UK

United Kingdom · Learning and development · C-Suite (20+ years)

VP, Global EHS & Development

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 bandC-Suite (20+ years)
  • Direct reports3-5 reports
  • Reports toCEO
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as Chief Safety Officer · Global Head of Safety Culture · Chief People & Safety Officer (Safety Focus)

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

Qualifi Level 7 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Management Qualifi Ltd · Level 7 · covers 1 of 10 standards
CMI Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Management and Leadership Chartered Management Institute · Level 5 · covers 4 of 10 standards
City & Guilds Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management City & Guilds Limited · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards
City & Guilds Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management City & Guilds Limited · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards
City & Guilds Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Practice City & Guilds Limited · Level 6 · 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

Strategic Commitment to Health and Well-Being Qualifi Level 7 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Management
Manage Health and Safety in own area of responsibility CMI Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Management and Leadership
Managing a healthy and safe environment City & Guilds Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management
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)
Organisational health and safety strategy City & Guilds Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Practice

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
Sustainability Fluency building care for people and planet into the work
Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture
Your Plan Illustration

Built for VP, Global EHS & Development

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

  1. Strategic Commitment to Health and Well-Being Qualifi Ltd · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 7
  2. Manage Health and Safety in own area of responsibility Chartered Management Institute · covers 4 of 10 standards Level 5
  3. Managing a healthy and safe environment City & Guilds Limited · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
  4. Maintain Systems and Processes for Health, Safety, Welfare and Environmental Protection in an Engineering Environment NOCN · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 5
  5. Organisational health and safety strategy City & Guilds Limited · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 6
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 VP, Global EHS & Development?

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 EHS Learning
  • Neuroscience of Learning & Behavioural Change at Scale
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 VP, Global EHS & Development plan as you set up, starting with the free Automation Fluency module. No card.

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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

This role leads global safety strategy and organisational learning across a company, reporting on risk and resilience at board level.

4What you'd actually use

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

Enterprise Learning Management Systems (e.g., Cornerstone OnDemand, SAP Litmos) Strategic

Leading vendor selection (RFP process), overseeing system integration with HRIS and EHS platforms, defining enterprise-wide governance, and ensuring the LMS supports global strategic learning objectives.

EHS Management Platforms (e.g., VelocityEHS, Intelex, Cority) Strategic

Using platform analytics to forecast global risk areas, justify strategic training investments to leadership, and ensure data integrity for Board-level reporting. You're not configuring it, but you're defining its strategic use.

Executive/GRC Systems (e.g., ServiceNow GRC, Diligent Boards) Strategic

Providing critical EHS training compliance data for GRC dashboards; preparing and presenting board-level summaries on global safety culture initiatives, human capital risk, and learning programme effectiveness.

Advanced Analytics & Business Intelligence (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) Advanced

Reviewing and challenging predictive models to identify at-risk groups, interpreting complex data stories for executive leadership, and using insights to inform global strategic EHS investments.

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
Global EHS Learning Strategy & Policy No authority; executes tasks based on defined policies. Proposes minor adjustments to local procedures within global policy. Designs and implements significant regional or business unit-specific EHS learning programmes, aligning with global strategy.
Budget Allocation (EHS Learning) No budget authority; requests resources for specific tasks. Manages small project budgets (e.g., £1K-£5K) for specific training materials. Approves expenditure up to £25K for programme development or vendor services.
Major Incident Response & Learning Assists with data collection and record-keeping during incident response. Participates in incident debriefs, identifies training gaps related to specific incidents. Leads root cause analysis for significant incidents, designs and implements corrective training interventions.

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.

Global Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR)
The number of lost time injuries per 100,000 hours worked across the entire organisation.
Target · Year-over-year reduction of 10-15% across all business units.

If our LTIFR was 0.8 last year, we'd be aiming for 0.72 or lower this year, showing a tangible improvement in overall safety performance driven by our learning interventions.

Workers' Compensation Claim Costs
Total financial outlay for workers' compensation claims, including premiums, settlements, and associated legal fees, relative to revenue.
Target · Reduction in claims costs by 5-8% annually, or maintaining costs below industry benchmarks.

Reducing our annual workers' comp spend from £5M to £4.6M, demonstrating that our proactive EHS and learning strategies are having a direct financial benefit.

Safety Culture Index Score
A composite score derived from employee surveys, near-miss reporting rates, and leadership safety walk-throughs, indicating the health of our safety culture.
Target · Improvement of 0.5 points on a 5-point scale annually, with specific targets for 'active participation' and 'trust in reporting' categories.

Moving our overall safety culture score from 3.8 to 4.3 over 12 months, reflecting a more engaged and proactive workforce that genuinely believes in our safety programmes.

Regulatory Non-Conformance Incidents (Major)
Number of significant regulatory breaches or major audit findings related to EHS training and compliance.
Target · Zero major non-conformances globally.

Successfully navigating a major ISO 45001 re-certification audit across multiple sites without any critical findings related to training documentation or competency verification.

Board Confidence & Strategic Influence
Your ability to present clear, concise, and compelling EHS and learning strategies to the Board, earning their trust and securing their support for key initiatives.
  • The Board proactively seeks your input on strategic risk discussions
  • your proposals for major EHS investments are approved with minimal pushback
  • you're seen as a credible, authoritative voice on human capital risk and organisational resilience.
Global EHS Learning Programme Adoption & Impact
The extent to which your enterprise-wide learning programmes are embraced and genuinely change behaviour across diverse regions and business units.
  • Positive feedback from regional leaders about the relevance and effectiveness of global programmes
  • demonstrable on-the-ground changes in safety practices
  • internal case studies highlighting successful behaviour shifts
  • consistent application of global standards locally.
Talent Development & Succession Planning for EHS Leaders
Your success in building a robust pipeline of EHS learning talent, ensuring we have capable leaders ready to step into critical roles.
  • Successful internal promotions within your direct and indirect teams
  • high retention rates for key EHS learning talent
  • a clear succession plan for your direct reports
  • positive feedback from your team on development opportunities.

7Would you like it

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

What people enjoy
Protecting People & Saving Lives

You wake up thinking about how your work directly contributes to reducing harm. This shows up in your relentless pursuit of better safety metrics, your deep dive into incident reports to find root causes, and your passion for ensuring every employee goes home safe. Honestly, if this isn't your core driver, this role isn't for you.

Driving a global initiative that reduces serious injuries by 20% across all sites, knowing that means real people weren't hurt because of your leadership.

Shaping Organisational Culture

You're excited by the idea of embedding a 'safety-first, learning-always' mindset into the DNA of a large, complex organisation. You love seeing how leadership behaviours and learning programmes can fundamentally change how people think and act around risk. You're always looking for ways to make safety a shared value, not just a rule.

Successfully shifting the company's safety culture index from 'reactive' to 'proactive' over a three-year period, as evidenced by external audits and employee surveys.

Strategic Impact & Board-Level Influence

You thrive on the challenge of presenting complex EHS strategies to the Board, influencing major investment decisions, and seeing your vision translate into tangible business outcomes. You enjoy the intellectual rigour of connecting EHS to enterprise risk management and competitive advantage.

Securing multi-million-pound funding for a new global EHS learning platform after presenting a compelling business case to the Board, demonstrating clear ROI and risk reduction.

What frustrates people
  • Dealing with legacy systems and entrenched behaviours that resist change, especially across different regions and business units.
  • The constant tension between production targets and safety compliance, requiring delicate negotiation and strong leadership influence.
  • The political dance of getting global alignment on EHS policies and learning programmes, where local leaders might have different priorities.
  • The immense pressure when a major incident occurs, where you'll be under intense scrutiny from regulators, the Board, and the public.
  • The challenge of proving the ROI of preventative safety measures to those who only see the upfront cost, not the avoided catastrophe.
What this role does not give you
  • A quiet, heads-down role where you can focus solely on technical EHS content creation.
  • Immediate gratification for every initiative; cultural change takes years, not months.
  • A role without significant travel (expect international travel, sometimes at short notice).
  • An environment where you can avoid tough conversations or difficult political situations.

8Who you work with

Your decisions here literally shape the company's global risk profile, operational resilience, and its social licence to operate. You're responsible for ensuring we meet our ethical obligations to our employees, protect our assets, and maintain our reputation. This role is about embedding safety and continuous learning as a core competitive advantage, not just a compliance cost.

Inside the business
  • CEO and Executive Leadership Team (ELT)
  • Board of Directors (especially the Audit & Risk Committee)
  • General Counsel and Legal Team
  • Heads of Global Operations and Manufacturing
  • Chief People Officer and HR Leadership
  • Regional Business Unit Presidents
Outside the business
  • Global Regulatory Bodies (e.g., OSHA, HSE, ECHA)
  • Industry Associations and Standards Organisations (e.g., ISO, NEBOSH)
  • Insurance Providers and Underwriters
  • External Auditors and Compliance Consultants
  • Key Investors and Shareholder Groups
  • Media and Public Relations

9What you need before you start

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

  • Proven track record of leading a significant EHS or Learning & Development function for a large, complex, and ideally global organisation.
  • Demonstrable experience presenting to and influencing executive leadership teams and Boards of Directors on high-stakes EHS or people-related topics.
  • Extensive experience (20+ years) in EHS, Learning & Development, or a related field, with at least 5-7 years at a Director or VP level.
  • A deep understanding of global EHS regulatory frameworks and experience navigating compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
  • A strong history of driving measurable improvements in safety performance and cultural change across diverse operational environments.

