Head of ESH&Q

NSG Environmental Ltd has been delivering work programmes in the nuclear industry for over 40 years. Traditionally in the areas of decommissioning and waste management, NSG now has a broad customer base and provides a wide spectrum of services across the nuclear project lifecycle, ranging from expert consultancy support, R&D and engineering design to rekit and refurbishment, site installation services and high-hazard physical decommissioning works, amongst others. This work is delivered at NSG’s own offices and purpose-built facilities and nuclear sites across the UK. The delivery and management of these projects and programmes of work is carried out by a skilled workforce composed of both white-collar and blue-collar personnel in technical, administrative, and physical roles.

Our core values of Passion, Integrity, Challenge and Collaboration drive performance and ensure we add significant value. If joining us as a member of staff, we will support your professional development in an exciting and challenging work environment that will enable you to use, develop and hone your technical expertise in a supportive and collaborative working environment.

The role requires DV Security Level Clearance. Please only apply if you are eligible to obtain DV clearance and are happy to go through the process.

The Role

Leading the Environment, Safety, Health and Quality (ESH&Q) team and collaborating within NSG Leadership Team (NLT), the Head of ESH&Q ensures governance and provides assurance for the business and ESH&Q support to project delivery and business operations.

Sets performance expectations that drive a proactive safety culture, environmental stewardship, operational excellence, and continuous improvement across the business ensuring that the organisation consistently delivers safe, high-quality outcomes for our clients and in line with business goals. Sets the performance expectations for ESH&Q team to ensure the quality of NSG operations are undertaken safely and compliantly.

Key Objectives

Leadership & Governance

• Leading the ESH&Q team, ensure governance arrangements support safe and high-quality delivery across NSG’s operational and project environments.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of the business plan and strategy, working with Directors, the NLT and key stakeholders to ensure ESH&Q is integrated into strategic planning and decision making.
• Develop, maintain and implement NSG’s ESH&Q strategy and plan to deliver integrated outcomes, ensuring alignment with business strategy and client requirements.
• Support company strategic meetings as required, and champion agreed company-wide initiatives.
• As part of the NLT, promote effective cross-company collaboration to support business objectives.
• Contribute ESH&Q updates to the Line Managers’ Pack.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with the NLT and key internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure adherence to and continual improvement of NSG’s quality management system, ensuring it remains robust, auditable, and aligned with ISO accreditations held by the business.

Compliance & Assurance

• Ensure business remains compliant with relevant legislation and regulatory expectations.
• Ensure proportionate internal assurance programmes are planned and delivered, including audits, risk-based inspections, walkarounds etc.
• Engage with clients, regulators, and external auditors, as required, providing credible, evidence-based responses.
• Ensure project and operational delivery arrangements align with NSG’s quality management system and client requirements, as appropriate.

Safety Culture & Operational Discipline

• Drive and champion a strong safety culture across the organisation, ensuring behaviours such as questioning attitude and adherence to procedures are embedded and operate as business as usual.
• In collaboration with NLT, drive operational discipline and ensure that teams understand and comply with ESH&Q expectations.
• Ensure ESH&Q risks are identified, assessed and mitigated, ensuring risks are managed ALARP.
• Ensure oversight of NSG’s operations is proportionate to the ESH&Q risk.
• Support emergency preparedness and crisis management ensuring arrangements are clear and robust.

Event Investigation & Organisational Learning

• Ensure investigations into incidents, near misses, and non-compliance are undertaken promptly by competent personnel.
• Ensure learning is captured clearly and promptly, communicated, and embedded across the organisation and supply chain.
• Provide strategic challenge to ensure corrective actions address systemic issues and strengthen organisational resilience.
• Ensure NSG’s operations remain environmentally compliant, including waste management, emissions, resource efficiency, and any environmental permitting interfaces.
• Ensure environmental risks associated with NSG operations are effectively managed.
• Support sustainability team on environmental initiatives aligned with client expectations and corporate commitments, e.g. achieving net zero.

