UK

United Kingdom · Compliance, quality and safety · Director/VP (16-20 years)

Director of Occupational Health & Wellbeing

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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  • Experience bandDirector/VP (16-20 years)
  • Direct reports25-100+ reports
  • Reports toChief Health & Safety Officer
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as Head of Occupational Health · VP, Health & Wellbeing · Group Occupational Health Lead

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

NOCN Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care NOCN · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards
SEG Awards Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service Skills and Education Group Awards · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards
NOCN Level 5 Diploma in Civil Engineering NOCN · Level 5 · covers 1 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Lead and manage a team within a health and social care or children and young people’s setting IAO Level 5 Diploma In Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People's Services (England)
Health and Wellbeing NOCN Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care
Maintain Systems and Processes for Health, Safety, Welfare and Environmental Protection in an Engineering Environment NOCN Level 5 Diploma in Computer Engineering (Information Technology and Data Science)
Maintain Systems and Processes for Health, Safety, Welfare and Environmental Protection in a Working Environment NOCN Level 5 Diploma in Civil Engineering

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Automation Fluency building AI into how work runs
Change Fluency taking people through change
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Director of Occupational Health & Wellbeing

4 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Lead and manage a team within a health and social care or children and young people’s setting Innovate Awarding · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
  2. Health and Wellbeing NOCN · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
  3. Maintain Systems and Processes for Health, Safety, Welfare and Environmental Protection in an Engineering Environment NOCN · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 5
  4. Maintain Systems and Processes for Health, Safety, Welfare and Environmental Protection in a Working Environment NOCN · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 5
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Director of Occupational Health & Wellbeing?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • AI Ethics & Governance in Health Data
  • Digital Health Ecosystem Integration
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Director of Occupational Health & Wellbeing plan as you set up, starting with the free Data Fluency module. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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Keep this read. One email with what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for and where to start free. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

3What this role really is

Sets the strategic direction for health and wellbeing across a business unit, from policy to prevention and recovery.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

OHS Software (e.g., Cority, Cohort, Medgate) Strategic/Architect

Leading vendor selection processes (RFP, contract negotiation), managing system integration with HRIS/EHS platforms, defining enterprise-wide data governance policies for sensitive health data, and overseeing system optimisation for strategic reporting.

HRIS (e.g., Workday HCM, SAP SuccessFactors) Strategic/Architect

Working with HRIS teams to architect seamless data feeds between OH and HR systems, ensuring GDPR compliance for sensitive data transfer, and leveraging HRIS data for strategic workforce health planning and trend analysis.

Microsoft 365 (Power BI, SharePoint, Teams, Excel) Advanced

Developing automated reporting dashboards using Power BI to track key OH&W metrics for executive review, managing large-scale SharePoint sites for policy documentation and team collaboration, and leading strategic meetings via Teams.

Enterprise EHS Platforms (e.g., Intelex, Enablon) Advanced

Designing the data structure and workflow for occupational health case management within the broader enterprise EHS platform, defining escalation logic for health-related incidents, and ensuring seamless integration of OH data for holistic risk management.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Strategic Direction for OH&W No input, follows established procedures. Proposes minor process improvements within existing strategy. Designs and recommends new workstream strategies to Director.
Budget Allocation (Function P&L) No budget authority, orders supplies as directed. Manages small project budgets (e.g., £1K for clinic supplies). Manages workstream budgets up to £5K, consulting Lead for approval.
Major Policy Changes (e.g., Sickness Absence Policy) Follows existing policy, refers questions to supervisor. Identifies issues with current policy, proposes minor amendments to manager. Recommends policy updates based on operational experience, drafts changes for Lead's review.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Sickness Absence Reduction
Overall reduction in short-term and long-term sickness absence rates across the business unit.
Target · Achieve a 10% reduction in total lost working days due to sickness absence year-on-year.

If the business unit lost 50,000 working days to sickness last year, the target for this year would be 45,000 days or fewer. This demonstrates direct impact on productivity.

Occupational Disease/Injury Rate
Reduction in the incidence rate of work-related illnesses and injuries requiring OH intervention.
Target · Decrease reportable occupational disease cases by 15% and OH-managed injury cases by 10% annually.

If we had 20 cases of work-related dermatitis last year, you'd aim for 17 or fewer this year, showing proactive risk management.

Budget Adherence & ROI
Managing the significant OH&W budget effectively and demonstrating return on investment for key programmes.
Target · Operate within 98-100% of the allocated annual budget (£2M-£10M+) and show positive ROI for at least 3 major wellbeing initiatives.

