Lead International Health and Safety Manager

Role Purpose & Context

Role Summary

The Lead International Health and Safety Manager is responsible for architecting and overseeing all health and safety programmes within a designated international region. You'll make sure our global H&S standards are not just understood, but actually put into practice across multiple countries, which directly impacts our colleagues', contractors', and visitors' well-being, not to mention our legal and financial standing. You'll sit between our global H&S leadership and the site-level operations teams, translating overarching strategy into practical, localised action plans that our regional teams can follow.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: International Health and Safety Manager
• Direct reports: Roughly 3-8 Health & Safety Advisors or Senior Advisors
• Matrix relationships: Regional H&S Lead, Global H&S Programme Manager, Senior H&S Specialist (International),

Key Stakeholders

Internal:

• Regional Operations Directors
• Regional Facilities Managers
• HR Business Partners (Regional)
• Legal Counsel (Regional)
• Site Managers

External:

• Local Regulatory Bodies (e.g., HSE, OSHA equivalents)
• External Auditors (e.g., ISO 45001)
• Key Contractors and Suppliers
• Insurance Providers

Organisational Impact

Scope: When this role is done well, we see a tangible reduction in incidents, our sites pass audits with flying colours, and our people genuinely feel safer at work. It means fewer lost workdays, lower insurance premiums, and a stronger reputation. When it's not, we're looking at potential fatalities, hefty regulatory fines, legal battles, and a serious hit to our brand. The challenge is balancing global consistency with local regulatory and cultural nuances, all while managing a team that might be spread across several time zones. The reward? Seeing your programmes directly prevent harm and knowing you're building a truly robust safety culture across a significant part of our global footprint.

Performance Metrics

Quantitative Metrics

1. Metric: Regional LTIFR Reduction
2. Desc: Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate for your designated region, compared to the previous year.
3. Target: Achieve a 15% year-over-year reduction in the regional LTIFR.
4. Freq: Monthly, reported quarterly to leadership.
5. Example: If last year's regional LTIFR was 0.8, you'd aim for 0.68 or lower this year. This means fewer serious injuries that stop people from working.
6. Metric: ISO 45001 Audit Pass Rate
7. Desc: Percentage of internal and external audits for ISO 45001 that pass without major non-conformities across your region.
8. Target: Maintain a 95%+ pass rate on internal and external ISO 45001 audits.
9. Freq: Per audit cycle (usually annually for external, quarterly for internal).
10. Example: Out of 20 regional site audits, you'd want no more than one site to have a major non-conformity. It shows our systems are robust.
11. Metric: H&S Leadership Training Completion
12. Desc: Percentage of site managers and regional operational leads who complete mandatory H&S leadership training.
13. Target: Ensure 100% of site managers and regional operational leads in your region complete mandatory H&S leadership training within the specified timeframe.
14. Freq: Quarterly, tracked via LMS.
15. Example: If you have 50 site managers and 10 regional leads, all 60 should have completed their training by the deadline. This builds capability on the ground.
16. Metric: Regional CAPA Closure Rate
17. Desc: Percentage of Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPAs) from incidents and audits closed within their agreed deadlines.
18. Target: Achieve an 85%+ closure rate for regional CAPAs within the agreed timeframe.
19. Freq: Monthly, reviewed in regional H&S meetings.
20. Example: If 100 CAPAs were raised last quarter, at least 85 of them should be marked as complete and verified by the deadline. This shows we're fixing problems, not just identifying them.

Qualitative Metrics

1. Metric: Regional Safety Culture Improvement
2. Desc: Observable improvements in safety behaviours and attitudes across your region, as measured by surveys and direct feedback.
3. Evidence: Positive trends in annual safety culture survey results; increased reporting of near-misses and hazards (a good sign, actually); unsolicited positive feedback from site teams about safety initiatives; increased engagement in toolbox talks and safety committees.
4. Metric: Proactive Risk Identification & Mitigation
5. Desc: Your team's ability to identify potential hazards and implement controls *before* incidents occur, rather than just reacting.
6. Evidence: A higher proportion of leading indicators (e.g., safety observations, proactive audits) compared to lagging indicators; successful implementation of new engineering controls based on trend analysis; positive feedback from operations on practical, workable solutions; fewer repeat incidents of the same type.
7. Metric: Effective Team Development & Mentorship
8. Desc: How well you're building the capability and engagement of your direct reports and the wider regional H&S network.
9. Evidence: Your direct reports showing increased autonomy and confidence; positive feedback from your team in 360-degree reviews; successful delegation of complex tasks; junior team members progressing to more senior roles; active participation and knowledge sharing within your regional H&S team.
10. Metric: Strategic Influence & Collaboration
11. Desc: Your ability to get regional operational leaders to genuinely buy into and prioritise H&S, rather than seeing it as a burden.
12. Evidence: Being proactively consulted by regional directors on new projects or operational changes; H&S being a standing agenda item (and actively discussed) in regional leadership meetings; senior regional leaders championing safety initiatives; successful budget allocations for H&S improvements; positive feedback from key internal stakeholders about your collaborative approach.