Quality Assurance & Delivery Excellence

• Ensure effective and proportionate Quality support to operational and project delivery in line with NSG’s quality management system, client specifications and regulatory expectations.
• Oversee supplier assurance, inspection, and verification activities, ensuring supply chain partners meet required standards.
• Drive continuous improvement in quality performance, right first-time delivery, and defect prevention.

Stakeholder & Client Engagement

• Act as a senior ESH&Q interface with our clients and regulators.
• Ensure appropriate ESH&Q support to bids, tenders, and major project reviews, ensuring proposals meet client and regulatory expectations.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support safe, compliant, and high-quality delivery.
• Provide authoritative advice to the Board and NLT on ESH&Q risks, effectively reporting operational performance and emerging regulatory or industry trends.
• Influence senior leaders and operational teams to adopt proactive, prevention‑focused approaches to ESH&Q management.
• Drive cultural improvement initiatives that strengthen safety, quality, and environmental management.
• Build organisational capability through training, coaching, and development programmes that enhance ESHQ competence at all levels.

Technical and Professional Competence

• Strong communication and influencing skills at all organisational levels with an ability to synthesise complex technical, regulatory, and operational information into clear, actionable guidance .
• Strong ESH&Q leadership capability, including management of multi-disciplinary teams.
• Understanding of NSG’s core capabilities and operations.
• Ability to provide clear, relevant and prioritised information, advice and briefings to the responsible Director.

Quality Management

The Company operates an ISO 9001 accredited quality management system to manage quality, security, health & safety, environment and wellbeing.It is your responsibility to ensure all personal actions, and that all tasks and activities are delivered in compliance with the management system but specifically:

• Be aware of NSG’s policies.
• Be aware of procedures which apply to your area of work.
• Conform to the management system.
• Assist NSG in operating the management system.
• Co‑operate and assist during any audit.

We all have a role to play in our future success. It is vitally important we each live our values and adhere to the principles outlined in the NSG Behavioural Charter.

It is incumbent on us all to observe and implement all four of our values in providing the highest levels of support to our colleagues and in the delivery of customer service excellence.

Core Values:

Our values guide us in everything we do, serving as a compass for being positive role models and leading by example. By living these values, we inspire others to meet our high standards and expectations.

Passion – perform with enthusiasm and commitment to achieve our objectives and aspire to be the best at what we do with a right first-time attitude.

Integrity – be open and honest, act ethically and be accountable for our actions.

Challenge – question the way we do things and look to improve on processes and techniques to deliver value to our stakeholders.

Collaboration – work together with all stakeholders and share best practice to provide the highest level of customer satisfaction.

Accountabilities

• Accountable to the Director responsible for ESH&Q for the leadership and management of the ESH&Q Function.
• Accountable for maintaining confidentiality in respect of data and personal information in line with GDPR.
• Accountable for the safety of themselves and others whose safety may be compromised by their actions and/or omissions.
• Accountable for the tasks assigned and actions thereof.
• Communicate with others any uncertainties about tasks, processes or expectations
• Empowered to make decisions, within the constraints of the position description.
• Meet/exceed the expectations as identified in the position description.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent - Essential
• Membership of appropriate technical / professional body - Desirable

Experience & Knowledge

• 10+ years’ experience in Health & Safety, Quality and Environment management - Essential
• Expertise in ISO 9001, 14001 & 45001 accreditations - Essential
• Organisational change including integration, restructuring and capability uplift - Essential
• Record of cultural transformation, behavioural safety and organisational learning - Essential
• Leading and managing multi-disciplinary teams - Desirable
• Dealing with confidential and commercial information - Desirable

Skills & Abilities

• Strategic leadership – shaping long term ESH&Q strategy aligned to business and regulatory expectations - Essential
• Decision making – balancing operational risk and regulatory compliance - Essential
• Cultural leadership – driving behavioural and psychological safety, and learning culture - Essential
• Assurance mindset – ability to challenge, verify and provide independent oversight whilst maintaining operational credibility - Essential
• Communication and translation skills – ability to synthesise complex technical, regulatory, and operational information in to clear, actionable guidance - Essential
• Influencing and stakeholder engagement - Desirable

NSG Environmental are a Disability Confident Committed Employer

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