Property Safety Lead (Weybridge)

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced and influential Health and Safety professional to join Defra Group Property as the Health and Safety Lead for the Weybridge site. This is a pivotal leadership role with significant responsibility for shaping health and safety performance, culture and compliance across one of Defra's most complex and business-critical locations.

As one of the site's senior health and safety specialists, you will provide visible leadership and expert advice to senior managers, employees, contractors and service providers. You will play a key role in ensuring Defra meets its legal obligations under health and safety legislation, while driving continuous improvement and promoting a positive and proactive safety culture across the site.

You will lead the identification and management of health and safety risks, oversee audit and assurance programmes, support complex incident investigations, and use data and performance information to influence decision-making and deliver measurable improvements. Working closely with facilities management providers, project teams and contractors, you will provide assurance that health and safety risks are effectively controlled and that statutory and organisational requirements are met.

The role also provides strategic leadership through the development and improvement of safety management systems, policies, standards and guidance. You will represent health and safety interests within key governance groups and committees, contribute to wider Defra Property safety initiatives, and support emergency planning and incident response arrangements. The post holder will also deputise for the Head of Property Health and Safety when required, providing leadership and direction across a broad range of safety matters.

We are looking for a credible leader with strong technical expertise in property and facilities management health and safety, coupled with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels. You will have a proven track record of delivering effective health and safety management within complex organisations, building collaborative relationships, and leading improvements that deliver safer, more compliant working environments.

This is an excellent opportunity to take on a highly visible leadership position where your expertise, judgement and ability to influence others will directly contribute to protecting people, supporting business-critical operations and improving safety outcomes across the Weybridge estate.

Job description

With a focus on general property and facilities management safety compliance, this role is based within Defra group Property (DgP).

The role is responsible for organising and assuring key elements of health and safety to ensure health and safety with the Defra’s undertaking at Weybridge.

The key responsibilities include:

• Identifying and assessing key risks, determining adequate control measures and ensuring effective implementation and compliance through audit and assurance activities.
• Promote and support the development and implementation of a positive health & safety culture across site. Reflect the changing needs arising out of health and safety legislation and best practice.
• Drive improvements in incident reporting and investigation across site to ensure correct root causes and corrective actions are implemented to reduce reoccurrence.
• Lead the provision of technical and professional health and safety advice and guidance to a range of internal and external stakeholders to positively influence safety outcomes and culture. This will include working with key stakeholders such as local facilities managers, FM service providers, and 3rd part contractors.
• Contributing to the Defra group Property Safety Management System including development and review of safety policies, standards and guidance.
• Managing and contributing to the health and safety legal and risk registers using a risk-based approach.
• Contributing to the Safety Improvement Action Plan for the wider Defra estate.
• Supporting Emergency Planning teams with the execution of Site Incident Response Plans.
• Leading, attending and participating in a range of working groups supporting Defra and Arm’s Length Body H&S Committees where appropriate.
• Collect, store and analyse data to gain insights on emerging risk trends enabling effective risk-based decisions to be made.
• Meeting and, where possible, exceeding KPIs.
• Reviewing risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) as required from projects and contractors.
• Assessing training needs, contributing to, and developing, training materials including induction and other specific training.
• Ensuring health and safety training needs are met for the team and associated contractors across Weybridge.
• Supporting own learning and development by attending relevant training and keeping personal Continuing Professional Development (CPD) portfolio up to date.
• Maintaining network of professional expertise.
• Building excellent working relationships with key stakeholders and responding effectively to all health and safety enquires.

Specific roles include:

• Supporting - or where appropriate - leading incident investigations relating incidents on site. Ensuring incidents are well documented, root and contributory causes are established, and actions identified are implemented to prevent re-occurrence.
• Support the team's document libraries, SharePoint site etc. Lead on new processes, document management and templates.
• Act as a member of appropriate committees, working groups and project teams to ensure identification, development and implementation of appropriate policies, plans and processes that contribute to general safety management across the site.
• Work closely with Defra group Property colleagues to ensure Defra is compliant with safety regulations. Promote effective contractor safety management via auditing and analysing performance data. Supporting the team to carry out assurance activities led by that data.
• Contribute to the development of, and collate and monitor, Defra Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) associated with safety across the Defra group Property estate.
• Deputising for Head of Property H&S as required.

Person specification

We are looking for a respected and influential health and safety professional with experience of engaging senior leaders and employees to create a positive organisational health and safety culture. You will be passionate about making a difference through collaboration, providing visible safety leadership, and taking a proactive, solutions-focused approach to improving health and safety outcomes.

Experience & Technical Skills

Essential criteria:

• Comprehensive knowledge of property and facilities management health and safety.
• Thorough understanding of key primary and secondary health and safety legislation and Approved Codes of Practice in the UK.
• Proven experience of health and safety management in an environment with complex multi-disciplinary issues.
• Demonstrable experience of managing and improving health and safety management systems.
• High level of interpersonal skills with the ability to develop strong working relationships and flexible style to ensure influence and credibility with senior managers, staff and trade unions.
• Ability to organise and prioritise conflicting deadlines to meet changing business needs.
• Leadership and/or senior advisory experience in a Health and Safety role within a complex organisation.
• Experience of delivering and improving audit and assurance programs.

Essential criteria: