HSEQ Lead

Job Title: HSEQ Lead

Location: Head Office, Kirkhill Commercial Park, Dyce, Aberdeen

Reports to: CEO

Main Purpose of Role

The HSEQ Lead is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing health, safety, environment, and quality management systems within the organisation, comprising manufacturing, retail and office locations.

This role involves identifying potential risks, implementing proactive measures to mitigate them, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and standards, and taking the lead in driving a culture of ownership and continuous improvement in HSEQ practices.

Core Responsibilities

• Developing HSEQ Policies and Procedures:
  • Develop, review, and update health, safety, environment, and quality policies, procedures, and guidelines in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements and industry best practices.
• Continuous Improvement:
  • Develop comprehensive improvement strategies that address the organisation's most critical safety and quality challenges while aligning with broader business objectives.
  • Through proactive planning and prioritisation, foster a culture of continuous improvement where safety and quality considerations are integrated into daily operations and decision-making processes, driving sustainable performance excellence across the organisation.
• Risk Assessment and Management:
  • Conduct regular risk assessments across all areas of the organisation to identify potential hazards and implement effective control measures to minimise risks to personnel, property, and the environment.
• Compliance Monitoring:
  • Monitor and ensure compliance with relevant health, safety, environment, and quality regulations, standards, and certifications (e.g., HSE, ISO standards).
• Training and Awareness Programmes:
  • Develop and deliver HSEQ training programmes to employees, contractors, and other stakeholders to increase awareness of HSEQ policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Incident Investigation and Reporting:
  • Lead investigations into accidents, incidents, near misses, and non-conformances, and prepare comprehensive reports with recommendations for corrective and preventive actions.
• Auditing and Inspections:
  • Plan and prioritise regular internal audits and inspections to assess compliance with HSEQ standards and identify areas for improvement.
  • Given the dynamic nature of manufacturing environments, effective planning ensures that audits and inspections are conducted systematically across various operational areas, prioritising high-risk zones and processes.
  • The HSEQ Lead must possess strong organisational skills to manage audit schedules, allocate resources efficiently, and ensure that corrective actions are implemented promptly to address identified deficiencies.
• Supplier and Contractor Management:
  • Evaluate the health, safety, environment, and quality performance of suppliers and contractors, and ensure that they meet the organisation's HSEQ requirements.
• Emergency Preparedness and Response:
  • Develop and maintain emergency response plans and procedures, conduct drills and exercises, and ensure that personnel are trained and equipped to respond effectively to emergencies.
• Stakeholder Engagement:
  • Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, including regulatory agencies, industry associations, and community groups, to promote HSEQ initiatives and address concerns.

Skills / Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Professional certifications in HSEQ management (e.g., CSP, CIH, CPEA, NEBOSH, ISO 45001 Lead Auditor) preferred.
• Proven experience in driving continuous improvement initiatives in safety and quality culture within diverse organisational settings. This experience equips the HSEQ Lead with the strategic insight and operational acumen needed to develop and implement effective improvement plans that resonate with stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong knowledge of relevant health, safety, environment, and quality regulations, standards, and best practices, coupled with a deep understanding of industry-specific challenges and emerging trends.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to identify trends, analyse data, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

• Ability to adapt to changing priorities in a dynamic and fast-paced environment
• Motivated to learn and strive for continuous improvement

Geographical scope of role

While the role will be predominantly based at our Head Office/manufacturing site in Dyce, occasional travel to our portfolio of opticians practices across Scotland will be required.