UK

United Kingdom · Property and facilities · Director/VP (16-20 years)

Director of Health, Safety & Security

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

Also advertised as Head of Health, Safety, Security & Environment (HSSE) · VP of Facilities Risk & Resilience · Portfolio Safety & Security 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

Highfield Level 7 NVQ in Construction Senior Management (RQF) Highfield Qualifications · Level 7 · covers 1 of 10 standards
CMI Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Management and Leadership Chartered Management Institute · Level 5 · covers 5 of 10 standards
ABBE Level 6 Diploma in Building Surveying and Housing Management Awarding Body for the Built Environment · Level 6 · covers 2 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

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

The units you would start with

Direct the management of design development and processes in construction management Highfield Level 7 NVQ in Construction Senior Management (RQF)
Manage Health and Safety in own area of responsibility CMI Level 5 NVQ Diploma in Management and Leadership
Understand the health and safety and environmental facilities management procedures in housing management ABBE Level 6 Diploma in Building Surveying and Housing Management
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)

The future skills this job leans on

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
Trust Fluency keeping the digital world safe
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Director of Health, Safety & Security

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

  1. Direct the management of design development and processes in construction management Highfield Qualifications · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 7
  2. Manage Health and Safety in own area of responsibility Chartered Management Institute · covers 5 of 10 standards Level 5
  3. Understand the health and safety and environmental facilities management procedures in housing management Awarding Body for the Built Environment · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 6
  4. Managing a healthy and safe environment City & Guilds Limited · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
  5. Maintain Systems and Processes for Health, Safety, Welfare and Environmental Protection in an Engineering 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 Health, Safety & Security?

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

  • ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Integration
  • Cyber-Physical Security Convergence
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 Health, Safety & Security plan as you set up, starting with the free Growth Mindset 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

A Director of Health, Safety & Security sets the strategy for protecting people, properties and reputation across a portfolio.

4What you'd actually use

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

Cority / Enablon (EHS Management Platform) Strategic/Architect

Leading platform selection, defining enterprise data architecture, ensuring integration with ERP/HRIS, and using the platform for strategic HSS performance reporting to the Board.

Genetec Security Center / Verkada (VMS & ACS) Strategic/Architect

Architecting system topology across the entire property portfolio, managing cloud vs. on-prem storage solutions, and approving capital for major system upgrades and new security technology deployments.

Schneider EcoStruxure (Building Management System - BMS) Strategic/Architect

Liaising with Engineering leadership to ensure BMS and life safety systems meet enterprise-level regulatory, insurance, and operational resilience requirements across the portfolio.

Power BI / Tableau (Business Intelligence) Expert

Developing and presenting interactive HSS performance dashboards for board-level reporting, identifying strategic trends, and communicating complex data insights to executive stakeholders.

Everbridge / OnSolve (Mass Notification System) Strategic

Owning the vendor relationship, defining the enterprise crisis communication strategy, and approving enterprise-wide messaging during major events or portfolio-wide emergencies.

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
Enterprise HSS Strategy No input, follows defined procedures. Proposes minor improvements to existing site-specific procedures. Designs and recommends new HSS programmes or policies for a workstream.
Budget Authority No budget authority, requests resources from supervisor. Manages small project budgets up to £5K, with manager approval. Manages workstream budgets up to £50K, with Director approval.
Major Incident Response Follows emergency procedures, escalates immediately. Leads initial on-site response for routine incidents, informs manager. Leads complex incident investigations, makes technical decisions, recommends corrective actions.

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.

Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR)
The number of work-related injuries or illnesses per 100 full-time employees over a specific period.
Target · Reduce portfolio TRIR by 15% year-on-year for two consecutive years.

If our current TRIR is 1.5, we'd expect to see it drop to 1.275 within 12 months, and then further to 1.08 within 24 months.

Insurance Premium Reduction
The cost savings achieved on workers' compensation and property insurance premiums due to demonstrated improvements in HSS performance.
Target · Achieve a 5% reduction in overall HSS-related insurance premiums within 18 months.

If our annual premiums are £5M, we'd aim to demonstrate sufficient risk reduction to negotiate a renewal at £4.75M.

ISO 45001 Certification Coverage
The percentage of our managed property portfolio that has achieved or maintained ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems) certification.
Target · Achieve/maintain ISO 45001 certification across 90% of the managed portfolio within three years.

If we manage 100 properties, 90 of them should hold valid ISO 45001 certification by the target date, with clear plans for the remaining 10%.

Security Incident Response Time
The average time from a critical security alert (e.g., unauthorised access, major breach) to the deployment of an appropriate response.
Target · Maintain an average critical security incident response time of under 15 minutes across the portfolio.