10What to practise next

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

Integrated EHS & HRIS Data Architecture

To truly understand the human factors in safety and to predict risk effectively, we need seamless integration between EHS platforms, HR systems, and learning management systems. You'll need to understand the strategic implications of data silos and champion integrated solutions.

Single Source of Truth for Employee Data · API Integration Strategies · Data Governance for Cross-System Analytics · Predictive Modelling for Human Factors

  • This quarter: Meet with our CIO and Head of HRIS to understand the current data architecture and identify key integration challenges.
  • Next 6 months: Develop a strategic roadmap for EHS-HRIS-LMS integration, outlining key benefits, costs, and timelines.
  • Next 12 months: Champion a pilot project for integrated data analytics, demonstrating its value to the executive team.
  • Ongoing: Stay informed about new data integration technologies and best practices in enterprise architecture.

Quick win: Identify one critical data silo between EHS and HR that, if integrated, would immediately provide valuable insights for your strategic EHS learning plan.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attending global EHS leadership summits and conferences (e.g., NSC Congress, IOSH Conference) to stay abreast of emerging trends and network with peers.
  • Participating in executive coaching or leadership development programmes focused on C-suite influence, organisational change, and global leadership.
  • Engaging with industry think tanks or academic institutions on research related to human factors, safety culture, or the future of work.
  • Serving on the board or advisory committee of a non-profit or industry association related to safety or education, to broaden your perspective and influence.

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 EHS Learning

As AI becomes more embedded in everything from risk prediction to content creation, understanding its ethical implications—especially in high-stakes areas like safety—is paramount. We need to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability in our AI-driven EHS learning systems.

  • Algorithmic Bias Detection
  • Data Privacy & Security for AI in EHS
  • Explainable AI (XAI) in Safety
  • Human-in-the-Loop Decision Making

Neuroscience of Learning & Behavioural Change at Scale

Moving beyond traditional adult learning theory, a deeper understanding of how the brain actually learns, forms habits, and responds to risk will allow us to design far more effective, impactful, and sticky global EHS learning programmes. This is about optimising for human cognition, not just compliance.

  • Cognitive Load Theory
  • Habit Formation & Nudging
  • Emotional Regulation in High-Stress Environments
  • Social Learning & Peer Influence

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Enterprise EHS & Learning Strategy Development
  • Advanced Human & Organisational Performance (HOP) Principles
  • Global Regulatory Interpretation & Foresight
  • Strategic EHS Metrics & Analytics

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

    Director of EHS Learning & Org Capability (L6)

    3-5 years at L6

    Skills to master

    • Mastering multi-site/business unit EHS learning strategy, integrating EHS into broader talent management, and shaping organisational safety culture across a significant portion of the business.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistent achievement of business unit-level EHS metrics.
    • Successful leadership of major EHS learning transformation programmes.
    • Strong track record of developing and mentoring EHS learning leaders.
    • Demonstrated ability to influence senior business unit leaders and manage significant budgets.
  2. 2

    VP / Head of Global EHS (Operational Focus)

    3-5 years in a global operational EHS leadership role

    Skills to master

    • Deep expertise in global EHS operations, risk management, and regulatory compliance, with a strong understanding of how learning interventions drive operational safety. This path requires a pivot towards the 'development' aspect.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Proven success in managing global EHS operational performance and compliance.
    • Experience leading EHS during major incidents or crises.
    • Demonstrated ability to influence across diverse global operational teams.
    • A clear passion and aptitude for the learning and human development aspects of EHS.
  3. 3

    Chief People Officer (with strong EHS background)

    5-7 years in a CPO role at a smaller organisation or a senior HR leadership role with significant EHS remit

    Skills to master

    • Broader HR strategy, talent acquisition, compensation & benefits, and employee relations, combined with a deep understanding of EHS as a critical component of human capital strategy.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Comprehensive understanding of the entire HR lifecycle and its strategic impact.
    • Experience leading large HR teams and driving organisational-wide people initiatives.
    • A clear ability to connect EHS outcomes to broader people strategy and business performance.
    • Strong executive presence and influence across all C-suite functions.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to board level advisory positions, independent consulting work, or academic roles in safety science.