Primary Traits

• Trait: Calm Under Pressure
• Manifestation: When a serious incident happens—say, a contractor has a significant fall at one of our properties—you're the person who can still speak clearly and methodically. You'll focus on executing the emergency response plan, making sure everyone knows their role, rather than getting caught up in the immediate panic or assigning blame prematurely. You can triage multiple incoming streams of information from different countries without becoming overwhelmed, keeping a clear head when others might lose theirs.
• Benefit: In Realestate Facilities Management, incidents can be high-stakes and highly visible. When a contractor is injured on a high-profile site, panic is contagious, and a chaotic response can make things much worse. Your calm, procedural approach prevents that, ensures critical evidence is preserved, and gives senior leadership confidence that the situation is being managed correctly and professionally. You're the steady hand when things get messy.
• Trait: Influential
• Manifestation: You're not just quoting regulations; you're building relationships. You might persuade a skeptical Regional Operations Director to invest £50K in a costly engineering control by presenting compelling data on near-miss trends and the potential business interruption costs of a major incident, rather than just citing legal requirements. You'll build such strong rapport with on-site Facilities Managers and supervisors that they call you for advice *before* something goes wrong, not just when they have to report an incident. It's about getting buy-in, not just compliance.
• Benefit: Here's the thing: you have a huge accountability for safety across your region, but you don't directly manage the operational teams on the ground. Your success depends entirely on your ability to persuade, build trust, and make safety a shared priority for everyone, not just another corporate mandate. You need to be able to sell the 'why' behind safety, not just dictate the 'what'.
• Trait: Forensically Detail-Oriented
• Manifestation: You're the one who spots the subtle contradiction between a witness statement and the physical evidence in a complex incident report, which could completely change the root cause. You'll catch that a contractor's public liability insurance certificate is for the wrong legal entity, or that a new piece of legislation in Germany has a single clause that has major implications for our operations there. You don't just skim documents; you dissect them.
• Benefit: In international H&S, a missed detail isn't just an administrative oversight; it can have catastrophic consequences. A single error in a Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS) can lead to a fatality. An incomplete incident report can result in significant regulatory fines and legal liability. The details are not administrative; they are the core of effective risk management and compliance, especially when dealing with varying international laws.

Supporting Traits

• Trait: Resilient
• Desc: You'll need to bounce back after a major incident, or when a well-thought-out safety initiative gets rejected due to budget constraints or operational pushback. This job has its tough days, and you'll need the mental fortitude to keep pushing forward.
• Trait: Pragmatic
• Desc: You understand the commercial realities of running a large property portfolio. You'll find workable, cost-effective safety solutions that fit our operations, not just theoretical 'perfect' ones that are impossible to implement. It's about practical safety.
• Trait: Empathetic
• Desc: You can connect with an injured worker or a stressed site manager on a human level. You understand their concerns, which helps you build trust and get to the real issues, rather than just enforcing rules.
• Trait: Decisive
• Desc: You're able to make a 'Stop Work' call quickly and confidently when you observe an imminent danger, even when there's significant project pressure or a tight deadline. Safety always comes first, and you won't hesitate to act.

Primary Motivators

1. Motivator: Making a Tangible Difference
2. Daily: You'll feel a deep satisfaction when you see the regional LTIFR drop, or when a new safety programme you designed genuinely prevents an injury. It's about protecting people.
3. Motivator: Solving Complex International Puzzles
4. Daily: You enjoy the challenge of taking a global safety standard and figuring out how to make it work in, say, both Dubai and Berlin, navigating different legal systems and cultural expectations. It's a constant intellectual challenge.
5. Motivator: Developing and Leading a Team
6. Daily: You get a real buzz from mentoring your direct reports, seeing them grow in their H&S careers, and building a strong, cohesive regional safety team. Their success is your success.

Potential Demotivators

Honestly, this role isn't for everyone. You'll spend a fair bit of time battling the perception that you're just the 'safety police,' adding bureaucracy rather than enabling work. You'll often find yourself chasing site managers and contractors for overdue incident reports, risk assessments, and CAPA closures, which can feel like herding cats. You'll build a fantastic regional safety programme that, in theory, should be perfect, but in practice, you'll constantly struggle to ensure it reflects the messy reality of diverse job sites and isn't just a tick-box exercise. What works as a direct safety intervention in Germany will be a major cultural misstep in Japan, so you're constantly code-switching your approach. And let's be real, you'll fight to get a £100K investment for a proactive engineering control, knowing full well that if an incident *does* happen, the company will probably spend £1M on the reactive cleanup and legal fees without blinking. If you need every piece of your work to be immediately appreciated and perfectly implemented, you'll struggle here. If you can accept that 60% impact on 40% of projects beats 100% impact on 10% – and genuinely believe that, not just say it in interviews – you'll thrive.

