At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead health, safety, and environmental strategies throughout project lifecycles.
- Company: Join a leading engineering firm focused on safety and innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and a dynamic work environment.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by embedding safety into every project phase.
- Qualifications: NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent, with strong risk management experience.
We are seeking an experienced HSE Lead to provide strategic and operational leadership across health, safety and environmental matters throughout the project lifecycle.
The role is particularly focused on risk management, with responsibility for ensuring that health and safety risks are identified, understood, assessed and effectively controlled from the earliest stages of design through to construction, commissioning and handover.
The successful candidate will be able to bridge design-phase risk management with construction and constructability considerations, working collaboratively with designers, engineers, contractors and project leadership to ensure that safety is embedded into project decisions rather than treated as a standalone construction activity.
Key Responsibilities
- Risk Management & Design Safety
- Lead the identification, assessment and management of HSE risks throughout the project lifecycle.
- Provide specialist HSE input during concept, design and detailed design phases, ensuring significant risks are identified and addressed at source.
- Review designs, methodologies and engineering proposals from an HSE and constructability perspective.
- Challenge design decisions where they introduce avoidable or disproportionate health and safety risks.
- Ensure appropriate consideration is given to design risk, residual risk and foreseeable construction, maintenance and operational risks.
- Facilitate and contribute to design risk assessments, HAZID/HAZOP workshops, constructability reviews and other risk-management activities.
- Ensure risk registers are maintained, actively managed and integrated into project decision-making.
- Constructability & Construction Risk
- Work closely with construction teams and contractors to ensure design intent can be delivered safely and practically.
- Identify potential conflicts between design requirements, construction methodology and safe systems of work.
- Review construction methodologies, temporary works, sequencing and logistics from an HSE perspective.
- Ensure risks identified during design are effectively communicated and controlled during construction.
- Support the development and implementation of appropriate construction-phase risk controls.
- HSE Leadership
- Provide visible leadership on HSE matters across the project.
- Establish and maintain a strong safety culture based on risk ownership, proactive intervention and continuous improvement.
- Provide authoritative HSE advice to the Project Director, design team, engineering functions and construction leadership.
- Monitor HSE performance and provide clear reporting, assurance and recommendations to senior management.
- Ensure compliance with applicable legislation, standards, client requirements and project procedures.
- Assurance & Governance
- Develop and implement project HSE strategies, plans and assurance programmes.
- Undertake audits, inspections and assurance reviews to verify that risk controls are effective.
- Monitor leading and lagging HSE indicators and identify emerging trends.
- Investigate significant incidents and ensure lessons learned are incorporated into project processes and design.
- Ensure appropriate HSE documentation, records and evidence are maintained throughout the project lifecycle.
Key Skills & Experience
- Significant experience in a senior HSE role within major projects, engineering, construction or infrastructure.
- Strong experience in risk management and risk-based decision-making.
- Proven ability to influence HSE outcomes during the design and planning phases, rather than solely during construction.
- Strong understanding of design risk management and constructability.
- Experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary design and engineering teams.
- The confidence to challenge technical and project decisions where significant HSE risks exist.
- Strong understanding of construction methodologies, sequencing and practical site constraints.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence at both technical and senior-management levels.
- A proactive approach to identifying emerging risks and implementing effective controls.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capability.
Qualifications
- NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent HSE qualification.
- Relevant professional membership, such as IOSH, desirable.
- Relevant technical, engineering or construction qualification, desirable.
- Appropriate experience in design risk management and construction HSE.
- CDM knowledge and experience, where applicable.
Personal Attributes
- Risk-focused - able to understand the difference between identifying a risk and actually managing it.
- Influential - capable of challenging and influencing designers, engineers, contractors and senior stakeholders.
- Practical - able to translate risk assessments into realistic and effective controls.
- Collaborative - comfortable operating across design, engineering, construction and project-management teams.