Delivering the OH service for £2.5M when allocated £2.6M, and proving that a new mental health programme saved £500K in absence costs for a £200K investment.

Regulatory Compliance & Audit Performance
Ensuring the business unit maintains full compliance with all relevant health and safety legislation and clinical governance standards.
Target · Achieve 100% compliance on all mandatory health surveillance programmes and 'Excellent' ratings on internal and external OH audits (e.g., SEQOHS accreditation).

Passing a HSE inspection with no enforcement notices related to occupational health, and successfully renewing SEQOHS accreditation for all OH services.

Strategic Influence & Board Confidence
Your ability to shape the executive agenda around health and wellbeing, earning trust and buy-in from the C-Suite and Board.
  • Regularly invited to present at Board meetings on OH&W strategy
  • executive team proactively seeks your input on people-related decisions
  • your recommendations are consistently adopted into company policy
  • positive feedback from Board members on your strategic insights.
Organisational Culture Shift
Driving a measurable change in how the organisation perceives and prioritises employee health and wellbeing.
  • Improved employee engagement survey scores related to wellbeing support
  • increased uptake in voluntary health programmes
  • managers demonstrating proactive health management behaviours
  • positive anecdotal feedback from employees and managers about the OH service and wellbeing initiatives.
Team Leadership & Development
Building, motivating, and developing a high-performing Occupational Health & Wellbeing team that delivers excellent service.
  • High retention rates within your direct and indirect teams
  • positive results from internal leadership effectiveness surveys
  • clear succession plans for key roles
  • evidence of your team members progressing into more senior positions.
External Reputation & Thought Leadership
Positioning the organisation as a leader in occupational health and wellbeing within our industry.
  • Invited to speak at industry conferences
  • recognised by peers for innovative programmes
  • positive media coverage related to our OH&W initiatives
  • successful partnerships with leading health organisations or academic institutions.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Making a Tangible Difference at Scale

You'll be designing programmes that improve the lives of thousands of employees, seeing the impact on sickness absence rates and employee engagement scores. It's about leaving a lasting legacy of a healthier, happier workforce.

Leading the implementation of a new mental health support programme that demonstrably reduces stress-related absences across the entire business unit by 15%.

Shaping Organisational Strategy

You'll be a key voice at the executive table, influencing how the company thinks about its people, its risks, and its social responsibility. Your input will directly shape our long-term business strategy.

Presenting a compelling business case to the Board for a multi-million-pound investment in ergonomic equipment, linking it directly to productivity gains and reduced injury claims.

Leading and Developing Expert Teams

You get a real buzz from mentoring your direct reports, empowering your managers, and seeing your entire team grow in capability and impact. It's about building a centre of excellence.

Coaching a Regional OH Operations Manager through a complex change management project, helping them develop their leadership skills and achieve a challenging objective.

What frustrates people
  • The slow pace of organisational change, especially when trying to shift ingrained cultures or secure budget for new initiatives.
  • Navigating conflicting priorities from different business units or executive stakeholders, where health and wellbeing might not always be seen as the top priority.
  • Dealing with legacy systems or processes that hinder innovation and efficiency, requiring significant effort to overhaul.
  • The emotional toll of managing major health incidents or complex employee cases at an enterprise level, often with high stakes.
  • Finding truly accurate, reliable data to prove ROI for wellbeing initiatives, especially when the impact is long-term and diffuse.
What this role does not give you
  • A purely operational or clinical focus – you'll be far more strategic than hands-on.
  • A quiet, predictable routine – expect urgent issues, shifting priorities, and constant demands.
  • Instant gratification – many of your projects will have long lead times and require sustained effort to see results.
  • Freedom from corporate politics – influencing at this level requires navigating complex relationships and competing agendas.

8Who you work with

Your decisions will directly influence the health, safety, and productivity of our entire workforce within your business unit. You'll shape our employer brand, reduce operational risks, and contribute significantly to our overall financial performance through reduced absence and improved employee engagement. This is about protecting our people and our business at a strategic level.