Common Frustrations

1. The 'Safety Police' Stigma: Constantly battling the perception that you're there to stop work and add bureaucracy, rather than to enable work to be done safely and efficiently.
2. Chasing Ghosts: Spending an inordinate amount of time chasing site managers and contractors for overdue incident reports, risk assessments, and CAPA closures.
3. 'Paper Safe' vs. 'Actually Safe': The endless struggle to ensure the beautiful RAMS document reflects the messy reality of the job site, and isn't just a tick-box exercise.
4. Cultural Code-Switching: What works as a direct safety intervention in Germany will be a major cultural misstep in Japan. You're constantly adapting your approach across borders.
5. The Budget Battle: Fighting to get a £100K investment for a proactive engineering control, knowing that if an incident *does* happen, the company will spend £1M on the reactive cleanup and legal fees without blinking.
6. Data Integrity Nightmares: Your regional LTIFR dashboard is only as good as the data being entered by a busy supervisor in a remote location on a Friday afternoon. Garbage in, gospel out.
7. Political Fallout: Having to tell a senior regional executive that their flagship new building project has a fundamental design flaw from a safety perspective and needs a costly redesign.

What Role Doesn't Offer

1. A purely theoretical or academic H&S role; you'll be deeply involved in practical, operational challenges.
2. A static, predictable environment; expect constant change in regulations, projects, and operational challenges.
3. A role where you have direct hierarchical authority over all operational staff; influence is your primary tool.
4. A job where you can avoid difficult conversations or challenging senior leaders; it's part of the territory.

ADHD Positives

1. The fast-paced, varied nature of managing H&S across a region, with multiple projects and incidents to track, can be engaging and stimulating.
2. Strong ability to hyperfocus on complex incident investigations or regulatory deep-dives when interest is piqued.
3. Often brings creative problem-solving to complex, multi-jurisdictional safety challenges.

ADHD Challenges and Accommodations

1. **Challenge:** Keeping track of numerous open CAPAs, regulatory deadlines, and ongoing projects across different countries can be overwhelming. **Accommodation:** We use robust EHS management platforms (like Intelex or Cority) and project management tools (like MS Planner) to centralise tasks and deadlines. You'll have support to set up personalised digital reminder systems.
2. **Challenge:** Maintaining focus during long, detailed policy review meetings or extensive documentation tasks. **Accommodation:** We encourage regular breaks, offer flexible scheduling for deep work, and support the use of noise-cancelling headphones. You can also delegate some administrative documentation to your team.

Dyslexia Positives

1. Often excellent at 'big picture' thinking, seeing patterns and connections in complex H&S data and trends across a region that others might miss.
2. Strong verbal communication skills for presenting safety cases, training, and incident findings to diverse audiences.
3. Natural ability to simplify complex regulatory language into understandable, actionable guidance for site teams.

Dyslexia Challenges and Accommodations

1. **Challenge:** Reading and writing extensive, detailed incident reports, policy documents, or legal registers, especially across multiple languages. **Accommodation:** We use AI tools for summarisation and initial drafting (more on this below). We also encourage the use of dictation software, text-to-speech tools, and provide access to proofreading support for critical documents. Visual aids and templates are standard for reports.
2. **Challenge:** Potential for errors in written documentation or data entry. **Accommodation:** Our EHS platforms have built-in validation checks. We also have a culture of peer review for critical documents, and you'll have team members who can support with final checks.

Autism Positives

1. Exceptional ability to identify patterns and systemic issues in safety data, leading to highly effective preventative strategies.
2. Strong adherence to established safety protocols and a meticulous approach to compliance and auditing.
3. Direct and honest communication style, which is crucial for delivering clear safety messages and challenging unsafe behaviours.

Autism Challenges and Accommodations

1. **Challenge:** Navigating complex social dynamics and unspoken expectations across diverse international cultures. **Accommodation:** We provide cultural sensitivity training and encourage direct, clear communication. Your manager will offer guidance on regional nuances, and we'll support you in building rapport through structured interactions rather than relying solely on informal networking.
2. **Challenge:** Sensory overload in busy, noisy operational environments or during large, unstructured meetings. **Accommodation:** We can provide noise-cancelling headphones for site visits and offer options for quieter workspaces. Meeting agendas are always clear, and we encourage virtual meetings where appropriate to control the environment.

