Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) Manager Food Manufacturing | London | Standalone Leadership Role with Strategic Influence Some HSE roles are about ticking boxes. Others give you the opportunity to shape the future of a site. This is one of those opportunities. We're exclusively supporting a growing and well-invested food manufacturing business in London to appoint a Health, Safety & Environmental Manager. This is a standalone position reporting directly to the Site Director, offering the autonomy, visibility, and support to build a progressive HSE culture that goes beyond compliance. You'll play a pivotal role in influencing behaviours, embedding best practice, and driving a proactive safety and environmental agenda across a fast-paced manufacturing operation. If you're passionate about creating meaningful cultural change and believe the best safety standards are built through engagement and leadership - this could be the role for you. The Opportunity This is a highly visible role where you'll take full ownership of Health, Safety & Environmental performance on site. You'll work closely with the Senior Leadership Team and operational managers to create an environment where safety is genuinely valued, continuously improved, and embedded into everyday decision-making. From leading management systems and audits to coaching teams on the factory floor, you'll have the platform to make a lasting impact. Key Responsibilities Culture, Engagement & Leadership Drive a positive behavioural safety culture across the site Build strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels, from shop floor to senior leadership Lead safety conversations, observations, and coaching initiatives Promote accountability and engagement in HSE best practice throughout the operation Act as a trusted advisor to operational teams on safe and practical ways of working HSE Systems & Compliance Develop, implement, and maintain HSE management systems aligned to ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 Manage the site risk assessment programme, ensuring actions are completed effectively Oversee environmental aspects and impacts, identifying opportunities for continuous improvement Ensure full compliance with UK HSE legislation and internal company standards Keep up to date with industry developments and benchmark best practice externally Incident Management & Investigation Lead incident investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective action processes Ensure preventative actions are meaningful, sustainable, and embedded operationally Support managers in improving incident prevention and reporting standards Act as the main point of contact for external auditors and regulatory bodies Audits, Reporting & Performance Lead internal and external HSE audits and maintain audit readiness across site Monitor and report on HSE KPIs, trends, and improvement plans Ensure non-conformances are addressed thoroughly and effectively Provide clear and insightful reporting to the Senior Leadership Team Training & Capability Development Identify HSE training needs across the business Deliver engaging inductions, toolbox talks, and practical training sessions Develop confidence and capability within teams to take ownership of safety Support managers in building strong day-to-day HSE standards Continuous Improvement & Projects Provide HSE support for site projects and operational improvement initiatives Ensure safety and environmental considerations are embedded into business decisions Contribute to wider site development and future growth plans About You You'll be a confident and credible HSE professional who enjoys operating in a standalone role and influencing across all levels of a manufacturing environment. We're looking for: Experience within food manufacturing, beverage, or FMCG environments Strong working knowledge of ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 NEBOSH General Certificate (essential) NEBOSH Diploma (or working towards) Environmental qualification such as IEMA (desirable) Experience leading audits, investigations, and cultural improvement initiatives Equally important is your approach: Hands-on and visible leadership style Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills The confidence to challenge constructively and influence behavioural change Organised, proactive, and detail-oriented Passionate about continuous improvement rather than minimum compliance Why Join? This is an opportunity to join a business that genuinely values Health, Safety & Environmental performance and recognises the importance of strong site leadership. You'll have the autonomy to shape the HSE agenda, influence culture at every level, and build long-term improvements within a supportive and forward-thinking manufacturing environment. If you're looking for a role where you can make a real impact - we'd love to hear from you. For more information, please contact Shaf Islam on (url removed) As you know over here at Zest we like to do things properly and always want to keep you, the candidate in the loop. Applying to this 'one of a kind' role you give Zest permission to hold your information. If you want to know more about how Zest look after your personal information please visit our privacy policy on the website (url removed)
