SHEQ Director

We are looking for a SHEQ Director to lead Safety, Health, Environment & Quality across the organisation.

This is a high-impact, transformation role, reporting into the senior leadership team, with regular exposure to executive leadership and shareholders.

The successful candidate will take ownership of SHEQ, ensuring the business becomes a credible, safety-first, high-performing infrastructure operator.

Client Details

Our client is a growing energy infrastructure and services platform, focused on delivering and operating low-carbon heating and cooling solutions across residential and commercial developments.

Operating a portfolio of energy centres and district energy networks, the business plays a key role in supporting urban decarbonisation and the energy transition. Backed by long-term institutional investors, the company is entering a critical phase focused on performance improvement, operational excellence, and sustainable growth.

Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Define and deliver a modern SHEQ strategy aligned with business goals and operational risk
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on safety, compliance, and risk
• Drive a company-wide shift to proactive safety behaviours and ownership
• Oversee safety across:
  • Operational energy and engineering assets
  • Infrastructure and distribution systems
  • Construction, commissioning, and maintenance activities
• Ensure robust systems for:
  • Permit-to-work
  • Isolation and authorisation
  • Contractor management
• Lead high-quality incident investigations focused on root cause and learning
• Embed a "safety-first" culture across all levels of the organisation
• Improve reporting and data integrity, ensuring accurate and transparent insights
• Drive accountability for SHEQ beyond the central function into operational teams
• Own SHEQ reporting for executive leadership and investors
• Develop meaningful performance indicators and dashboards
• Engage with regulators, external stakeholders, and industry bodies
• Lead and develop an established SHEQ and compliance team
• Strengthen capability, standards, and ways of working
• Build credibility across a team with established legacy practices
• The role sits within a high-risk, engineering-led operational environment, involving:
  • Energy generation and plant operations
  • Mechanical and electrical systems
  • Pressurised and gas-based infrastructure
  • Confined spaces and chemical management
  • Extensive contractor interfaces across multiple live sites.

Profile

• NEBOSH Diploma (or equivalent) essential, with strong knowledge of engineering-led high-risk environments
• Qualification in Environmental Management (e.g. IEMA) desirable
• Strong understanding of:
  • District heating / cooling operations
  • Energy centres and plant environments
  • Process safety and engineering compliance
• Deep knowledge of UK safety, environmental, and quality legislation
• Experience leadingSHEQ within:
  • Utilities
  • Energy infrastructure
  • Industrial engineering environments
  • Or construction (with strong operational exposure)
• Strategic thinker with the ability to operate at executive and investor level
• Demonstrated success in driving cultural and behavioural change
• Ability to influence and build credibility across both:
  • Senior leadership teams
  • Operational and frontline teams

Job Offer

Lead SHEQ transformation in a growing, infrastructure-led business.

High visibility with senior leadership and investors.

Opportunity to build a credible, modern safety culture from the ground up.

Operate in a sector critical to the future of energy and sustainability.