Group Health & Safety Manager

Group Health & Safety Manager

Based; Field

At WHSmith our people are at the heart of everything we do. They are the ones that go the extra mile for our customers. The ones that enable our growth. That’s why our Risk & Audit team is passionate about creating an environment where people can be creative and trailblazing in order to do their best work.

The role of a Group Health & Safety Manager is to employ expertise in managing Health and Safety practices across all areas of Group operations, working as part of a team.

This is a great opportunity to join a rapidly growing business and play a vital role in managing the effectiveness of our Health and Safety and Food Hygiene governance structure within a business that is increasingly expanding its Food product range, particularly within our Travel sites.

The successful candidate will be required to cover a wide geographical area (with principal responsibility for the Southern half of the UK), working as appropriate from the field, between our Support Centre locations and visiting store and DC sites when required.

What you will be doing:

• Dealing with all liaison and correspondence with external monitoring bodies- including EHOs, Fire Officers and Local Authorities in respect of all safety related matters
• Helping to compile, update and review Company health and safety and hygiene policies and procedures
• Ensuring the Group remains up to date and compliant with any changes in Health and Safety/ Food Hygiene legislation and best practice
• Responding to queries or requests for assistance from stores, DCs and other group locations in relation to any health and safety matters
• Overseeing procedures by which compliance with all safety and hygiene legislation is monitored, principally through the review and oversight of bi-annual HASWA and food safety audits
• Conducting a small number of unannounced site visits to review health and safety and food hygiene compliance within a sample of stores and at our Distribution Centres, as part of a rolling programme,
• Reviewing and approving all health and safety and food hygiene training materials provided by various parties, including modular courses provided by our third party Learning Management System provider, and continuing to assess the sufficiency of training materials, and;
• Ideally undertaking some limited international travel, where support may be required for our European operations

What we are looking for:

• Ideally operating within or have prior experience of working in a Local Authority Safety or Enforcement role
• Ideally a Chartered Member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (CMIOSH) (or similar professional body) or working towards chartered status
• Have previous experience gained in either the Public Sector or Industry, where prior Retail Industry experience is extremely helpful Adept at working to conflicting deadlines, with the ability to plan and prioritise your own workload
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work cross functionally at all levels
• Confident in your ability to influence and challenge where necessary, whilst building and maintaining effective working relationships

How we reward our teams:

• Hybrid Working Model from home and in the office
• 4pm Friday Finish
• Flexible Working
• 25 Days holiday, plus your Birthday off, plus Bank Holidays with an opportunity to buy extra days holiday
• Family Friendly Leave
• Company Pension scheme
• Sharesave Scheme
• Annual Bonus based on company and personal performance
• Competitive Salary and car allowance
• Private Medical Scheme
• Discount Card for stores and online

About us:

Celebrating 230 years, we’re proud to have grown and evolved into a globally recognised brand present in over 30 countries around the world, and we’re proud to be that air of familiarity people love and trust on their journey, both in life and through life. As a diverse group of over 12,000 colleagues, we are all on the same journey to a better business through our commitments to our planet, people and the communities we serve.

WHSmith have occupied a place in our customers’ hearts for over two decades. You’ll find our stores and our family of brands in airports, hospitals, railway stations, on high streets and in shopping centres – as well as right across the world! We are an ambitious team that thrives on pace, collaboration and innovation, resulting in a real entrepreneurial culture.

WHSmith are proud to be an inclusive employer, we want our colleagues to feel welcome, and free to be themselves with us.