Role: Health Safety & Fire Strategic Advisor
Contract: Fixed term - Six months
Our offer to you
We pride ourselves in being a great place to work, providing a supportive culture with opportunities to grow and develop your career, achieve a healthy work life balance and to be recognised for the great work you do. You will receive:
Competitive salary and pension scheme 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays) - increasing to 38 days over 5 years Hybrid, Flexible working Cycle to work scheme Electric Vehicle Scheme Health and Wellbeing portal – access to financial, health and wellbeing support and an Employee Assistance Programme Discounts – you will have access to Blue Light and NHS Discounts as well as discounts on mobile phones, gym membership, cinema tickets, restaurants, holidays and shopping
About Us
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team of over 1,400 employees and over 31,000 volunteers, united by our goal of saving lives through essential first aid services, training and campaigning. As a charity with rich heritage and a long history of serving humanity, we are proud of our past and excited about creating a healthier, safer, more resilient future.
St John Ambulance works at the heart of communities, supporting and enabling them to access and receive physical and mental health first aid. We do this through developing and providing effective community response and outreach services (e.g. Ambulance response & Nighttime Economy) and using our longstanding expertise to empower people with vital clinical skills and the confidence to use them (e.g. our Volunteers and Community Advocates, NHS Cadets and Young Responders programmes). There is also a buoyant social enterprise network which delivers first aid training and supplies medical consumables to businesses and consumers.
Job Summary
Reporting directly to the Medical Director, the post holder will play a critical role in ensuring that St John Ambulance is compliant with all relevant Health, Safety, and Fire legislation. Acting as the organisation’s designated competent person, they will provide strategic leadership and expert guidance in these areas, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and best practice across the charity.
About You
Educated to GCSE level (Grade C or above) in Maths and English Holds NEBOSH National Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety and Chartered Membership of IOSH (CMIOSH). Demonstrable experience in a senior health and safety role, acting as the organisation’s competent person for HSE. Proven track record in developing and implementing health and safety strategies across multi-site operations. Skilled in interpreting legislation and ensuring organisational compliance, including acting as the main contact for Enforcement Authorities. Strong leadership and change management skills, with experience presenting data and analysis to senior stakeholders. Proficient in creating digital tools (e.g. SharePoint, Microsoft Forms) to support teams, and in identifying, escalating, and managing risks effectively. About the Role
Lead a comprehensive review of Health, Safety, and Fire compliance across St John Ambulance, ensuring alignment with legislation, standards, and internal policies. Act as the competent person for Health, Safety and Fire, providing expert advice, urgent safety support, and strategic guidance across all operations. Work closely with the Health, Safety and Fire team to shape strategy, update policies, and ensure best practice is embedded in all compliance and improvement activities. Relaunch the Health & Safety Transformation Plan and re-establish core compliance activities, including fire safety checks, risk assessments, and incident reporting protocols. Produce detailed evidence-based reports for senior leadership, highlighting current state, risks, and recommendations, with regular updates to oversight bodies. Review and advise on the Health and Safety team’s structure, priorities, and recruitment to ensure an effective and sustainable operating model. Drive readiness for ISO 45001 accreditation by aligning KPIs, strategic objectives, and operational practices. Promote a proactive safety culture across the charity through targeted campaigns, visible leadership, and continuous improvement initiatives. Please see the job description for more detail (this can be viewed on our website or once you click apply)
If you are a current St John Ambulance employee, please apply here: Click here
For all other candidates, or St John Ambulance volunteers wishing to apply: please apply below
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive high volume of applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
St John Ambulance are committed to increasing the diversity of our team and making sure we best reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. At St John, everyone is valued and supported to thrive, we have several networks including Multi Culture, Disability and Accessibility, Pride, Family and Carers and Women’s groups. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination and engender a sense of belonging for all, by creating an environment of mutual respect, where we value unique differences and demonstrate authentic allyship. We believe passionately in equality, diversity and inclusion.
St John Ambulance is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice. Therefore, all successful applicants will undergo pre-employment checks, including DBS Clearance, as part of the onboarding process, if applicable to the nature of the role
Please note: St John does not accept speculative CVs and will only review CVs sent in application for an advertised vacancy.
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