Deployment Safety Manager (EMEA) in Bedford

The Deployment Safety Manager is a leadership role embedded within the EMEA Project Delivery function. Responsible for the strategic management, continuous improvement, and operational oversight of how Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) is deployed across Vertiv's customer project sites throughout the EMEA region. The role combines hands-on deployment leadership with the creation, review, and governance of EHS policies, procedures and safe systems of work that underpin Vertiv's project delivery operations. The Deployment Safety Manager ensures that EHS is not a standalone function but an integral enabler of safe, compliant and high-quality project execution – through L2 to L5 (delivery to site, construction works, equipment installation, Commissioning (Cx) and testing activities.

Reporting directly to the PMO Leader - EMEA, the role holder provides line management to the Deployment Safety Specialist team, sets the EHS deployment standard across all project sites and drives a culture of continuous improvement through structured initiatives, lessons learned and data-driven performance management. This position applies the principle of the highest applicable standard, whether local legislation or Vertiv Policy, whichever is more stringent.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• EHS Deployment Leadership & Oversight: Lead the deployment and oversight of EHS across Vertiv customer project sites throughout EMEA, ensuring consistent standards are applied regardless of project complexity, technology, or location. Define and maintain the EHS deployment framework for EMEA Project Delivery. Establish clear expectations, standards and ways of working for all site-based EHS activities. Conduct periodic site visits to monitor EHS deployment effectiveness, validate compliance and provide visible leadership to the EHS Deployment Specialists team. Ensure all Vertiv site activities are executed in compliance with applicable EMEA legislation, local country regulations, client site rules, and Vertiv EHS policies - applying whichever standard is more stringent. Act as the escalation point for EHS deployment issues, risks, and incidents across the project portfolio.
• Line Management & Team Development: Provide direct line management to the Deployment Safety Specialist(s), including objective setting, performance management, coaching, and professional development. Ensure the Deployment Safety Specialist team is appropriately resourced, trained, and deployed to support the EMEA project portfolio. Conduct regular one-to-one reviews, team meetings, and development conversations to build capability and maintain engagement. Identify training needs and development opportunities to strengthen the team's technical competence and leadership skills.
• Policy, Procedure & Governance: Lead the creation, review, and continuous improvement of EHS policies, procedures, and safe systems of work specific to EMEA Project Delivery operations. Ensure all EHS documentation (including Method Statements, Risk Assessments (RAMS), Job Hazard Analyses (JHA’s), and standard operating procedures) is fit for purpose and aligned to both Vertiv global standards and local legislative requirements. Establish and maintain a structured review cycle for all EHS deployment documentation, ensuring version control and governance compliance. Collaborate with the wider Vertiv EHS function to ensure alignment between EMEA Project Delivery EHS policies and global EHS standards. Ensure all EHS records and documentation are maintained in accordance with Vertiv policy.
• Continuous Improvement: Champion and drive EHS continuous improvement initiatives across EMEA Project Delivery, using structured methodologies including Root Cause Analysis (RCA), 5 Whys, Lessons Learned, and corrective/preventive action processes. Establish and monitor EHS performance indicators to identify trends, risks and improvement opportunities across the project portfolio. Lead the Lessons Learned process for EHS deployment - ensuring findings from incidents, near misses, audits and site observations are systematically captured, shared and embedded into future project delivery standards. Benchmark EHS deployment performance against industry best practice and client expectations, identifying opportunities to raise standards. Drive initiatives to improve first-time-right EHS deployment and reduce repeat findings across project sites. Present EHS continuous improvement performance, trends and recommendations to the PMO Leader and wider EMEA Project Delivery leadership.
• Incident Management & Investigation: Lead incident investigations, near-miss reporting and root-cause analyses using Vertiv methodologies. Ensuring corrective and preventive actions are implemented effectively and verified for closure. Ensure all incidents, near misses and observations are accurately recorded and reported in accordance with Vertiv EHS reporting requirements. Provide timely and accurate incident reporting and escalation to the PMO Leader - EMEA and relevant stakeholders.
• Stakeholder Collaboration & Communication: Work collaboratively with Site Managers, Project Managers, PMO, Engineers and Sub-Contractors to integrate EHS into project planning and execution. Liaise with client EHS representatives and principal contractors to ensure alignment of Vertiv EHS standards with customer site requirements. Represent Vertiv EHS Deployment at client reviews, project governance meetings and internal leadership forums. Build strong working relationships with the wider Vertiv EHS function, Quality and other cross-functional teams to ensure a joined-up approach to project delivery.
• Training & Competence: Develop and manage EHS training programmes, toolbox talks and leadership coaching for site-based teams and sub-contractors. Ensure all Vertiv personnel and sub-contractors deployed to project sites meet the required EHS competence and certification standards for their role and the jurisdiction in which they are working. Maintain a training matrix and competence framework for the Deployment Safety function.
• Compliance & Reporting: Monitor and track key EHS performance metrics across the EMEA project portfolio. Support EHS audit and inspection activities, ensuring findings are closed out within agreed timescales. Provide regular EHS deployment reports, dashboards, and performance summaries to the PMO Leader and EMEA Project Delivery leadership.

TRAVELLING

The role includes significant travel (circa 40–50%) within EMEA to conduct site visits, support project deployment and provide visible EHS leadership across the project portfolio. Assignments may vary in duration depending on project requirements and team deployment needs.

OTHER

The above duties and responsibilities are intended to describe the general nature and requirements of the role and are not intended to be an exhaustive list. In order to achieve business objectives, other duties may be included at the discretion of the PMO Leader - EMEA.

PHYSICAL & ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS

Ability to work in active construction, installation, commissioning, and operational project-site environments. Ability to access all areas of a construction/installation site while using required personal protective equipment (PPE) and complying with applicable HSE requirements. Ability to work at height and in environments with electrical hazards (with appropriate training and controls in place).

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• NEBOSH Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety (or recognised national equivalent at diploma level).
• Demonstrated experience (minimum 7 years) in EHS management within construction, installation or mission-critical infrastructure environments, including at least 3 years in a leadership or supervisory capacity.
• Proven experience in the creation, review, and governance of EHS policies, procedures and safe systems of work.
• Demonstrated track record of leading EHS continuous improvement initiatives with measurable outcomes.
• Strong working knowledge of European health and safety legislation and how it applies across multiple EMEA jurisdictions.
• Experience managing and developing EHS teams in a multi-site, multi-country environment.
• Excellent leadership, communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• Able to engage effectively from site operatives through to senior leadership.
• Practical and methodical approach to risk assessment, hazard identification and problem solving.
• Experience with EHS data analytics, dashboards, and digital reporting tools.
• Experience working with sub-contractors and multi-trade site environments.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Good command of English, both spoken and written.
• Full driving license.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience supporting data centre environments.
• Experience working on large-scale, high-value projects with multiple concurrent work fronts.
• Additional European language skills (e.g., French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch).
• ISO 45001 Lead Auditor certification.
• Chartered Membership of IOSH (CMIOSH) or working towards Chartered status.