Head of SHE and Facilities

Head of SHE and Facilities

Lead and continuously improve STS Defence’s health, safety, environmental and facilities functions, ensuring safe, reliable workplaces, effective risk control and compliance with legal and customer requirements across engineering, manufacturing and project activities. Take full line-management responsibility for the SHE and Facilities team and accountability for its performance, budgets and contractor management. Based at Gosport, with occasional travel to other company and customer locations, provide oversight within agreed site and contract boundaries, working with customers, landlords and site service providers to coordinate responsibilities and delivery.

Key accountabilities

• Lead, organise and develop the SHE and Facilities team, including objectives, workload, performance, recruitment, succession and professional development.
• Set the functional plan, priorities, service standards and KPIs, and provide clear reporting to the Operations Director and leadership team.
• Own the SHE and facilities budget, resources, contracts and supplier performance, delivering value without compromising safety or compliance.
• Maintain effective health, safety and environmental management systems, policies, procedures, risk assessments, safe systems of work and assurance records.
• Provide competent advice on UK health and safety and environmental requirements and ensure practical controls are embedded in operations and customer projects.
• Lead incident and near-miss investigations, identify root causes, assign actions, verify effectiveness and share learning.
• Plan and assure workplace inspections, emergency arrangements, fire safety, audits and ISO 45001 / ISO 14001 certification activity.
• Own facilities operations, including planned and reactive maintenance, building systems, workspace, office moves, service requests and business continuity.
• Control contractors through competent selection, induction, risk assessment, permits, supervision, performance review and safe close-out.
• Hold managers, action owners and suppliers to account; escalate significant risks and require timely corrective action.
• Work with Programme Managers and Engineering to identify SHE and facilities requirements during bids and mobilisation, agree responsibilities and resources, and support delivery through project reviews, change control and close-out. Track relevant risks and actions and escalate unresolved matters through the agreed programme governance.
• Provide SHE input to PSECs, SEMPs or SECRs, including the preparation and review of relevant risk and assurance information, participation in reviews, and follow-up of assigned actions. Escalate matters requiring a programme or leadership decision.
• Maintain accurate records, risk registers, asset and maintenance schedules, compliance evidence and management information.
• Responsibility for coordinating and validating Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions data, maintaining the agreed baseline, reporting progress against reduction targets and meeting applicable customer and internal reporting requirements. The role should work with finance, procurement and operations to identify and deliver practical energy and carbon reduction measures, with clear ownership of data inputs and actions.

Authority
• Set mandatory SHE and facilities standards within approved policy and delegated authority.
• Stop or suspend work where there is an immediate or material risk, and define conditions for safe recommencement.
• Prioritise team resources and approve expenditure within the agreed budget and delegation limits.
• Require corrective action and evidence of closure from managers, employees, contractors and suppliers.

Essential requirements
• Proven management experience in SHE, health and safety, facilities or a combined operational function within engineering, manufacturing, defence, maritime or another regulated environment.
• Demonstrable line-management experience and accountability for team output, budgets, suppliers and service performance.
• NEBOSH Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, or an equivalent recognised occupational health and safety qualification at Level 6 or above, with strong working knowledge of UK health and safety legislation.
• Experience of facilities maintenance, contractor control, workplace compliance, risk assessment, incident investigation, audit and corrective-action management.
• Working knowledge of ISO 45001 and ISO 14001.
• Strong leadership, judgement and communication skills, with confidence to challenge, decide, influence and escalate.
• Ability to obtain UK security clearance to SC level.

Desirable
• Higher-level SHE, environmental or facilities-management qualification.
• Professional membership of IOSH, IEMA, IWFM or an equivalent body.
• Experience of ISO certification, customer assurance, safety cases, facilities projects or business continuity in a security-sensitive sector.