Service Manager - Health, Safety and Wellbeing in Southampton

Service Manager – Health, Safety and Wellbeing

Southampton City Council is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Service Manager – Health, Safety and Wellbeing to lead one of the most critical assurance functions in the organisation. This is not a compliance only role. It is a strategic leadership opportunity for someone who wants to influence how a large, diverse public organisation understands risk, learns from incidents and protects its people and communities while enabling effective service delivery.

About The Role

You will lead and develop a specialist health and safety team, ensuring that activity is proportionate, risk based and focused on what really matters. A key part of the role is helping services take ownership of risk rather than relying on central oversight, embedding good judgement, learning and accountability into everyday management practice.

About You

The council is looking for a leader who understands that effective health and safety is as much about behaviour, influence and organisational culture as it is about systems and policies. You will have experience operating in complex environments with competing pressures, and you will be confident balancing legal compliance, service delivery and innovation. When risks need to be escalated, you will do so clearly and constructively, to our Health and Safety Board setting out options and consequences in a way that supports informed choices. This role offers the opportunity to make a tangible difference. Southampton City Council delivers a wide range of high impact services, and the Service Manager for Health, Safety and Wellbeing plays a vital role in ensuring that people are protected, lessons are learned and risks are managed intelligently rather than avoided or deferred. You will have the scope to design, improve and influence, rather than simply maintain existing arrangements.

What We Can Offer You

Salary: The salary band for this role is £65,222 – £73,834. The starting salary is £65,222 with annual progression through the salary bands.

Here at SCC we have a range of different benefits, a few examples can be found below.

• Excellent
• Death in service benefit of x3 salary, and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC (additional voluntary contribution)
• Generous holiday 25–31 days, based on role and service
• Flexible working options (role-dependent)
• Family‑friendly policies – Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for Dependents
• Training and development, including coaching and mentoring
• Health and wellbeing support – Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networks
• Veteran‑friendly employer with the Armed Forces Covenant
• Retail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platform
• Discounted memberships at local sports and fitness centres
• Sustainable travel benefits – low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loans
• Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteer