Head of Health & Safety


Company:	Hays Specialist Recruitment
Salary:	£90,000 - £140,000
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Liverpool, L24 1YH
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	8 Jul 2026
Closing date:	7 Aug 2026

Apply for this job

Summary

I'm recruiting for a senior Health & Safety leader to join a major UK retail business operating a large national footprint of stores, distribution centres and logistics operations.This is a strategic leadership role responsible for shaping and driving the organisation's Health & Safety strategy across a complex, fast-paced operational environment.

The successful candidate will lead the development of a proactive safety culture, influence executive stakeholders and ensure best-in-class compliance and risk management across retail, warehousing and transport functions.

The Role

Reporting into the Executive Leadership Team, you will be responsible for:

Developing and delivering the company's Health & Safety strategy.

Providing leadership and direction to Health & Safety teams across multiple business units.

Driving a positive safety culture throughout stores, logistics and distribution operations.

Leading compliance with all relevant Health & Safety legislation and regulatory requirements.

Supporting senior operational leaders to embed safety into business decision-making.

Overseeing incident investigation, risk management and organisational learning.

Managing relationships with regulatory bodies and external stakeholders.

Developing policies, standards and governance frameworks that support operational excellence.

Producing board-level reports and presenting performance, trends and strategic recommendations.

Leading major change programmes and continuous improvement initiatives.

About You

To be successful, you will have:

Significant senior-level Health & Safety leadership experience within a large retail environment.

Experience overseeing Health & Safety across multiple sites, including retail stores, warehousing and logistics operations.

A proven track record of developing and implementing business-wide Health & Safety strategies.

Strong experience influencing directors, executives and senior operational stakeholders.

Excellent knowledge of UK Health & Safety legislation and best practice.

Experience leading teams and driving cultural change across large, geographically dispersed workforces.

GradIOSH, CMIOSH or equivalent professional status.

NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent Level 6 qualification.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

A genuine strategic leadership position with board-level visibility.

Responsibility for a large and diverse operational portfolio.

Opportunity to influence the direction of a nationally recognised business.

Attractive salary, benefits and long-term career potential.

This opportunity would suit an experienced Head of Health & Safety, Group HSE Manager, Director of Health & Safety or senior retail safety professional seeking a role with real scale, visibility and influence.

Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk

Apply for this job