Inside the business
  • Chief Health & Safety Officer (your boss)
  • CEO and other C-Suite executives (for strategic alignment and budget approval)
  • HR Directors and Business Unit Leaders (for policy implementation and employee support)
  • Legal and Compliance teams (for regulatory adherence and risk mitigation)
  • Finance Director (for budget management and ROI on wellbeing initiatives)
  • Employee Representative Groups / Trade Unions (for consultation and engagement)
Outside the business
  • Regulatory bodies (e.g., HSE, CQC for clinical standards)
  • External OH service providers and vendors (managing contracts and performance)
  • Industry associations and professional bodies (for benchmarking and best practice)
  • Insurance providers (for claims management and risk assessment)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Extensive senior leadership experience (10+ years) within occupational health or a closely related field (e.g., EHS, HR with a strong health focus) in a large, complex organisation.
  • Proven track record of managing significant P&L responsibilities (multi-million-pound budgets) and demonstrating ROI for health and wellbeing programmes.
  • Demonstrable experience in designing, implementing, and driving large-scale organisational change initiatives related to employee health and wellbeing.
  • Expert-level understanding of UK occupational health legislation, clinical governance standards (e.g., SEQOHS), and data protection regulations (GDPR).
  • Experience in building, leading, and developing multi-disciplinary teams, including clinical professionals and managers, across multiple sites or regions.
  • Strong ability to influence and engage with C-Suite executives and Board members on strategic health and wellbeing matters.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Predictive Analytics for Workforce Health

Moving beyond descriptive reporting, you'll need to lead the use of predictive models to forecast future health risks (e.g., identifying cohorts at high risk of burnout or specific injuries) and measure the probabilistic impact of interventions. This informs proactive, targeted resource allocation.

Machine learning models for risk stratification (e · Survival analysis for long-term absence prediction · Causal inference techniques to prove intervention · Data visualisation for executive-level predictive · Ethical considerations in predictive health modell

  • This quarter: Engage with our Data Science team (if we have one) to understand their capabilities and how they could support OH&W.
  • This month: Complete an online course on 'Analytics for Leaders' focusing on predictive modelling concepts, not coding.
  • Next quarter: Commission a pilot predictive analytics project to identify a specific health risk within a business unit.
  • Month 6: Review the results of the pilot project and develop a plan for broader implementation.

Quick win: Ask your team to start exploring correlations between existing datasets (e.g., absence rates and specific job roles, or wellbeing survey results and OH referrals) to identify potential areas for predictive analysis.

Cloud-Native Health System Architecture & Security

As OH systems move to the cloud and integrate with other enterprise platforms, you'll need a strategic understanding of cloud architecture, data security, and compliance in a distributed environment. This ensures our health data is protected and our systems are scalable and resilient.

Cloud security best practices (e.g., AWS, Azure, G · Data residency and sovereignty requirements for he · API management and secure data exchange between sy · Disaster recovery and business continuity planning · Vendor security assessments for cloud providers

  • This quarter: Meet with our Head of IT Security to understand our current cloud strategy and security posture.
  • This month: Review our existing OH system architecture and identify potential vulnerabilities or integration challenges.
  • Next quarter: Participate in a cloud security workshop or executive briefing.
  • Month 6: Lead a review of our OH system's disaster recovery plan, ensuring it meets enterprise standards.

Quick win: Familiarise yourself with the basic principles of cloud computing and how our company uses cloud services. Ask your IT partners about the security protocols for our current OH software.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attend and present at national and international occupational health and wellbeing conferences (e.g., SOM, Health & Wellbeing at Work).
  • Maintain active membership and engagement with professional bodies (e.g., Faculty of Occupational Medicine, RCN Occupational Health Forum).
  • Undertake executive education programmes in areas like strategic leadership, change management, or digital transformation from top business schools.
  • Engage in continuous professional development (CPD) related to emerging health risks, regulatory changes, and innovative wellbeing practices.
  • Mentor aspiring leaders within the occupational health profession, both internally and externally.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

AI Ethics & Governance in Health Data

As we use more AI for predictive health analytics and automated case management, the ethical implications of using sensitive health data become paramount. You'll need to navigate bias in algorithms, ensure data privacy, and maintain trust, especially with new regulations on AI looming.

  • Algorithmic bias detection and mitigation in healt
  • Data anonymisation and synthetic data generation f
  • Explainable AI (XAI) for clinical and employee tru
  • Regulatory frameworks for AI in healthcare (e.g.,
  • Ethical review processes for AI-driven health inte

Digital Health Ecosystem Integration

Employees are increasingly using personal health apps, wearables, and virtual care platforms. Your role will evolve to integrate these disparate digital health tools into a cohesive wellbeing strategy, ensuring data security, interoperability, and measurable impact, rather than just offering siloed point solutions.