Key Responsibilities

Experience Levels Responsibilities

1. Level: Lead International Health and Safety Manager
2. Responsibilities: Define and implement the regional H&S strategy, making sure it aligns with our global framework but also meets all local legal requirements. This means taking the big picture and making it work on the ground.
3. Lead and develop your team of 3-8 H&S Advisors and Senior Advisors across your region. You'll be doing regular 1-to-1s, setting objectives, supporting their professional growth, and making sure they're delivering for their sites.
4. Oversee the regional incident management process, including significant investigations into major incidents. You'll be the one making sure we get to the root cause, not just the immediate fix, and that lessons are learned and shared across the region.
5. Manage the regional H&S budget (typically £50K-£500K), making smart decisions on where to invest in training, equipment, and technology to get the biggest safety impact.
6. Act as the primary point of contact for regional regulatory bodies and external auditors. You'll be representing the company, managing relationships, and ensuring we're always prepared for scrutiny.
7. Architect and roll out new H&S programmes across your region, like a new contractor management system or a behaviour-based safety initiative. This means getting buy-in from operational leaders and making sure it's actually adopted.
8. Analyse regional H&S performance data (LTIFR, TRIR, audit findings) to identify trends, predict hotspots, and make data-driven recommendations to regional leadership on where we need to focus our efforts.
9. Supervision: You'll have monthly strategic alignment meetings with the International H&S Manager, but you're largely autonomous on execution within your region. You're expected to define your own work plans and manage your team without constant oversight.
10. Decision: You have full decision authority within your regional H&S domain. This includes budget allocation up to £500K for H&S initiatives, hiring and performance management for your direct reports, and selecting local H&S vendors. You'll consult with the International H&S Manager on significant policy deviations or major strategic shifts that impact other regions.
11. Success: You'll know you're succeeding when your region consistently meets or exceeds its H&S performance targets (like LTIFR reduction), your team is engaged and developing, and regional operational leaders proactively seek your advice on new projects. Basically, when H&S is seen as an enabler, not a blocker.

Decision-Making Authority

• Type: Regional H&S Strategy & Programme Design
• Entry: Follows established regional programmes; escalates any proposed changes.
• Mid: Proposes minor adjustments to existing programmes; seeks approval for new initiatives.
• Senior: Leads the design and implementation of new H&S programmes for a country or specific high-risk area, with input from regional leadership.
• Type: Incident Investigation & Corrective Actions
• Entry: Gathers evidence and supports investigations led by senior staff; implements assigned CAPAs.
• Mid: Leads investigations for routine incidents; proposes CAPAs for review.
• Senior: Leads complex incident investigations, including those with serious injuries; approves CAPAs within country scope.
• Type: Budget Allocation (H&S Specific)
• Entry: Manages small, pre-approved budgets for site-level H&S supplies.
• Mid: Manages project-specific H&S budgets up to £10K.
• Senior: Manages country-level H&S budgets up to £50K, making recommendations for larger investments.
• Type: Team Leadership & Hiring
• Entry: None.
• Mid: Provides informal guidance to new joiners.
• Senior: Mentors 0-2 junior H&S Advisors; participates in interview panels.

Competency Requirements

Foundation Skills (Transferable)

Beyond the technical stuff, a Lead H&S Manager needs to be a solid leader, communicator, and problem-solver. These are the bedrock skills that let you actually get things done across a diverse international region.