If a door-forced-open alarm triggers at 14:00, the security team (or local response) should be on site or have initiated remote lockdown by 14:15.

Executive & Board Confidence
How much the executive team and Board trust your strategic advice and the overall HSS programme's effectiveness.
  • You're proactively consulted on major property acquisitions, new development plans, or significant operational changes. Your quarterly HSS reports to the Board are concise, insightful, and lead to productive discussions, not just questions about past failures. They'll seek your input on enterprise risk discussions beyond just HSS.
Regulatory & Insurer Relationship Strength
The quality of our relationships with key regulatory bodies and insurance partners.
  • We experience fewer unannounced regulatory inspections, and when they happen, they're collaborative, not adversarial. Our insurance brokers proactively bring us new risk management solutions, and our renewals are smoother, reflecting a strong, trusted partnership. You're seen as a credible voice in industry forums.
HSS Culture & Engagement
The extent to which HSS is genuinely embedded in our operational culture, not just seen as a separate 'department of no'.
  • Property managers and facilities teams are proactively reporting near misses and suggesting safety improvements, not just after an incident. HSS considerations are integrated into project planning from the outset, rather than being an afterthought. You'll see HSS champions emerging organically across the business.
Crisis Management Effectiveness
Our ability to effectively plan for, respond to, and recover from major HSS-related incidents (e.g., fire, flood, security breach).
  • Post-incident reviews consistently show clear command and control, effective communication, and minimal business disruption. Our Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) are regularly tested and updated, and tabletop exercises receive positive feedback from participants, showing real learning and improvement.

7Would you like it

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

What people enjoy
Protecting People and Assets

You'll feel a deep sense of purpose in knowing your work directly prevents injuries, saves lives, and safeguards our valuable properties. This shows up in your relentless pursuit of better safety standards and more robust security measures.

Reviewing a new building design and identifying a critical security vulnerability before construction, knowing your intervention saved potential future losses.

Strategic Influence & Impact

You're driven by the opportunity to shape enterprise-level strategy and see your vision for HSS embedded across the entire organisation. You'll enjoy presenting to the Board and seeing your recommendations translate into tangible business outcomes.

Successfully arguing for a multi-million pound investment in a new EHS platform, knowing it will transform how we manage risk across the portfolio.

Building a World-Class HSS Function

You'll be motivated by the challenge of developing and mentoring a high-performing team, fostering a culture of excellence, and positioning our organisation as a leader in HSS within the Real Estate sector. You enjoy seeing your team members grow and succeed.

Developing a new talent programme for HSS professionals, attracting top talent, and seeing your team's capabilities expand significantly.

What frustrates people
  • Executive resistance to strategic HSS investments, especially when they don't see an immediate ROI.
  • Navigating the blame game and political pressures during high-stakes incident investigations.
  • Bureaucratic inertia and slow decision-making when trying to implement enterprise-wide HSS programmes.
  • The constant challenge of ensuring consistent HSS compliance across a diverse and geographically dispersed property portfolio.
  • Dealing with the emotional and professional toll of managing serious incidents and their aftermath.
What this role does not give you
  • A quiet, predictable routine with minimal stakeholder interaction—this is a high-visibility, high-pressure role.
  • The luxury of focusing solely on technical HSS matters without engaging in business strategy and financial discussions.
  • A role where you can avoid difficult conversations or challenging established ways of working.
  • An environment where every single HSS recommendation is immediately adopted without debate or negotiation.

8Who you work with

This role directly shapes the company's risk profile, operational resilience, and public reputation. You'll be accountable for P&L decisions ranging from £2M-£10M+, influencing major capital expenditure for security upgrades, and presenting directly to the Board on HSS performance and strategic initiatives. Your decisions can significantly impact our insurance premiums, legal liabilities, and our ability to attract and retain tenants.

Inside the business
  • Chief Operating Officer (COO)
  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
  • Legal Counsel
  • Heads of Property Management
  • Heads of Facilities Operations
  • Board Risk & Audit Committee
Outside the business
  • Insurance Providers & Brokers
  • Regulatory Bodies (HSE, local authorities)
  • Key Vendors & Contractors
  • Industry Associations
  • Emergency Services

9What you need before you start

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

  • Extensive experience (16+ years) in a senior HSS leadership role within a large, multi-site or portfolio-managed real estate or facilities management organisation.
  • Proven track record of developing and implementing enterprise-wide HSS strategies that have demonstrably reduced risk and improved performance.
  • Significant experience managing and mentoring large teams of HSS professionals, including other managers.
  • Demonstrable experience presenting to and influencing C-suite executives and Board members on HSS matters.
  • Expert-level knowledge of ISO 45001 and other relevant HSS management systems, including experience with external audits and certification processes.
  • A strong understanding of the financial implications of HSS, including insurance, claims, and capital expenditure justification.

