Overview Group Head of Health Safety br/ br/ Zertus UK Ireland | Humdinger, Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire with regular UK travel br/ br/ Are you an experienced FMCG/ Manufacturing Health Safety leader who thrives on influencing culture, driving standards and making a lasting impact? br/ br/ This newly created leadership role offers the opportunity to lead Health Safety across Zertus UK Irelands manufacturing operations, including Humdinger, Kinnerton Confectionery and Lir Chocolates. Reporting to the Group Operations Director, youll be responsible for setting the direction of our Health Safety agenda across five sites, leading a team of Health Safety professionals and ensuring consistency, compliance and continuous improvement across the Group. br/ br/ More than simply maintaining standards, youll play a key role in shaping our future approach to Health Safety. From influencing Board-level decision making and embedding standards across the business, to developing high-performing teams and strengthening accountability at every level, this is a role where youll have genuine visibility, impact and the opportunity to build a best-in-class safety culture. br/ br/ Position Type: br/ br/ Permanent, Full Time Location: br/ br/ Humdinger, Sherburn-in-Elmet, LS25 with regular UK/Ireland travel as required Salary: br/ br/ Competetive + 10% annual bonus + car allowance br/ br/ Hours: br/ br/ Monday - Friday, 08:30 - 16:30 br/ br/ Closing date: br/ br/ 12/10/2026 br/ br/ Responsibilities br/ br/ Develop and deliver the Group Health Safety strategy across Humdinger, Kinnerton and Lir, ensuring alignment with business objectives. br/ br/ Lead, coach and develop a team of five Health Safety professionals across our manufacturing sites. br/ br/ Provide expert advice, assurance and strategic recommendations to senior leadership and the Board. br/ br/ Drive a positive and proactive safety culture, embedding accountability and engagement throughout the organisation. br/ br/ Establish and maintain Group-wide policies, standards, governance processes and compliance frameworks. br/ br/ Lead the implementation, maintenance and continuous improvement of ISO 45001 standards across all sites. br/ br/ Ensure compliance with UK and Ireland Health Safety legislation and regulatory requirements. br/ br/ Oversee risk management programmes, safe systems of work and corrective action plans. br/ br/ Lead significant incident investigations, root cause analysis and organisational learning initiatives. br/ br/ Develop meaningful KPI dashboards and Board-level reporting to drive performance and risk management. br/ br/ Manage relationships with regulatory bodies, insurers, auditors and external specialists. br/ br/ Drive consistency and best practice across all manufacturing locations through effective cross-site leadership. br/ br/ Support colleague wellbeing, engagement and wider sustainability objectives. br/ br/ Qualifications Were looking for someone who can bring both strategic Health Safety leadership and the ability to influence operational performance across a complex manufacturing environment. Youll ideally have: br/ br/ Essential: br/ br/ NEBOSH Diploma or an equivalent Level 6 Health Safety qualification. br/ br/ Significant senior Health Safety leadership experience within manufacturing, FMCG, food production, logistics or similarly operational environments. br/ br/ Experience managing Health Safety across multiple sites and leading geographically dispersed teams. br/ br/ A proven track record of developing and implementing strategy that delivers measurable improvements in safety performance. br/ br/ Strong knowledge of UK and Ireland Health Safety legislation. br/ br/ Experience of ISO 45001 implementation, certification and continuous improvement programmes. br/ br/ Experience presenting compliance, risk and performance information to Executive and Board-level stakeholders. br/ br/ Strong experience leading audits, inspections and regulatory engagement. br/ br/ Desirable: br/ br/ Chartered IOSH status (CMIOSH) or working towards. br/ br/ ISO 45001 Lead Auditor qualification. br/ br/ Environmental or sustainability qualifications. br/ br/ What will make you successful? br/ br/ Youre a credible leader who can engage, influence and challenge stakeholders at every level of the business. br/ br/ You can balance operational priorities with strong governance, compliance and risk management. br/ br/ You build high-performing teams through coaching, mentoring and succession planning. br/ br/ Youre comfortable operating across multiple sites and building strong relationships with diverse teams. br/ br/ You use data and insight to identify opportunities, measure success and drive continuous improvement. br/ br/ You can successfully lead behavioural and cultural change programmes. br/ br/ You have excellent communication skills and can confidently influence senior leaders and Board-level audiences. br/ br/ Youre resilient, pragmatic and solutions-focused, with the ability to make sound decisions in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. br/ br/ Youre passionate about creating workplaces where people can perform at their best and return home safely every day. br/ br/ Rewards Benefits br/ br/ Competitive salary plus car allowance and 10% annual bonus opportunity. br/ br/ 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase additional holiday. br/ br/ 4% employer and 5% employee pension contribution. br/ br/ Life assurance at four times basic salary. br/ br/ Healthcare Cash Plan through Paycare, covering dental, optical, therapies and counselling. br/ br/ Salary sacrifice schemes including pension, Cycle to Work and electric vehicle options. br/ br/ Career development opportunities within one of the UKs leading confectionery and snacking manufacturers. br/ br/ The opportunity to shape the future of Health Safety across some of the UKs and Irelands best-known confectionery and snacking manufacturers. Youll have the autonomy to influence strategy, lead a talented team, partner with senior stakeholders and drive meaningful change across five manufacturing sites. br/ br/ About Us Zertus UK Ireland is home to some of the UKs best-loved confectionery and snacking brands, including Humdinger, Kinnerton and Lir Chocolates. We combine the pace of a growing manufacturing business with the backing of an international family-owned group, creating exciting opportunities for ambitious professionals to make a real difference. br/ br/ This role is based primarily at our Sherburn site, with regular travel across all UK manufacturing locations. br/ br/ Our manufacturing Locations: Heckington, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Fakenham, Bromborough, Navan (Ireland). We have a hot-desking office space in Hull (East Yorkshire) and also in Camden, London. br/ br/ Zertus UK I is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. br/ br/ #GroupHeadOfHealthAndSafety #HealthAndSafety #HeadOfHSE #HSELeadership #ManufacturingJobs #FMCGCareers #FoodManufacturing #IOSH #NEBOSH #SafetyLeadership #ContinuousImprovement #MultiSiteLeadership #Zertus #Humdinger #Kinnerton #LirChocolates br/ br/ #J-18808-Ljbffr
Group Head of Health and Safety employer: Zertus UK & Ireland
Zertus UK & Ireland is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that prioritises innovation and sustainability in the confectionery industry. With a commitment to employee growth, we provide opportunities for professional development, including training and qualifications, alongside competitive benefits such as hybrid working, an annual bonus plan, and a comprehensive healthcare cash plan. Located in Fakenham, our team enjoys a collaborative environment where creativity thrives, making it an ideal place for those looking to build a meaningful career in procurement.