  • Interoperability standards for health data (e.g.,
  • Personal health record (PHR) integration strategie
  • Cybersecurity risks in digital health platforms
  • Evaluating the efficacy of commercial digital well
  • Designing incentive programmes for digital health

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Enterprise Health Strategy Design
  • Clinical Governance & Quality Assurance
  • Regulatory Foresight & Compliance
  • M&A Due Diligence (Health & Wellbeing)
  • Workforce Health Analytics & Reporting

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Regional OH Operations Manager (Internal Promotion)

    3-5 years at L5

    Skills to master

    • Demonstrating strategic thinking beyond regional operations, successfully managing a significant P&L, leading complex change initiatives, and effectively influencing senior stakeholders outside your direct reporting line.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully delivered a multi-regional OH transformation project with measurable impact.
    • Consistently exceeded regional P&L targets and identified significant cost efficiencies.
    • Mentored and developed multiple high-performing managers within your team.
    • Actively contributed to enterprise-level strategic discussions, demonstrating a broader business perspective.
  2. 2

    Director of Occupational Health (External Hire)

    N/A (direct entry)

    Skills to master

    • Adapting to our specific organisational culture and regulatory environment, quickly building credibility with our C-Suite and Board, and translating your prior experience into our context.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Proven track record of success in a similar Director-level role within a comparably sized or larger organisation, ideally in a regulated industry.
    • Demonstrated ability to lead significant health and wellbeing transformations and manage large, complex teams.
    • Strong references highlighting your strategic influence, financial acumen, and ethical leadership.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to a Chief Health & Safety Officer post, or a VP, People & Culture role covering the wider HR agenda.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Director of Occupational Health & Wellbeing is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Lead and manage a team within a health and social care or children and young people’s setting, worked against Director of Occupational Health & Wellbeing.

Lead and manage a team within a health and social care or children and young people’s setting Level 5

Applied to your work in Director of Occupational Health & Wellbeing

This unit aims to equip learners with the knowledge of effective team performance and the ability to foster a positive and inclusive team culture, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives within a health and social care or children and young people's setting.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Director of Occupational Health & Wellbeing
  • Enterprise Health Strategy Design
  • Clinical Governance & Quality Assurance
  • Regulatory Foresight & Compliance
  • M&A Due Diligence (Health & Wellbeing)
  • Workforce Health Analytics & Reporting
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Director of Occupational Health & Wellbeing is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Chief Health & Safety Officer (L7)

    3-5 years

    Elevation to C-Suite, enterprise-wide scope, Board-level accountability for overall HSE strategy.

    • M&A Integration (Full Scope) Leading the HSE due diligence and integration for all M&A activities.
    • Crisis Management (Enterprise Level) Leading the organisational response to major health, safety, or environmental crises.
    • ESG Strategy Leadership Driving the environmental, social, and governance agenda for the entire company.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

As a Director, your time is gold. You're not just managing operations; you're shaping the future. Imagine if you could cut through the noise, get critical insights faster, and empower your team with smarter tools. Well, you can. AI isn't just for junior roles; it's a game-changer for strategic leadership in Occupational Health & Wellbeing.

We're building an AI Productivity Hub specifically for leaders like you. It's designed to automate the mundane, accelerate analysis, and give you back valuable hours every week. This isn't about replacing your judgment; it's about amplifying it. Think less time sifting through reports, more time driving strategic initiatives and engaging with your people.

Predictive Health Analytics

Use AI to analyse historical health data, absence trends, and demographic information to predict future health risks within specific employee groups. This helps you proactively design targeted wellbeing interventions before problems escalate, moving from reactive to predictive OH.

Regulatory Change Monitor

An AI tool scans new and updated HSE guidance, CQC standards, and relevant legislation. It summarises key changes, highlights their impact on our current policies, and even suggests initial actions for your team, ensuring you're always ahead of the curve without endless reading.

Strategic Report Composer

Feed AI your raw data and key strategic messages, and it can draft initial versions of board reports, executive summaries, and policy proposals. It'll pull out key trends, suggest visualisations, and structure your arguments, saving you hours of drafting time for critical communications.

Vendor Performance Optimiser

AI can analyse performance data from external OH providers (e.g., appointment waiting times, case resolution metrics, cost per case) against contractual SLAs and industry benchmarks. It flags underperforming areas and even suggests negotiation points for contract renewals, ensuring you get maximum value.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director of Occupational Health & Wellbeing?

Common routes in include Regional OH Operations Manager (Internal Promotion) (3-5 years at L5) and Director of Occupational Health (External Hire) (N/A (direct entry)). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director of Occupational Health & Wellbeing progress to?

This role can lead on to Chief Health & Safety Officer (3-5 years), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director of Occupational Health & Wellbeing?

Increasingly, AI Ethics & Governance in Health Data and Digital Health Ecosystem Integration. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

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17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 7

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in compliance, quality and safety

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

Strategic leadership and expertise in occupational health and wellbeing apply across industries with large workforces or significant operational risks, such as manufacturing, logistics and healthcare. The same skills carry across to public sector organisations and international bodies working on workforce health.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my free Data Fluency module What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.