10What to practise next

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

Advanced Predictive Analytics for HSS

Important within 12-18 months. Moving beyond lagging indicators, you'll need to use sophisticated data models to predict where and when incidents are most likely to occur. This means integrating data from EHS platforms, BMS, maintenance, HR, and even external sources.

Machine learning fundamentals (regression, classif · Data integration and warehousing for HSS data · Statistical modelling for risk prediction · Anomaly detection in operational data · Interpretable AI for HSS insights

  • This quarter: Identify key data sources across the organisation that could inform HSS predictions.
  • Next quarter: Partner with a data science team (internal or external) to run a pilot predictive model on a specific risk area.
  • Month 6: Develop a business case for investing in a dedicated HSS predictive analytics capability.
  • Month 9: Oversee the development of a portfolio-wide predictive risk dashboard.
  • Month 12: Present early results and strategic implications to the Board.

Quick win: Start by identifying one specific, recurring incident type and gather all available data related to it. Even simple correlation analysis can yield valuable insights.

IoT & Smart Building HSS Integration

Critical within 6-12 months. Smart building technologies (IoT sensors, smart cameras, environmental monitors) are becoming ubiquitous. You'll need to understand how to integrate these devices into our HSS systems for real-time risk monitoring, automated alerts, and proactive safety interventions.

IoT device security and data privacy · Edge computing for real-time HSS analytics · Integration protocols (e.g., MQTT, BACnet) · Digital twins for facility risk modelling · Automated incident detection and response via IoT

  • This week: Research leading IoT HSS solutions in the Real Estate sector.
  • This month: Engage with our Facilities Technology team to understand current IoT deployments.
  • Month 2: Develop a proof-of-concept for an IoT-driven HSS monitoring solution in one property.
  • Month 4: Evaluate vendors for scalable IoT HSS platforms.
  • Month 6: Present a strategic roadmap for integrating IoT into our portfolio-wide HSS strategy.

Quick win: Pilot a simple IoT sensor deployment for a specific environmental hazard (e.g., air quality, water leak detection) in a high-risk area and integrate its alerts into your EHS platform.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Active membership and participation in relevant professional bodies (e.g., IOSH, ASIS International, BIFM).
  • Regular attendance at industry conferences, seminars, and executive training programmes focused on HSS, risk management, and facilities leadership.
  • Contributing to industry publications or speaking at events, positioning yourself and the organisation as thought leaders.
  • Mentoring junior HSS professionals, giving back to the community and developing future talent.

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.

ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Integration

Critical within 12 months. Investors, regulators, and tenants are increasingly demanding strong ESG performance. Health, Safety, and particularly Social aspects (like worker wellbeing and community impact) are massive components of this. Your role will be central to demonstrating our commitment.

  • ESG reporting frameworks (e.g., GRI, SASB)
  • Social impact metrics (e.g., worker safety, commun
  • Governance structures for HSS oversight
  • Investor relations and ESG ratings
  • Supply chain due diligence for HSS

Cyber-Physical Security Convergence

Critical within 6-12 months. The lines between IT security (cyber) and physical security are blurring. Our building management systems, access control, and CCTV are all networked. A cyber-attack could directly impact physical safety and security, and vice-versa. You'll need to bridge this gap.

  • IoT security vulnerabilities in building systems
  • Network segmentation for operational technology (O
  • Threat modelling for converged attacks
  • Incident response coordination between IT and HSS
  • Data privacy in integrated security systems

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Enterprise Risk Assessment & Management
  • Advanced Incident Investigation & Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
  • HSS Management System Design & Audit (ISO Standards)
  • Emergency Response & Business Continuity Planning (ERP/BCP) - Enterprise Level
  • Control of Work (CoW) Programme Management

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 HSS Manager (Level 005)

    3-5 years in role

    Skills to master

    • Mastering regional HSS strategy, managing a team of HSS professionals, owning a significant budget, and consistently reporting to senior leadership. You'd also need to demonstrate strong stakeholder influence across multiple properties.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently exceeding regional HSS performance targets (e.g., TRIR reduction, audit scores).
    • Successfully leading and delivering complex regional HSS programmes or projects.
    • Demonstrable ability to develop and mentor a high-performing HSS team.
    • Strong, trusted relationships with regional operational leaders and external regulatory bodies.
  2. 2

    Head of HSS for a Major Business Unit

    3-6 years in role

    Skills to master

    • Developing and executing HSS strategy for a large, complex business unit, managing a dedicated HSS team, and influencing business unit leadership. This often involves deep specialisation in that unit's specific risks.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Proven ability to integrate HSS seamlessly into the business unit's operational strategy.
    • Successful management of high-risk activities and complex compliance requirements specific to the business unit.
    • Strong track record of driving cultural change and HSS engagement within the unit.
    • High credibility and influence with the Business Unit Director and their leadership team.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role leads towards positions such as Chief Operating Officer or Chief Risk Officer, or independent board work advising on risk and governance.

