Overview
As the senior HSW leader for Renewals, Logistics and Asset Engineering & Maintenance, you'll oversee strategy, governance and assurance across Thames Water’s critical asset delivery and maintenance operations. You will embed HSW compliance and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP) approaches throughout the lifecycle—from planning and renewals, through logistics and maintenance engineering, to operational handover. Your purpose is to proactively shape safety and wellbeing systems, drive cultural resilience, and ensure Thames Water’s high‑risk asset base is managed with operational excellence and zero compromise.
What you’ll be doing as the Head of Health, Safety & Wellbeing - R&L, Retail & AME
* Help develop and deliver Thames Water’s HSW strategy within the R&L, Retail and AM&E teams, aligned with company-wide objectives.
* Lead with consultation and collaboration with the HSW Director and other Heads of HSW to develop the HSW strategy and delivery plan for R&L, Retail and AM&E.
* Promote continuous improvement across health, safety and wellbeing, using performance metrics and innovative solutions to improve efficiency and outcomes.
* Lead and coach a regional HSW business partner team to provide consistent support across operations sites.
* Oversee site visits, audits, and inspections, including high-hazard and regulated sites.
* Ensure effective root-cause investigation, reporting, and corrective action delivery, with robust trending and improvement actions.
* In collaboration with the Head of HSW, take ownership of relevant HSW risks from the HSW risk register and relevant elements of the Safety management system to ensure that all HSW risks are appropriately managed.
* Champion human factors and behavioural safety frameworks to shift toward proactive, system-based thinking.
* Drive culture change, encouraging psychological safety and collaborative learning across teams.
* Build relationships with internal leaders, regulators (HSE, fire), and supply chain partners to uplift standards and performance.
* Develop clear leading and lagging indicators for safety performance measurement and oversight.
* Maintain high standards of governance, assurance, and compliance with Thames Water’s HSW policy and management system.
* Drive continual improvement in HSW performance, using innovative HSW solutions to positively impact safety and drive efficiency.
Base location: Reading - Hybrid
Working pattern: 36 Hours
What you should bring to the role
To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need is:
* NEBOSH Diploma (minimum), Master’s degree preferred.
* Membership of IOSH or equivalent.
* Professional membership with a relevant body (e.g., APS, IIRSM, ICE H&S Register).
* Recognised qualification in Occupational Health & Safety, Construction Management, or Engineering (minimum HND-level or equivalent).
* Extensive experience in UK construction HSW roles with CDM 2015 responsibilities.
* Demonstrable knowledge of UK construction hazards and safety risk controls.
* Proven delivery of HOP tools in construction or high-risk environments.
* Track record of conducting audits, inspections, and leading incident investigations.
* Confident communicator and facilitator with experience running safety briefings, workshops, and stakeholder engagements.
* Strong digital literacy, including use of safety management platforms. CDM 2015 competency: experience fulfilling Principal Designer, Client Adviser, and general CDM Adviser roles.
* Strong understanding of UK CDM regulations, able to implement compliance structures and lead design and construction safety coordination.
* Construction site safety expertise: risk assessments, safety inspections, permit-to-work systems, toolbox talks, and emergency response planning.
* Incident investigation skills: root cause analysis driven by HOP principles. Capability to lead no-blame reviews and learning-focused after-action assessments.
* Competent in design-phase reviews, competence assessments, and statutory notifications.
What’s in it for you?
* Competitive salary offering up to £90,000 per annum, depending on experience.
* Annual Leave – 26 days per year, increasing to 30 with length of service (plus bank holidays).
* Car Allowance.
* Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
* Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
* Private Medical Health Care.
* Access to benefits for health, wellbeing and financial support, including annual health MOTs, physiotherapy, counselling, Cycle to Work, vouchers and life assurance.
Find out more about our benefits and perks
Who are we?
We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, serving more than 16 million customers. We aim to build a better future for our customers, communities, people and the planet.
Learn more about our purpose and values
Working at Thames Water
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding place to work where you can make a difference. We offer meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.
If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily impact, we’ll support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.
We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, please let us know; we’re here to help and support.
When a crisis happens, we rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given.
Disclaimer: We may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply promptly.
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