At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead UCL's health and safety strategy, ensuring a culture of safety excellence.
- Company: Join one of the world's leading universities committed to innovation and wellbeing.
- Benefits: 41 days holiday, pension scheme, on-site gym, and employee assistance programme.
- Other info: UCL values diversity and encourages applications from underrepresented groups.
- Why this job: Make a lasting impact on health and safety in a dynamic academic environment.
- Qualifications: Chartered Health & Safety professional with significant leadership experience.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
About us
Help Shape the Future of Health, Safety and Wellbeing at One of the World's Leading Universities. At UCL (University College London), we are driven by a simple but powerful purpose: to transform how the world is understood, how knowledge is created, and how global challenges are solved.
About the role
Reporting to the Executive Director of Estates Operations, you will be UCL's most senior health and safety leader, setting the strategic direction, providing expert assurance, and embedding a culture of safety excellence across the organisation. This is more than a compliance role; it is about leadership, influence, and creating a lasting legacy of safe, high-performing environments.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership – Define and deliver UCL's health and safety strategy aligned to institutional goals and risk appetite
- Executive Influence – Provide trusted advice and assurance to senior leadership, the Provost and Council
- Culture Transformation – Embed a proactive, consistent and measurable safety culture across a decentralised organisation
- Team Leadership – Build and inspire a high-performing Safety Services function, fostering excellence and continuous improvement
- Governance & Assurance – Establish robust frameworks for risk management, incident investigation and organisational learning
- Operational Oversight – Lead specialist safety functions including radiation protection and biological safety
- Change Delivery – Drive impactful programmes that strengthen accountability, governance and resilience
- Stakeholder Engagement – Translate complex risk and regulatory issues into clear, actionable insights for diverse audiences
About you
We're looking for a strategic, visible and credible leader who can operate confidently at executive level while driving delivery through empowered teams.
Essential Experience & Expertise
- Chartered Health & Safety professional (CMIOSH / CFIOSH)
- NEBOSH Level 6 Diploma, postgraduate qualification or equivalent experience
- Significant leadership experience in a large, complex organisation
- Deep knowledge of UK health & safety legislation and regulatory frameworks
- Track record of aligning safety strategy with organisational performance
- Experience influencing at Board / Executive level
- Strong leadership capability within complex, matrixed environments
Desirable
- Experience embedding ISO 45001 safety management systems
- Proven delivery of large-scale safety transformation programmes
What we offer
- 41 days holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays and 6 closure days)
- Additional 5 days annual leave purchase scheme
- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
- Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
- Immigration loan
- Relocation scheme for certain posts
- On-site nursery
- On-site gym
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
- Discounted medical insurance
This role meets the requirements for a Skilled Worker certificate of sponsorship or Global Talent visa under UK Visas and Immigration legislation. UCL welcomes applications from international applicants who require a visa. For guidance on eligibility, see Gov.uk Skilled Worker Visa guidance. For some roles UCL will consider hybrid working. This can be between 20-80% onsite working. Where this happens there is an expectation that individuals can be asked to work onsite as required up to 100% of a week.
UCL Terms and Conditions of Service: Research and Professional Services Staff. Closing date: 8th July 2026 at 23:59 GMT (applications may close early if volumes are high, so early submission is recommended).
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. Applicants should also familiarise themselves with UCL's policies on Prevention of Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy and Personal Relationships Policy.
Director of Health and Safety in London employer: UCL
At UCL, we pride ourselves on being a leading university that not only prioritises health and safety but also fosters a culture of excellence and innovation. As a Director of Health and Safety, you will benefit from an impressive 41 days of holiday, a supportive work environment that encourages professional growth, and the opportunity to make a significant impact on the safety culture within a diverse and dynamic institution. Our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion ensures that all employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to our mission of transforming knowledge and solving global challenges.