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 Health, Safety & Security is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

The record names a next step, but the catalogue has no page for it yet:

  • VP, Global Risk & Resilience (Level 007)

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 Direct the management of design development and processes in construction management, worked against Director of Health, Safety & Security.

Direct the management of design development and processes in construction management Level 7

Applied to your work in Director of Health, Safety & Security

The objective of this unit is to enable learners to direct the management of design development and processes in construction management, including the identification, assessment, and mitigation of potential hazards and risks. Learners will be able to manage the design process, coordinate with stakeholders, and monitor the effectiveness of risk mitigation measures.

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 Health, Safety & Security
  • Enterprise Risk Assessment & Management
  • Advanced Incident Investigation & Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
  • HSS Management System Design & Audit (ISO Standards)
  • Emergency Response & Business Continuity Planning (ERP/BCP) - Enterprise Level
  • Control of Work (CoW) Programme Management
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 Health, Safety & Security is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. VP, Global Risk & Resilience (Level 007)

    3-5 years

    C-Suite / Enterprise Level

    • Strategic M&A Due Diligence (HSS & Risk) Leading the assessment of HSS and risk profiles for potential acquisitions.
    • Enterprise Business Continuity Overseeing and integrating all aspects of business continuity across the entire organisation.
    • Reputation Management Protecting the company's brand through proactive risk communication and crisis management.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, leading HSS for a massive property portfolio means you're constantly juggling strategic initiatives, executive reporting, and the inevitable crisis. AI isn't here to replace your strategic brain, but it can certainly take a huge chunk of the manual, repetitive, and data-heavy work off your plate, freeing you up to focus on what truly matters: people, strategy, and resilience.

Imagine having an intelligent co-pilot that helps you spot emerging risks, summarise complex regulatory changes, and even draft your Board reports. That's the reality of AI in HSS leadership today. It's about augmenting your capabilities, not automating your job. Here's a glimpse of how you'll use AI to make a real difference, rather than getting bogged down in the weeds.

Automated Risk Spotting & Anomaly Detection

Use AI-powered video analytics on our existing CCTV feeds to automatically flag potential slip/trip hazards, identify non-compliance with PPE in restricted zones, or detect unusual activity that might indicate a security threat. This means your team isn't manually sifting through hours of footage; they're responding to intelligent, prioritised alerts, giving you a real-time pulse on portfolio risk. You'll use these insights to inform capital investment decisions for safety equipment or security upgrades.

Predictive Incident Analysis & Strategic Foresight

AI tools will chew through years of incident reports, near-miss data, maintenance logs, and even weather patterns to uncover hidden correlations. It'll predict where and when the next incident is most likely to occur, allowing you to proactively deploy resources, adjust training, or implement targeted interventions. This moves your HSS strategy from reactive to truly predictive, giving you a massive advantage in risk management for the entire portfolio.

Regulatory Change Summariser & Impact Assessor

Instead of your team spending days sifting through dense legal documents, AI assistants will monitor global and local HSS regulatory updates. They'll provide you with concise, plain-English summaries of changes, highlight the key impacts on our operations, and even suggest which internal policies need updating. This ensures we're always ahead of the curve, reducing compliance risk across the portfolio with minimal effort.

Executive Report & Strategic Briefing Drafts

Need to draft a Board report on HSS performance or a strategic briefing for the COO on a new security threat? Provide the AI with your key data points, insights, and desired tone, and it'll generate a structured, professional first draft. This dramatically cuts down on the 'blank page' problem and allows you to focus on refining the message and strategic implications, rather than the initial writing.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director of Health, Safety & Security?

Common routes in include Regional HSS Manager (3-5 years in role) and Head of HSS for a Major Business Unit (3-6 years in role). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director of Health, Safety & Security progress to?

This role can lead on to VP, Global Risk & Resilience (3-5 years), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director of Health, Safety & Security?

Increasingly, ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Integration and Cyber-Physical Security Convergence. 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 property and facilities

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

Skills in enterprise level health, safety and security, risk management, and facilities operations apply beyond real estate. Similar senior roles exist in manufacturing, logistics, energy, and large infrastructure projects, wherever protecting people and assets and managing complex regulation matters.

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 Growth Mindset 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.