- Proactive - anticipating risks before they become incidents or project constraints.
- Decisive - willing to intervene and escalate where risk is not being adequately controlled.
- Commercially aware - understanding how effective risk management supports safe, efficient and deliverable project outcomes.
Core Success Measure
Success in this role will be demonstrated by the ability to embed HSE risk management into project decision-making from design through construction, ensuring that significant risks are identified early, properly understood, owned by the appropriate stakeholders and reduced to an acceptable level before work proceeds.
HSE Lead in Plymouth employer: Tradestech Recruitment
Joining our team as a Sub Agent on the HS2 Routewide Buildings project offers you the chance to be part of a prestigious infrastructure initiative that is shaping the future of rail travel in the UK. We pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative work culture that prioritises safety, quality, and professional development, providing ample opportunities for growth and advancement within the company. With a focus on innovative construction techniques and a commitment to employee well-being, this role not only promises meaningful work but also a supportive environment where your contributions are valued.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land HSE Lead in Plymouth
✨Join Construction Networks
Get yourself involved in local construction networks or industry events. They often have job boards, and networking can lead to unadvertised positions. Plus, it’s a great way to meet potential future colleagues!
✨Show Off Your Skills on Site
If you’ve done any hands-on work, whether it's through internships or personal projects, make sure you can showcase it. Consider volunteering for local construction projects or getting involved in community build days; it’s a solid way to demonstrate your skills and build connections.
✨Utilise Construction Job Sites
Don't just rely on the big job boards. Look at niche construction job sites—many companies prioritise these for full-time roles. Apply through these sites, but don’t forget to reach out directly to companies you admire, like Tradestech Recruitment, to express your interest!
✨Tailor Your Application for Full-Time Roles
Make your application stand out by tailoring it specifically for full-time positions. Highlight how your previous projects align with the company's work. At StudySmarter, we encourage you to demonstrate your commitment and long-term interest in the industry when applying for roles like HSE Lead at Tradestech Recruitment.
We think you need these skills to ace HSE Lead in Plymouth
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Relevant Experience:In the construction industry, it's essential to highlight any hands-on experience you have. Whether it’s past projects you've worked on or specific roles you've held, make sure your CV emphasises your practical skills and contributions to construction sites.
Include Certifications and Qualifications:Don’t forget to list any certifications relevant to construction, like CSCS cards or other safety qualifications. These can really set you apart from other candidates and show that you’re serious about health and safety on-site.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to Construction:When writing your cover letter for a construction role, focus on your problem-solving capabilities and teamwork. Construction relies heavily on collaboration, so mention how you’ve worked successfully with others to complete projects on time and within budget.
Adapt Your CV Format to the Field:Ensure your CV is clear and easy to read, with sections dedicated to skills such as project management, technical abilities, and site supervision. Construction roles often require a blend of technical know-how and soft skills, so make sure both are highlighted effectively.
How to prepare for a job interview at Tradestech Recruitment
✨Brush Up on Technical Knowledge
For a construction role, it's crucial we have a solid grasp of industry standards, safety protocols, and specific tools used on-site. Make sure you're familiar with relevant regulations and can talk confidently about them, as these often come up in interviews.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Since this is a full-time position, be ready to discuss any previous construction projects you've worked on. Bring a portfolio or have detailed descriptions that highlight your role, the challenges you faced, and how you overcame them—this’ll show you’re not just book-smart but also practically savvy.
✨Understand the Team Dynamics
Construction is all about teamwork, so prepare to discuss how you interact with different stakeholders like architects, engineers, and contractors. Maybe think of examples from past experiences to illustrate your ability to communicate and collaborate effectively.
✨Prepare for On-the-Spot Problem Solving
Be ready for some practical questions or scenarios where you'll need to demonstrate your problem-solving skills. Interviewers might present you with a hypothetical construction issue to solve, so practice articulating your thought process clearly and logically—this could really set you apart!