• Category: Communication & Influence
• Skills: **Strategic Communication:** You'll need to clearly articulate complex H&S risks and solutions to diverse audiences, from site operatives to regional directors. This means tailoring your message, whether it's a quick toolbox talk or a formal presentation to senior leadership. You'll also be representing the company to external auditors and regulators, so clear, confident communication is key.
• **Cross-Cultural Communication:** Given the international nature of the role, you'll need to be adept at communicating effectively across different cultural norms and languages. This isn't just about speaking English; it's about understanding nuances, adapting your approach, and building trust with people from varied backgrounds.
• **Negotiation & Persuasion:** Your success hinges on your ability to persuade regional operational leaders to invest in safety, even when there are competing priorities. You'll need to negotiate resources, timelines, and buy-in for new programmes, often without direct authority.
• Category: Problem-Solving & Decision-Making
• Skills: **Complex Problem Analysis:** You'll be tackling novel H&S problems that don't have a textbook answer, especially when dealing with unique regional challenges or new technologies in our properties. This means dissecting complex situations, identifying root causes, and finding practical, workable solutions.
• **Risk-Based Decision Making:** You'll constantly be making decisions based on risk assessments, balancing the likelihood and severity of harm against the cost and practicality of controls. This requires sound judgment and the ability to make tough calls, sometimes quickly, especially when it comes to stopping unsafe work.
• **Strategic Thinking:** You're not just fixing immediate problems; you're thinking several steps ahead. This means anticipating future risks, identifying emerging trends across your region, and designing proactive programmes that prevent issues before they arise.
• Category: Leadership & Team Development
• Skills: **Team Leadership:** You'll be directly leading and managing a team of H&S professionals. This means setting clear objectives, providing constructive feedback, coaching for performance, and fostering a collaborative, high-performing team culture across different locations.
• **Mentorship & Coaching:** You'll be responsible for the professional growth of your direct reports. This involves sharing your expertise, guiding them through challenges, and helping them develop their own H&S careers. It's about building capability in others.
• **Change Management:** Rolling out new H&S programmes or policies across a region often involves significant change. You'll need to understand how to manage resistance, communicate the benefits of change, and support teams through transitions effectively.
• Category: Adaptability & Resilience
• Skills: **Navigating Ambiguity:** The international H&S landscape is constantly changing, with new regulations, technologies, and operational challenges. You'll need to be comfortable working in situations where there isn't a clear path forward and adapting your approach as needed.
• **Stress Tolerance:** This role can be high-pressure, especially during major incidents or audits. You'll need to maintain composure, manage multiple demands, and stay focused under stress.
• **Continuous Learning:** The world of H&S is always evolving. You'll need a genuine curiosity and commitment to continuously learn about new regulations, best practices, and technologies to stay ahead of the curve.

Functional Skills (Role-Specific Technical)

These are the specific H&S methodologies, technical tools, and industry knowledge you'll need to apply day-to-day to keep our properties and people safe across your region.

Technical Competencies

• Skill: ISO 45001 Management Systems
• Desc: You'll be designing, implementing, and auditing Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management systems across your region to achieve and maintain certification. This includes everything from adapting global policy for local contexts to ensuring management reviews are effective and drive continuous improvement.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Hierarchical Risk Control
• Desc: You won't just know the hierarchy of controls (Elimination, Substitution, Engineering, Administrative, PPE) in theory. You'll apply it as a practical framework for developing cost-effective and robust Risk Assessment and Method Statements (RAMS) for diverse real estate operations, always pushing for the highest level of control possible.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Incident Investigation & Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
• Desc: You'll be leading complex incident investigations, moving beyond immediate causes to uncover systemic failures using structured methods like the '5 Whys,' Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams, or TapRooT®. The goal is to prevent recurrence, not just to assign blame, and to share lessons learned regionally.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS)
• Desc: You'll develop and implement observation and feedback programmes that focus on at-risk behaviours across your region, moving the safety culture from merely compliance-driven to proactive and employee-owned. This means getting buy-in and driving real behaviour change.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Management of Change (MOC)
• Desc: You'll implement and oversee a formal process to evaluate the safety risks of any significant change—whether to equipment, processes, or personnel—within your region, before it's implemented. This is crucial for preventing new hazards from being introduced into our properties.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: International Regulatory Analysis
• Desc: This is a big one. You'll need the ability to interpret and apply a complex web of varying H&S legislation across different jurisdictions within your region (e.g., OSHA in the US, HASAWA in the UK, local decrees in the UAE) to ensure global operations are compliant. This means understanding the nuances and translating them into practical guidance.
• Level: Expert

Digital Tools

• Tool: EHS Management Platform (e.g., Intelex, Cority, Enablon)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: You'll configure incident workflows for your region, build new dashboards to track performance, train site managers on its use, and manage user permissions. You'll also use it to pull strategic reports for regional leadership.
• Tool: Audit & Inspection Software (e.g., iAuditor by SafetyCulture, VelocityEHS)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: You'll design new inspection templates tailored to regional risks, analyse trend data from audits across multiple sites, and validate high-risk findings. You'll use the aggregate data to inform regional strategic decisions.
• Tool: Permit to Work (PTW) System (e.g., Sphera, Go-Arc)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: You'll audit the regional PTW process, investigate permit breaches, and develop and implement new permit types for non-standard high-risk work specific to your region's operations. You'll ensure the system is robust and effective.
• Tool: Data Visualization (e.g., Power BI, Tableau)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: You'll connect various data sources (like your EHS platform) to build new regional H&S dashboards. You'll use DAX or calculated fields to create custom metrics and present interactive dashboards to regional leadership.
• Tool: Learning Management System (LMS) (e.g., Cornerstone OnDemand, SAP Litmos)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: You'll develop H&S training content for your region, create learning paths for specific roles (e.g., regional Facilities Managers), and report on regional training compliance. You'll ensure our people get the right training at the right time.
• Tool: Collaboration Suite (e.g., MS Teams, SharePoint)
• Level: Expert
• Usage: You'll manage a regional H&S SharePoint site, run incident review calls via Teams, and use Planner to track CAPA projects across your team. You'll establish communication protocols for major incident response within your region.
• Tool: GRC / Legal Register (e.g., ServiceNow GRC, Enhesa)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: You'll manage the legal register for your country/region, perform gap analyses against new legislation, and assign actions to your team to ensure compliance. You'll also report on regional compliance risks to the International H&S Manager.

