Safety, Health and Environment Team Leader in Harwell

Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown and turn what they find into work that changes the world around us. Whether it's sending probes into space or finding new ways to treat cancer, everyone here plays a vital role in making a positive difference to society. Come and discover how much you can achieve when you're surrounded by world-leading experts, encouraged to constantly learn and empowered to explore your curiosity.

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Group Team Leader at STFC's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) site in Oxfordshire. STFC provides a wide range of SHE challenges arising from the cutting-edge scientific and technology programmes that it delivers in the UK and internationally. Dependent on skills and experience, a very attractive salary is offered supported by flexible working conditions and generous pension scheme.

This is a key senior role leading an enlarged team of specialists responsible for shaping and implementing the STFC SHE Management system. This role reports directly to the STFC Head of SHE, for whom they may be required to deputise. As part of a team of health and safety professionals this is a busy, varied and exciting role, working closely with all departments on site, and giving great opportunities to use and develop your skills to make a difference to UK science.

List of duties / responsibilities

• Provide timely, professional SHE advice and guidance to personnel across at all levels of the organisation and across all STFC sites, liaising with management, staff, tenants, and facility users as required.
• Build and maintain good working relationships with all stakeholders, thereby fostering and supporting a collaborative and positive SHE culture across the organisation.
• Maintain and support the development of the STFC's documented SHE Management System and its supporting processes.
• Assist in shaping STFC's SHE Management System to meet requirements, and contribute to the development and implementation of UKRI's SHE policies and procedures to ensure these are complimentary.
• Monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of STFC's SHE Management System, its policies and procedures at RAL, and other STFC sites as appropriate, to drive continuous improvement.
• Communicate and engage with key stakeholders in STFC's SHE Management System, particularly with health and safety and environment committees, trade union (TU) and other safety representatives, departmental SHE contacts, nominated responsible persons, etc.
• Act as a lead auditor in STFC's audit programme, in alignment with the ISO audit standard.
• Provide senior management with assurance regarding implementation of STFC's SHE Management System, highlighting any issues where STFC is failing to comply with legislative requirements.
• Write briefing papers and reports for senior managers to support strategic decision-making in relation to SHE.
• Ensure the continuous improvement of the SHE Management System based upon experience, audit findings, external best practice, and legislative changes.
• Ensure that all SHE incidents are reported and investigated, and that action is taken to minimise the likelihood of recurrence, promulgating learning widely across STFC and UKRI wherever possible.
• Where incidents meet reporting criteria, ensure that they are reported to the appropriate authority, e.g. the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or other relevant regulatory body.
• Be the principal contact at RAL for regulatory authorities during site visits, e.g. HSE.
• Lead, manage and develop the RAL SHE Group in the provision of effective, efficient and professional SHE services to all stakeholders. This includes administrative programmes for statutory inspection, and SHE training, as well as developing the competence of the SHE Advisers according to existing skills and the growing needs of the site.
• Scope, prepare and deliver engaging, innovative and effective face-to-face and online SHE training programmes, contextualising and advising on content for STFC by external training providers.

Criteria for the role will be scored at shortlisting (S) and at the interview (I) stages, as follows:

Essential shortlisting criteria

• Ideally the candidate will be educated to degree level in a science or engineering discipline, and/or hold a NEBOSH Diploma (S).
• Demonstrable experience of successful delivery of a SHE Advisory role in the science, engineering, construction or technology sectors (S,I).
• A working knowledge of current and forthcoming changes to relevant UK SHE legislation (I).
• Proactive with a high degree of self-motivation and independence, able to deliver under pressure and against tight deadlines (S,I).
• Able to work unsupervised, or as part of a small team, able to lead a team of specialists managing work methodically and reliably (S,I).
• Very good interpersonal and communication skills able to work and influence staff at all levels, from director to scientist/engineer (S,I).
• Strong oral, written and report writing skills (S,I).
• Proven experience of leading and managing a team (S,I).
• Excellent IT skills, including familiarity with the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.), SharePoint, H&S IT systems and CAD drawing systems (S).
• Chartered Membership (or working towards) of the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) (S).
• Available to work and travel in the UK and abroad (S).
• Available to work flexibly, including occasionally out of normal working hours or weekend working or telephone contact (I).

STFC values their employees by offering a benefits package designed to provide an excellent work/life balance, including 30 days' annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege holidays, flexible working hours, a workplace nursery, exceptional average salary pension scheme, social and sporting activities and societies and a subsidised restaurant.

As one of Europe's largest research organisations, this is a place where there's always something new to learn about the world around us, about your career, but most of all, about yourself. Join us and discover what's possible.

Please note: if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you (and any dependants travelling with you) will be required to pay costs directly to the UK Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee, and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager.

For more information, please visit or contact UKRI - UK Research and Innovation. UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application.

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council is a world-leading multi-disciplinary science organisation where curiosity-driven, blue-skies thinking meets practical, application-led science and engineering. Our goal is to deliver economic, societal, scientific and international benefits to the UK and its people – and more broadly to the world. One of Europe's largest research organisations, we're trusted to support, enable and undertake cutting-edge projects in an amazing diversity of fields. Through world-class facilities and people, we're driving ground-breaking advances in science, engineering, computing and technology. Our research seeks to understand the Universe from the largest astronomical scales to the tiniest constituents of matter, yet creates impact on a very tangible, human scale.