Head of Environment, Health, and Safety

Head of Health Safety & Environment – (24P-67)

The Pirbright Institute

Salary: £56,000 - £66,000 per annum

Permanent

Onsite: Woking, GU24

Application Closing Date: 31/10/2024

Please send a Cover Letter alongside a CV with your application

About The Pirbright Institute

The Pirbright Institute delivers world-leading research to understand, predict, detect, and respond to viral disease outbreaks. We study viruses of livestock that are endemic and exotic to the UK, including zoonotic viruses, by using the most advanced tools and technologies to understand host-pathogen interactions in animals and arthropod vectors. Our major strength in understanding the immune systems of livestock provides a platform to control current diseases and respond to emerging threats.

Our Institute is made up of a dynamic and vibrant community of staff covering a diverse set of chosen fields, backgrounds, and experience. We all play a crucial role in furthering the Institute’s aspirations, advancing the frontiers of science and knowledge through our excellent scientific research, knowledge sharing and contribution; with a real focus in improving the world in which we live. Our outlook is always balanced by our strong sense of purpose, values and behaviours and an unwavering commitment to a ‘one Institute’ approach.

Organisation position and purpose

The Head of Health Safety & Environment (HS&E) provides Pirbright with the strategic leadership and vision, and the professional expertise and insight, to develop and maintain highly effective management of HS&E risks, to ensure rigorous compliance with regulatory requirements for HS&E, to foster collaborative excellent working relationships, to build robust assurance for stakeholders, and to thereby facilitate and support science productivity and innovation.

This is a pivotal senior role for Pirbright, which is a highly regulated Major Hazard Site, a world-leading research centre, and a UK national capability, and as such, the role requires outstanding leadership skills, exacting professional standards, and excellent engagement with stakeholders at all levels.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Lead management of HS&E risk across the organisation, to enable the Institute to achieve its strategic science objectives whilst controlling its risks and achieving full regulatory compliance.
• Lead a team of professional advisors, setting them operational goals in alignment with strategic imperatives, and empowering and upskilling them to be highly effective and productive.
• Maintain a service-driven delivery model to ensure the support and facilitation provided to risk owners is prompt, effective, and of an outstanding standard.
• Develop and implement management systems and processes that are robust, streamlined and deliver effective control of HS&E risk and full HS&E regulatory compliance.
• Work in close collaboration with the Head of Biorisk to ensure that all aspects of HS&E relevant to control of biorisk, to maintenance of biological containment and to compliance with applicable regulatory duties under SAPO, COSHH and GMOCU, are fully aligned, integrated and supportive of management of this critical Major Hazard.
• Build robust stakeholder assurance through development of Safety Performance Indicators, workplace inspection and internal audit programmes, incident investigations, Learning from Experience exercises, benchmarking against comparators, and cooperation with and support for HSE Planned Interventions. This includes RIDDOR reporting and supporting response to HSE investigations or civil claims that may arise.
• Identify HS&E competency requirements and build and deliver a programme of internal and external training to satisfy those requirements.
• Contribute to the corporate Risk & Opportunities Register and use the organisational and departmental HS&E risks identified and quantified as a basis for SMART operational planning.
• Assist the Head of HR in development and oversight of occupational health provision, particularly health surveillance, immunisation and identification and management of work-related illness.
• Assist the Senior Asset & Operations Manager in development and oversight of process safety management to ensure the highest levels of reliability and resilience of maintained assets.
• Assist in planning and development of new facilities by contribution to the definition of HS&E related requirements and provision of advice on HS&E issues.
• Engage with Institute governance frameworks, ensuring effective consultation on HS&E matters, and appropriate management review and authority in HS&E-related decision-making.
• Foster a positive HS&E culture by building excellent working relationships, by involving and consulting staff, and developing initiatives to raise awareness, participation, and engagement.
• Undertake external engagement with relevant national and international bodies and groups to share best practice, to benchmark performance, to build collaborative links, and to establish Pirbright as a centre of excellence in HS&E risk management.
• Report to the Institute’s Senior Leadership Board monthly, and to committees of the Board of the Trustee Directors as required.

This job description is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The jobholder will carry out any other duties as may be reasonably required by their line manager. The job description and personal specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of The Pirbright Institute.

Personal Specification

• Drives and delivers change and improvement.
• Displays strategic vision and leadership.
• Fosters team development and effectiveness.
• Sound decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent resource management and reliability under pressure.
• Influential, collaborative, tactful.
• Results-driven, produces work to exacting standards.

Essential/Desirable requirements

Essential:

• Degree or equivalent in a science, engineering, or other technical subject.
• NEBOSH Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety, or equivalent.
• Experience of provision of Health & Safety management, including development and implementation of effective HS&E management systems, policies, and processes.
• Experience of working in a science, technical or research organisation, or in another complex organisation, or in an intensively regulated organisation.
• Track record of driving change and improvement, and of ensuring staff and stakeholder ownership and implementation of change.
• Track record of strategic thinking and contribution to organisational development and objectives.
• Able to lead and motivate a team, to build highly productive working relationships, to resolve conflict, and to address challenge.
• Ability to produce work to exacting standards with rigorous attention to detail.

Desirable:

• Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Health & Safety, or equivalent. (or currently working towards Chartered status).
• IEMA Certificate in Environmental Management, or equivalent.
• Experience of environmental management and/or hazardous waste management
• Qualification and experience in auditing.
• Qualification and experience in training.
• Experience in line management / leading a team.

Due to the nature of the work carried out by Pirbright, all successful applicants will be required to go through a comprehensive screening process including reference and qualification checks, financial and security clearances.

What we offer

• Generous Group Personal Pension Scheme and life cover (subject to age and earnings).
• 25 days annual leave per annum, pro rata, plus 10.5 public and privilege days.
• Buy and sell annual leave.
• Option to carry over up to two weeks annual leave.
• Pirbright gym with subsidised membership.
• Pirbright social club.
• Pirbright Lifestyle Hub (employee discount site).
• Cycle to work.
• Subsidised employee restaurant.
• Childcare allowance.
• Free onsite parking.
• Electric car charging facilities.

Due to the high volume of applications, we receive, if you have not heard from us within one month from closing date of the vacancy, then please contact us on jobs@pirbright.ac.uk for an update.