Industry Knowledge

• Area: Real Estate & Facilities Management Operations
• Desc: A deep understanding of the day-to-day operations, risks, and challenges inherent in managing a diverse portfolio of properties—from commercial offices to retail spaces and industrial sites. This includes understanding contractor management, maintenance activities, tenant fit-outs, and emergency preparedness specific to buildings.
• Area: Construction & Project Safety
• Desc: Solid knowledge of safety management during construction projects, refurbishments, and major fit-outs within real estate. This includes understanding CDM regulations (or equivalents), contractor pre-qualification, site-specific risk assessments, and safe systems of work for high-risk activities.
• Area: Emergency Preparedness & Response
• Desc: Expertise in developing and implementing emergency response plans for various scenarios (fire, medical, security incidents) across different property types and international jurisdictions. This includes evacuation procedures, crisis communication, and post-incident recovery.

Regulatory Compliance Regulations

• Reg: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (UK)
• Usage: You'll need an expert understanding of UK H&S law, as it often forms a baseline for many international operations. You'll apply its principles of 'so far as is reasonably practicable' to regional risk management and ensure compliance for any UK-based properties within your remit.
• Reg: OSHA Standards (USA)
• Usage: If your region includes the US, you'll need advanced knowledge of relevant OSHA standards (e.g., General Industry, Construction) and how to apply them to our facilities management and construction activities there. This means understanding compliance requirements and enforcement mechanisms.
• Reg: EU Framework Directive 89/391/EEC & National Transpositions
• Usage: For any EU countries in your region, you'll need advanced knowledge of the EU Framework Directive and how it's been transposed into national legislation (e.g., German ArbSchG, French Code du Travail). This involves understanding the general principles of prevention and risk assessment across the EU.
• Reg: Local H&S Legislation (e.g., UAE, Singapore, Australia)
• Usage: You'll need a strong ability to quickly learn, interpret, and apply the specific H&S legislation of the key countries within your designated region. This means staying updated on local decrees, codes of practice, and enforcement practices, often using external legal support and your GRC system.

Essential Prerequisites

• Demonstrable experience (8-12 years) in an international health and safety role, preferably within Real Estate, Facilities Management, or a similar multi-site, multi-jurisdictional environment.
• Proven track record of leading and developing a small team of H&S professionals.
• Expert-level understanding and practical application of ISO 45001 management systems, including experience with external audits.
• Advanced proficiency in incident investigation and root cause analysis techniques, with experience managing significant incidents.
• Strong experience in developing and implementing regional H&S programmes, such as contractor management, Permit to Work systems, or behaviour-based safety initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply complex H&S legislation across multiple international jurisdictions.
• Advanced data analysis and visualisation skills (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) for H&S performance reporting.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and presentation skills, with experience engaging senior operational leaders.

Career Pathway Context

We're looking for someone who isn't just a technical expert, but also a proven leader who can drive change across a complex regional landscape. You'll typically have come from a Senior H&S Advisor role, where you've already managed complex projects and mentored junior staff. This role is a step up into broader regional leadership and strategic programme ownership.

