is the health of our team members, our communities and our environment.

Shepley Spring is committed to responsible resource usage and integrating sustainability into every aspect of our business.

We have an obligation to drive aquifer preservation and sustainable withdrawals, energy efficiency, renewable energy generation and waste reduction, while continuously innovating to reduce our carbon footprint.

We firmly believe in continuing to grow and improve in each of these areas to make Shepley Spring the best water supplier, community partner and employer that we can be.

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