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 VP, Global EHS & Development is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

Also named as a next step, with no page in the catalogue yet:

  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

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 Strategic Commitment to Health and Well-Being, worked against VP, Global EHS & Development.

Strategic Commitment to Health and Well-Being Level 7

Applied to your work in VP, Global EHS & Development

1. To enable the learner to critically evaluate existing organisational strategies and policies concerning integrated health, well-being, and safety, incorporating relevant legal and regulatory compliance. 2. To enable the learner to comprehensively analyse the diverse occupational health and well-being issues impacting employee welfare, organisational reputation, and identifying associated threats. 3. To enable the learner to determine organisational adherence to risk assessment principles and develop robust strategies for engagement and improvement in occupational health and well-being. 4. To enable the learner to effectively promote and engage stakeholders at all organisational levels to ensure the successful implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of health and well-being strategies. 5. To enable the learner to outline time-bound measurements for strategic changes and improvements, demonstrating the full range of benefits across individuals, groups, and the wider organisation. 6. To enable the learner to cultivate and assess stakeholder understanding, commitment, and critical reflection towards established health and well-being objectives.

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
VP, Global EHS & Development
  • Enterprise EHS & Learning Strategy Development
  • Advanced Human & Organisational Performance (HOP) Principles
  • Global Regulatory Interpretation & Foresight
  • Strategic EHS Metrics & Analytics
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

VP, Global EHS & Development is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Chief Operating Officer (COO)

    5-8 years in VP, Global EHS & Development role

    Significant increase in scope and P&L accountability, moving into overall operational leadership.

    • Operational excellence methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma)
    • Global procurement and vendor management
    • Capital expenditure planning and execution
    • M&A integration (operational aspects)

  2. Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

    8-12 years in VP, Global EHS & Development role (or subsequent COO role)

    Ultimate enterprise-wide leadership, full P&L accountability, and board governance.

    • Shareholder value creation
    • Global market expansion strategies
    • Strategic partnerships and alliances
    • Crisis leadership at the highest level
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, at the C-suite level, your time is gold. You're not meant to be bogged down in manual analysis or drafting routine reports. AI isn't just for junior staff; it's a game-changer for executive leaders, freeing you up to focus on truly strategic thinking and high-impact decision-making.

Imagine having a personal AI assistant that can digest vast amounts of information, spot hidden risks, and even draft your board presentations. That's the reality for the modern C-suite. We're not talking about replacing your judgment, but augmenting it, giving you superpowers to lead our global EHS and learning strategy.

Predictive Risk & Trend Analysis

Use AI to analyse global incident data, near-miss reports, and audit findings, identifying emerging risk patterns and 'hot spots' across diverse regions that human analysis might miss. This helps you proactively allocate resources and design targeted interventions before issues escalate to the Board.

Global Regulatory Intelligence

An AI assistant can continuously monitor global EHS regulatory changes, summarise complex new legislation (e.g., a 200-page EU directive) into a 2-page executive brief, and highlight key impacts on our operations and learning programmes. No more sifting through endless legal documents yourself.

Board Report & Communication Drafting

Feed AI your key data points, strategic objectives, and desired tone, and it can generate first drafts of board reports, investor updates, or internal executive communications. You'll spend less time on initial drafting and more time refining the message and adding your unique strategic insights.

Culture & Engagement Sentiment Analysis

Deploy AI to analyse qualitative data from employee surveys, focus group transcripts, and internal communication channels to gauge the sentiment around safety culture and learning programmes across different regions. This helps you understand nuances and tailor your strategic approach for maximum global impact.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a VP, Global EHS & Development?

Common routes in include Director of EHS Learning & Org Capability (3-5 years at L6), VP / Head of Global EHS (Operational Focus) (3-5 years in a global operational EHS leadership role) and Chief People Officer (with strong EHS background) (5-7 years in a CPO role at a smaller organisation or a senior HR leadership role with significant EHS remit). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a VP, Global EHS & Development progress to?

This role can lead on to Chief Operating Officer (COO) (5-8 years in VP, Global EHS & Development role) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (8-12 years in VP, Global EHS & Development role (or subsequent COO role)), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a VP, Global EHS & Development?

Increasingly, AI Ethics & Governance in EHS Learning and Neuroscience of Learning & Behavioural Change at Scale. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

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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 learning and development

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

Skills in global EHS, organisational learning and cultural change apply across high-risk industries. These include aerospace, pharmaceuticals, mining and utilities. They also apply in sectors with significant human capital risk, such as healthcare.

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 Automation 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.