Head of HSQE

Role summary

The HSQE Manager leads the clients Safety, Health, Environmental and Quality arrangements for the SGN MRP contract and other workstreams. The role owns the contract HSQE plan, management-system implementation, assurance programme, incident governance and improvement activity, while providing competent advice and visible support to operational leaders. The HSQE Manager must maintain independent professional judgement and escalate significant risk promptly

Key responsibilities

HSQE strategy, governance and planning

• Develop, maintain and implement the contract HSQE plan, objectives, standards and annual assurance programme.

• Translate SGN requirements, legislation and client policy into clear operational controls, responsibilities and practical guidance.

• Ensure HSQE requirements are built into six-week planning, mobilisation, work packs, procurement and subcontractor arrangements.

• Maintain the relevant elements of the clients management system and ensure controlled documents remain current, accessible and understood.

• Own and maintain the Client Induction process to ensure inductions are carried out on time and to the required standard.

• Identify emerging risks, resource needs and compliance gaps early and agree priorities with the Head of Operations.

Assurance, audit and compliance

• Plan and lead risk-based audits, inspections, management-system reviews and targeted assurance across projects and support functions.

• Ensure findings are clear, proportionate, assigned to accountable owners and closed with suitable evidence within agreed timescales.

• Analyse recurring findings and require effective root-cause and preventative action rather than repeated short-term correction.

• Coordinate SGN the client and external audits and ensure you provides accurate evidence and timely responses.

• Maintain an effective compliance calendar covering inspections, statutory checks, training, reviews and document renewals.

Safety leadership and operational support

• Provide visible HSQE leadership through regular site visits, safety conversations, management tours and operational meetings.

• Coach Site Managers and Supervisors to plan and control excavation, temporary works, lifting, plant movement, streetworks and public risk.

• Review high-risk and unusual work, ensuring risk assessments, method statements, permits and competent resources are suitable before start.

• Challenge unsafe behaviour, weak controls or production pressure and stop work where risk is immediate or unacceptable.

• Support safe mobilisation, new-team onboarding, stand-down recovery and corrective-action programmes.

• Ensure occupational health, welfare, fatigue, wellbeing and fitness-for-work risks are identified and appropriately managed.

• Promote consistent standards across direct labour and subcontractors and address material differences in performance.

Incident management and learning

• Set and maintain arrangements for prompt reporting of incidents, near misses, environmental events, quality failures and unsafe conditions.

• Lead or oversee proportionate investigations, preserving evidence and identifying immediate, underlying and root causes.

• Agree corrective and preventative actions with clear owners and dates and verify effectiveness before closure.

• Produce concise investigation reports and brief senior management on significant events, exposure and required decisions.

• Share relevant learning through briefings, alerts, training and updates to plans, procedures or controls.

• Monitor trends to identify repeat events, weak barriers and areas requiring targeted intervention.

Quality, environment and customer protection

• Lead quality and environmental assurance so work is delivered right first time and environmental harm is prevented.

• Ensure controls cover waste, spoil, pollution prevention, dust, noise, ecology, materials, reinstatement interfaces and site housekeeping.

• Monitor defects, non-conformances, rework and customer-impacting failures and ensure suitable corrective action.

• Work with operations and commercial teams to protect evidence, avoid preventable cost and support contractual compliance.

• Ensure customer and public protection standards are included in inspections, audits and improvement plans.

• Maintain constructive relationships with SGN and client HSQE representatives, local authorities, auditors and relevant external stakeholders.

• Escalate serious environmental, quality or public-risk concerns immediately and support effective recovery.

Leadership, competence and culture

• Lead, allocate and develop HSQE Advisors where applicable, setting clear priorities, standards and expectations for field assurance and reporting.

• Maintain oversight of competence requirements and support HR and operations in keeping training and authorisation records current.

• Deliver or coordinate briefings, workshops and coaching that improve practical risk management and supervisory capability.

• Promote open reporting, fair challenge, learning and positive intervention without tolerating deliberate or repeated non-compliance.

• Recognise good practice and use assurance activity to build ownership rather than creating dependence on the HSQE team.

• Model the clients 5Cs and maintain professional, impartial and respectful working relationships at every level.

Performance reporting and improvement

• Produce accurate weekly and monthly HSQE dashboards covering leading and lagging indicators, trends, actions and material risks.

• Provide clear advice to the Business Lead, Head of Operations and senior management on priorities, exposure and required decisions.

• Track delivery of HSQE objectives, audit programmes, action plans and improvement commitments.

• Benchmark performance across projects and teams and target support where it will have the greatest effect