At Vertical Aerospace, we are pioneering the way for electric aviation. The Valo, our eVTOL (electric, vertical, take-off and landing), 'zero emissions' aircraft will set a new safety standard for how we will navigate the sky.
We won't realise our mission following the same legacy processes and traditions our predecessors followed, instead, we want to 'redefine' aerospace best practices. We are growing quickly from a prototype business to a scaling SME, and the next few years will be critical to our success and delivering on our ambitious goals. Valo is targeting airliner-level safety certification in 2029 ahead of entering service with our airline and operator customers.
Reporting to the VP Operations and Manufacturing, this is an exciting leadership opportunity to set the direction for Health, Safety and Environment across Vertical's operations.
Your role is to build the clarity, capability and accountability that enable leaders and teams to own safety. You'll lead our HSE team, strengthen our management system and assurance approach, and foster an open culture where people speak up, learn and continuously improve.
This is an opportunity to shape HSE at a defining stage in Vertical's journey, building the leadership, culture and systems needed to support our next phase of growth.
What You'll Do
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Lead Vertical's HSE strategy, annual plan and risk-based assurance programme.
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Advise executive and operational leaders on key HSE risks, trends and priorities, encouraging ownership and accountability for HSE.
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Embed HSE into business planning, operational decision-making and organisational change.
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Ensure risks across engineering, laboratories, test, prototype, facilities and operations are effectively managed.
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Lead significant incident investigations, ensuring learning drives lasting improvement.
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Maintain and continuously improve our ISO 45001-aligned HSE management system.
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Lead assurance activities, including audits, inspections and regulatory engagement.
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Use data and insight to improve HSE performance and focus on the highest risks.
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Lead environmental compliance and continuous improvement across operational activities.
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Define HSE training and competency requirements.
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Champion Vertical's Golden Safety Rules, Visible Felt Leadership and Zero Harm ambition.
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Lead, develop and prioritise the HSE team.
What You'll Bring
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Proven HSE leadership in a complex, safety-critical or high-hazard environment.
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Experience influencing senior leaders and improving accountability for risk management.
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A track record of improving HSE performance, culture and governance.
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NEBOSH Diploma, NVQ Level 6 in Occupational Health and Safety, or equivalent.
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Strong knowledge of UK health and safety legislation within engineering or operational environments.
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Experience developing and managing an ISO 45001-aligned management system.
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Experience leading investigations, audits, assurance and regulatory engagement.
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Practical environmental compliance and risk management experience.
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Credibility to partner with executive leaders and influence business decisions.
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Experience leading and developing HSE teams through growth or change.
Nice to Have
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Chartered IOSH membership, or working towards it.
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ISO 45001 Lead Auditor qualification or equivalent.
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ISO 14001 or IEMA qualification.
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Experience in high-voltage systems, batteries, flight test, prototype development or manufacturing.
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Experience supporting rapid organisational growth or operational transformation