At the Environment Agency we aspire for inclusivity to thrive in our workforce. We embrace equal opportunities and flexible work arrangements, ensuring everyone can contribute and succeed. 

Do you share our passion for protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of others? This role offers an excellent opportunity to lead our approach to risk management, behavioural safety, and complex health and safety matters. Working closely with other HSW Senior Specialists, you will help deliver a strong health, safety and wellbeing culture across the organisation by providing clear guidance, effective systems and practical solutions that support informed decision-making and our goal of zero harm. 

Key accountabilities include: 

Leading the HSW function on risk management and technical health and safety matters, overseeing the work of two HSW Specialists. 

Managing responses to complex health and safety issues, undertaking research, working with subject matter experts, and developing standards and management systems. 

Identifying and assessing new regulatory requirements and incorporating these into organisational risk management arrangements. 

Leading the identification, assessment and reporting of national HSW risks, including supporting risks relating to security, property and fleet. 

Managing the HSW risk register and prioritising actions to reduce risk. 

Leading the delivery of the behavioural safety programme and supporting the Specialist – Behavioural Safety role. 

Developing accessible approaches that enable colleagues to manage risks and promote positive behaviours. 

Supporting technology solutions that improve risk management and behavioural safety outcomes. 

Collaborating across the organisation to drive continuous improvement. 

Aligning HSW assurance activities with organisational standards and contributing to risk-based assessment programmes. 

Supporting the development of policies, processes and systems for complex health and safety matters. 

Providing regular updates on risks, behavioural safety and technical issues. 

Building relationships with internal and external partners, including Defra Group, to share best practice and promote HSW ambitions. 

A strong understanding and experience of Health, Safety & Wellbeing management in large, geographically dispersed organisations.  

Experience and understanding of risk profiling and responding to technical or complex health and safety matters.  

Able to think strategically and respond quickly and flexibly to evolving priorities and comfortable to make decisions and set direction. 

Avoiding duplication and working sustainably across the whole HSW team. 

It is essential for candidates to have, or be working towards:  

NEBOSH Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals, or equivalent Management Systems qualification (or evidence of working towards). 

Certified membership of IOSH or equivalent professional membership (or evidence of working towards) 

It is essential that the formal qualification is supported by several years’ work experience of practically responding to technical health and safety matters and understanding risk. 

As Health, Safety and Wellbeing is a national team, the role is hybrid can be undertaken from anywhere in the country.  

Travel expectations are flexible and can be adjusted to suit the role and the post holder's needs. Health, Safety and Wellbeing have bi-annual face-to-face whole service meetings, often in Birmingham, Bristol or London.  

Interviews are expected to take place via Microsoft Teams in mid-late October 2026. Please advise if you require any reasonable adjustments.  

For full details of the role, please see the included attachment. 

For any additional information, please contact Bernie Esdaile ([email protected]).