Qualifications & Credentials

Emerging Foundation Skills

• Skill: Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration
• Why: Honestly, competitors are already using tools like ChatGPT or Claude to draft regional reports, summarise complex legislation, and even generate initial safety training content in minutes, not hours. H&S professionals who figure this out will outproduce their peers significantly. It's not just about using AI; it's about knowing how to ask the right questions.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Context Windows & Token Limits', 'description': 'Understanding how much information an AI can process at once and how to break down complex tasks.'}, {'concept_name': 'Temperature Settings', 'description': 'Knowing when to ask for creative, broad ideas versus precise, factual summaries.'}, {'concept_name': 'RAG Architectures', 'description': 'Retrieval-Augmented Generation – how to get AI to use our own internal H&S policies and data, not just generic internet knowledge.'}, {'concept_name': 'Output Validation & Hallucination Detection', 'description': "Crucially, knowing when *not* to trust the AI's output and how to verify its accuracy, especially for legal compliance."}]
• Prepare: This week: Set up a free account with ChatGPT or Claude and use it to summarise 3-4 news articles on H&S regulations.
• This month: Experiment with generating a first draft of a toolbox talk or a safety email using an LLM, then refine it.
• Month 2: Explore how to use AI to compare two different country's H&S regulations on a specific topic and highlight the differences.
• Month 3: Start using AI to help draft sections of incident reports or audit findings, focusing on clear, concise language.
• QuickWin: Start using AI to draft email summaries, meeting notes, or initial content for non-critical communications today. It's low risk and high reward.
• Skill: Advanced Predictive Analytics for H&S
• Why: Moving beyond just reporting on past incidents (lagging indicators) to actively predicting where and when future incidents are most likely to occur. This allows for truly proactive interventions, rather than reactive ones. It's about getting ahead of the curve.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Statistical Modelling for Risk', 'description': 'Using techniques like regression analysis or machine learning to identify correlations between various data points (near-misses, observations, training, weather, shift patterns) and incident rates.'}, {'concept_name': 'Data Feature Engineering', 'description': 'Knowing how to transform raw H&S data into meaningful inputs for predictive models.'}, {'concept_name': 'Visualising Predictive Insights', 'description': 'Presenting complex predictive models in clear, actionable dashboards that regional operational leaders can easily understand and use.'}, {'concept_name': 'Ethical AI in H&S', 'description': 'Understanding the biases and limitations of predictive models and ensuring they are used responsibly and fairly, without unfairly targeting specific groups or sites.'}]
• Prepare: This week: Read a few articles on predictive analytics in H&S. Understand the basic concepts.
• This month: Take an online course on basic statistical modelling or data science for business (e.g., on Coursera, LinkedIn Learning).
• Month 2: Work with our Data Analytics team (if we have one) to understand how they build predictive models, and see if you can apply any of their techniques to H&S data.
• Month 3: Try to build a simple correlation analysis in Excel or Power BI between two H&S data sets (e.g., safety observations and near-misses) to see if you can spot any patterns.
• QuickWin: Start by simply looking for stronger correlations in your existing H&S data. Are sites with lower training completion rates also seeing higher incident rates? It's a first step.

Advancing Technical Skills

• Skill: Integrated ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Reporting
• Why: H&S is increasingly seen as a core component of the 'Social' pillar of ESG. Investors, clients, and regulators are demanding more comprehensive and transparent reporting on our environmental impact, social responsibility (including H&S), and governance practices. You'll need to understand how H&S data feeds into this broader picture.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards', 'description': 'Understanding the most widely used standards for sustainability reporting, and how H&S metrics fit in.'}, {'concept_name': 'Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)', 'description': 'Understanding how climate risks (and associated H&S risks) are reported.'}, {'concept_name': 'Materiality Assessments', 'description': 'Identifying the most significant ESG issues for our business and stakeholders, and how H&S contributes.'}, {'concept_name': 'Data Assurance for Non-Financial Metrics', 'description': 'Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of H&S data used in public ESG reports.'}]
• Prepare: This week: Read our company's latest ESG or Sustainability Report. See how H&S is currently represented.
• This month: Take an introductory course on ESG reporting or sustainability frameworks.
• Month 2: Work with our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Finance team to understand their ESG reporting processes and data requirements.
• Month 3: Map our key H&S metrics against relevant GRI standards and identify any gaps in our current reporting capabilities.
• QuickWin: Make sure your regional H&S data is impeccably clean and verifiable. This is foundational for any ESG reporting.
• Skill: Digital Twin & H&S Modelling
• Why: As our properties become 'smarter,' we'll be able to create digital replicas (digital twins) of our buildings. These can be used to simulate safety scenarios, test emergency evacuation routes, model air quality, or even predict equipment failures that could lead to H&S risks. This moves H&S from reactive to truly predictive and preventative.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Building Information Modelling (BIM)', 'description': 'Understanding the foundational data and models used to create digital twins of buildings.'}, {'concept_name': 'Sensor Integration', 'description': 'How data from IoT sensors (e.g., air quality, occupancy, equipment health) feeds into a digital twin for real-time risk monitoring.'}, {'concept_name': 'Simulation & Scenario Planning', 'description': "Using digital twins to run 'what-if' scenarios for fire, chemical spills, or evacuation, and optimising safety designs."}, {'concept_name': 'Virtual Reality (VR) for Safety Training', 'description': 'Using digital twin data to create immersive VR training experiences for high-risk tasks or emergency drills.'}]
• Prepare: This week: Research 'digital twins in facilities management' or 'BIM for safety'.
• This month: Attend a webinar or online seminar on smart buildings or IoT in real estate.
• Month 2: Connect with our Facilities Technology or Innovation team to understand if we're exploring digital twin initiatives and how H&S could be involved.
• Month 3: Brainstorm 2-3 practical ways a digital twin could improve H&S in one of our complex properties (e.g., optimising fire escape routes, monitoring hazardous material storage).
• QuickWin: Start thinking about how real-time data from our buildings (e.g., CCTV, access control, BMS) could give you early warnings about potential H&S issues.

