Group Head of Health and Safety

Group Head of Health & Safety
Location: Flexible (weekly London visit; hybrid site travel)
Salary: Up to £120,000
Sector: Private Equity / Multi-Business Group

Irwin and Colton are partnering with a rapidly growing, private equity-owned group to appoint a Group Head of Health & Safety. Reporting to the CEO, this is the most senior H&S role across the group, responsible for setting the vision, governance, and performance framework for health and safety while enabling subsidiary leadership teams to own and deliver outcomes within their operations. Given the group's acquisitive growth strategy, the role is highly transformational. The successful candidate will design, embed, and continuously evolve a scalable, best-in-class H&S operating model, including the onboarding and integration of newly acquired businesses. The role balances strategic oversight with pragmatic delivery, protecting people while supporting commercial growth and investor expectations.

Key Responsibilities

Group Strategy, Leadership & Transformation

Build a scalable strategic and operating framework suitable for a decentralised, multi-risk portfolio
Define the target-state model, governance, roles, and Group-subsidiary interfaces
Act as senior H&S advisor to the Executive, Board, and InvestorsGovernance, Risk & Private Equity Oversight

Set group-wide policies, standards, minimum requirements, and risk appetite
Establish assurance mechanisms, escalation thresholds, and governance forums
Ensure compliance across jurisdictions and readiness for diligence, refinancing, or exit
Lead Board and investor reporting on performance, risk, and emerging issuesData, Insight & Performance

Own group H&S performance management, KPIs, leading indicators, and systems
Implement data-led insight, trend analysis, and predictive risk management
Drive consistency and quality of reporting while enabling local ownershipSubsidiary Engagement & Integration

Partner with subsidiary leaders to embed strong safety cultures and accountability
Lead onboarding and uplift of newly acquired businesses
Provide expert support and challenge without removing operational ownershipRisk, Assurance & Culture

Oversee risk identification, audits, incident investigation, and corrective action
Build and lead a small, high-impact central H&S capability
Define competence standards and develop H&S capability at all levelsCandidate Profile

NEBOSH Diploma (or equivalent); CertIOSH minimum
Senior H&S leadership experience in complex, multi-site or multi-business environments
Group-level experience, ideally within private equity or decentralised organisations
Proven track record of building or transforming H&S frameworks
Strategic, commercially astute leader with strong Board-level influenceFor more information on this opportunity or to discuss your next career move, contact Matthew Cathcart on +44(0) (phone number removed) or apply here.

Irwin and Colton are a specialist Health and Safety recruitment company based in the Southeast of England we recruit across the UK. We recruit all roles in the health and safety industry from Health and Safety Manager, Health and safety Director through to Health and Safety Advisor positions.

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