Group Health, Safety & Environmental Manager
Newcastle / Gateshead
Permanent | Full-time
The Opportunity
An established, employee-focused construction and civil engineering group is looking to appoint a Group Health, Safety & Environmental Manager to take a leading role in driving health, safety, environmental and quality standards across the wider business.
Based from a Newcastle / Gateshead office, with regular travel across live sites and regional offices, this is a key leadership position for an experienced HSE professional who can operate confidently across both office and operational site environments. The successful individual will take ownership of the group’s HSEQ agenda, provide leadership to the existing health and safety function, and play a visible role in influencing standards, behaviours and continuous improvement at every level of the organisation.
This role would suit someone with broad-based construction and civil engineering knowledge, strong practical site understanding, and the credibility to engage effectively with senior leadership, operational teams, external bodies and frontline staff alike.
The Business
Our client is a well-established North East construction and civil engineering group with a strong reputation for delivering work through a collaborative, partnership-led approach. The wider group operates across multiple disciplines including construction, civil engineering, building services, fabrication, facilities management, fire engineering, plant and transport, and foundations.
The business has a strong regional footprint, supported by offices across Tyneside, Teesside and Yorkshire, and delivers a wide variety of projects ranging from smaller works packages through to schemes of around £8m in value. With an annual turnover of approximately £70m, a workforce of around 260 employees, and an employee-owned structure, the company offers both stability and a people-focused culture.
The Role
The Group Health, Safety & Environmental Manager will hold overall responsibility for the leadership, coordination and continuous development of health, safety, environmental and quality performance across the group.
This is not a purely compliance-led position. It is a visible and influential role requiring someone who can combine strong technical knowledge with practical leadership, sound judgement and the ability to drive standards in a fast-paced contracting environment.
The successful candidate will manage and support two Health & Safety Managers, both of whom are primarily site-based, while also taking ownership of the wider strategic and governance responsibilities associated with a group-level appointment. You will be expected to work closely with operational and senior management teams, ensuring legal compliance, improving systems, promoting best practice and strengthening a culture of accountability and safety ownership across the business.
You will also take the lead on the Occupational Health surveillance programme and will be responsible for presenting monthly health and safety performance statistics and key updates to board and senior leadership teams.
Key Responsibilities
→ Lead the development, implementation and ongoing improvement of the group’s health, safety, environmental and quality systems
→ Provide day-to-day leadership, direction and support to the health and safety team
→ Manage, mentor and coordinate two site-based Health & Safety Managers
→ Act as the senior point of contact for HSE matters across the business
→ Oversee health and safety performance across a diverse range of construction and civil engineering operations
→ Ensure the business remains fully compliant with current legislation, internal procedures and client requirements
→ Lead on risk assessments, site inspections, accident and incident investigations, corrective actions and lessons learned
→ Support new site start-ups, ensuring robust HSE processes and standards are embedded from the outset
→ Maintain and continuously improve company policies, procedures, guidance documents and reporting frameworks
→ Drive a positive culture of health, safety and environmental responsibility across both office and site teams
→ Provide practical, commercially aware HSE advice to operational managers and senior stakeholders
→ Take ownership of the Occupational Health surveillance programme
→ Produce and present monthly HSE statistics, trends, updates and recommendations to board and senior management
→ Act as the main point of contact for relevant external bodies, regulators, auditors and accreditation providers
→ Maintain and support compliance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001
→ Oversee and support ongoing accreditation requirements including CHAS, Constructionline and SafeContractor
→ Contribute to wider business improvement initiatives, helping to strengthen standards, consistency and professional practice across the group
Candidate Profile
The business is seeking an experienced and proactive HSE professional with the authority, technical competence and presence to operate at group level.
To be considered, candidates should be able to demonstrate:
→ Proven experience in a senior Health & Safety / HSEQ leadership role within construction, civil engineering or a related contracting environment
→ Strong, practical knowledge across a broad range of construction and civils trades
→ Solid site-based experience and the ability to engage credibly with operational teams
→ Previous experience of managing or mentoring other HSE professionals
→ Strong working knowledge of current HSE legislation, compliance expectations and industry best practice
→ Experience of maintaining and developing integrated management systems and supporting formal accreditations
→ Confidence in producing reports, analysing trends and presenting performance data to senior leadership teams
→ Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence at board level as well as on site
→ Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities effectively
→ A proactive and solutions-focused approach, with the confidence to work independently while also contributing positively as part of a wider team
What’s on Offer
This is an excellent opportunity to join a respected regional group where the successful individual will have the scope to make a genuine impact.
The business offers:
→ 25 days’ holiday plus public holidays
→ Additional birthday leave / birthday bonus
→ Company pension / salary sacrifice pension scheme
→ Private medical insurance
→ Death in service benefit
→ Profit share scheme
→ Cycle to work scheme
→ Free parking / on-site parking
→ Company events
→ Fully funded training and ongoing professional development across technical, managerial and safety disciplines
Why This Role Stands Out
This opportunity offers far more than routine compliance management. It is a genuine leadership position within a well-established regional group where health, safety and continuous improvement are taken seriously. The successful candidate will be given the platform to shape standards, support the development of others, and put their own stamp on the function within a business that values accountability, professionalism and long-term improvement.
For an experienced HSE professional looking for a broad, group-level role with visibility, influence and variety, this is a particularly strong opportunity in the North East market.
Apply / Confidentiality
All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. Your details will not be shared with any third party until we have discussed the opportunity in more detail and you are happy to proceed. The name of the hiring company will also be disclosed during that conversation.
To apply, simply click “Apply for this Job” on this listing, or email your CV to cv@fulcrumrecruit.com. For a confidential discussion beforehand, call 07880 369 557.