Education Requirements

• Level: Minimum
• Req: A Bachelor's degree (or equivalent OFQUAL Level 6 qualification) in Occupational Health and Safety, Engineering, Environmental Science, or a related field.
• Alts: We're pragmatic here. If you've got 10+ years of demonstrable, progressive experience in international H&S leadership, with a strong track record of success and relevant professional certifications, we're happy to consider that in lieu of a degree. Experience really does count for a lot in this field.
• Level: Preferred
• Req: A Master's degree (or equivalent OFQUAL Level 7 qualification) in Occupational Health and Safety, Safety Management, or a relevant engineering discipline.
• Alts: A Master's shows a deeper academic grounding, which is always a plus, but it's not a deal-breaker if you have the practical experience.

Experience Requirements

You'll need roughly 8-12 years of progressive experience in health and safety, with a significant portion of that in an international context. This should include at least 3-5 years in a leadership role where you've managed a team of H&S professionals and been responsible for regional H&S programmes. We're looking for someone who has genuinely led initiatives, not just supported them, ideally within Real Estate, Facilities Management, or a similarly complex multi-site industry.

Preferred Certifications

• Cert: Chartered Membership of IOSH (CMIOSH)
• Prod: Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
• Usage: This demonstrates a high level of professional competence and commitment to continuous professional development. It's a hallmark of a serious H&S professional.
• Cert: Lead Auditor ISO 45001 Certification
• Prod: Various accredited bodies (e.g., BSI, LRQA)
• Usage: Given your responsibility for regional ISO 45001 compliance, having this certification shows you can lead and manage robust audit programmes, which is incredibly valuable.
• Cert: Specific Regional H&S Qualifications
• Prod: Local regulatory bodies or accredited training providers
• Usage: If you have specific qualifications for a key country in your region (e.g., CSP in the US, or local fire safety certifications), that's a definite advantage as it shows immediate local expertise.

Recommended Activities

• Regularly attending international H&S conferences and webinars to stay abreast of global trends and emerging risks.
• Actively participating in professional H&S networks and forums to share best practices and learn from peers.
• Undertaking specific training in areas like advanced incident investigation, human factors in safety, or cultural change management.
• Mentoring junior H&S professionals, which is a fantastic way to solidify your own knowledge and leadership skills.
• Engaging with industry groups specific to Real Estate or Facilities Management to understand sector-specific H&S challenges.

Career Progression Pathways

Entry Paths to This Role

• Path: Senior Health & Safety Advisor (L3)
• Time: 3-5 years in an L3 role
• Path: H&S Specialist in a Large Multinational
• Time: 8-10 years in a specialist role, with some leadership exposure

Career Progression From This Role

• Pathway: International Health and Safety Manager (L5)
• Time: Roughly 3-5 years in the Lead role (L4)

Long Term Vision Potential Roles

• Title: Director of Global EHS (L6)
• Time: 5-8 years from the Lead role (L4)
• Title: VP, Global EHS & Risk (L7)
• Time: 8-12+ years from the Lead role (L4)
• Title: Head of Global Compliance & Risk
• Time: 7-10 years from the Lead role (L4)

How Zavmo Delivers This Role's Development

DISCOVER Phase: Skills Gap Analysis

Zavmo maps your current competencies against all requirements in this job description through conversational assessment. We evaluate your foundation skills (communication, strategic thinking), functional skills (CRM expertise, negotiation), and readiness for career progression.

Output: Personalised skills gap heat map showing strengths and priorities, estimated time to competency, neurodiversity accommodations.

DISCUSS Phase: Personalised Learning Pathway

Based on your DISCOVER results, Zavmo creates a personalised learning plan prioritised by impact: foundation skills first, then functional skills. We adapt to your learning style, pace, and neurodiversity needs (ADHD, dyslexia, autism).

Output: Week-by-week schedule, each module linked to specific job responsibilities, checkpoints and milestones.

DELIVER Phase: Conversational Learning

Learn through conversation, not boring modules. Zavmo uses 10 conversation types (Socratic dialogue, role-play, coaching, case studies) to build competence. Practice difficult QBR presentations, negotiate tough renewals, and handle churn conversations in a safe AI environment before facing real clients.

Example: "For 'Stakeholder Mapping', Zavmo will guide you through analysing a complex enterprise account, identifying key decision-makers, and building an engagement strategy."

DEMONSTRATE Phase: Competency Assessment

Zavmo automatically builds your evidence portfolio as you learn. Every conversation, practice scenario, and application example is captured and mapped to NOS performance criteria. When ready, your portfolio supports OFQUAL qualification claims and demonstrates competence to employers.

Output: Competency matrix, evidence portfolio (downloadable), qualification readiness, career progression score.