Health, Safety, Environment & Quality Manager
Role Profile
The primary purpose of the role is to lead business-focused HSEQ performance across Grain and manage Grain's team of field-based HSEQ Auditors across Great Britain. The postholder will provide practical guidance, assurance and governance to the Executive Team, operational managers, field teams and contractors.
The role is field-facing and operational. The postholder will set direction and priorities for the auditor team while remaining visible alongside auditors, field teams and delivery partners. They must help teams work safely, efficiently and to the required standard. Success will be judged by consistent assurance, improved right-first-time quality and fewer repeat incidents, defects and avoidable rework, not by audit or paperwork volume. Legal compliance, critical controls and material quality standards remain non-negotiable.
Our continued growth depends on completing work safely, efficiently and to a consistently high standard.
The HSEQ Manager will lead Grain's field assurance team and be an important operational partner, helping protect people and the environment, improve right-first-time quality and maintain strong governance without introducing unnecessary barriers to delivery.
Main Responsibilities
- Work with the Executive Team and operational leadership to maintain Grain's HSEQ strategy and management system, with clear ownership and balanced performance measures.
- Own, prepare and present the Monthly HSEQ Board Report, covering Grain and contractor accidents, near misses, utility strikes and vehicle incidents; monthly and year-to-date trends; investigations and corrective actions; audit, quality, environmental and contractor performance; material risks, recommendations and decisions or support required from the Board.
- Lead, manage, coach and develop the geographically dispersed team of field-based HSEQ Auditors across Great Britain, including objectives, performance, workload, wellbeing, competence and professional development.
- Plan and resource a risk-based national programme of site audits, inspections and completed-work assurance. Allocate coverage according to work volumes, geography, risk, incidents, contractor performance and quality trends, and ensure findings are consistent through clear standards, report review, calibration and joint field visits.
- Maintain a visible presence alongside auditors, field teams and contractors. Understand how work is planned and delivered before changing controls or processes, provide practical solutions and distinguish serious HSEQ failures from minor administrative issues that should not delay delivery. Intervene promptly where required, while avoiding unnecessary work stoppages where safety and quality risks can be effectively controlled through practical and proportionate measures.
- Set, communicate and assure clear workmanship and quality standards for fibre civils, ducts, chambers, cabinets, reinstatement, network and customer installations, maintenance, as-built records and handover information.
- Analyse accidents, incidents, near misses, environmental events, repeat defects, rework and customer-impacting failures; lead root-cause investigations, share lessons and ensure proportionate preventative and corrective actions are clearly owned and completed.
- Lead and support suitable risk assessments, method statements and safe systems of work, ensuring UK health and safety law, RIDDOR, CDM duties and practical environmental controls are understood and met.
- Set HSEQ expectations for contractors and subcontractors, support competence assessment, monitor field performance and address repeated or serious non-compliance firmly, fairly and consistently without creating unnecessary barriers to delivery.
- Identify training and competence requirements for the auditor team and wider business, and support practical inductions, toolbox talks, briefings and management training that improve behaviour, workmanship and operational decision-making.
Working hours
This is a full-time role that can be based at Grain’s Carlisle Head Office or home-based within England. Regular travel across Grain’s operational areas and periodic attendance at the Carlisle Head Office will be required. The successful candidate will manage a geographically dispersed team remotely, but must spend a meaningful proportion of their time with HSEQ Auditors and operational teams in the field. Flexibility will be required to support field activity, including occasional early starts, evenings or attendance following a significant incident.
Experience required
- NEBOSH General Certificate or an equivalent recognised health and safety qualification.
- CMIOSH, or evidence of actively working towards Chartered status, is desirable.
- Five years or more post-qualification experience in a medium- or high-risk operational environment.
- Demonstrable line-management experience leading a geographically dispersed field-based HSEQ, audit, assurance or operational team, including performance, workload, wellbeing, competence and development.
- Experience planning and managing risk-based audit programmes and maintaining consistency through report quality review, calibration, coaching and joint field visits.
- Practical field experience in telecommunications, utilities, civil engineering, construction or infrastructure, including regular site engagement.
- Strong working knowledge of UK health and safety legislation and a sound understanding of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations.
- Experience of site inspections, audits, incident and root-cause investigations, RAMS, safe systems of work, contractor assurance and corrective action management.
- Evidence of improving workmanship or operational quality, reducing defects and rework, and strengthening right-first-time delivery.
- A practical understanding of environmental management and quality assurance; experience with ISO 45001, ISO 9001 and/or ISO 14001 is desirable.
- An excellent communicator and strong influencer, credible with field teams, auditors, contractors, managers and executives, with the ability to coach and challenge constructively.
- Strong analytical and report-writing skills, with the ability to turn HSEQ data and field findings into concise Board-level trends, risks, recommendations and decisions.
- Pragmatic, commercially aware and resilient, with the judgement to prioritise significant risk, legal obligations and material quality failures without creating unnecessary delay.
- Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly throughout Great Britain.
Excellent Employee Benefits
- Competitive salary
- Company van & fuel card
- 25 days annual leave, plus paid bank holidays
- 7% employer pension contribution
- 4 times salary life insurance cover
- Employee Incentive Scheme
- Employee Referral Scheme
- Perks at Work Scheme
About Grain
Everything we do is fast, from our broadband to our growth. As a national broadband provider, headquartered in Carlisle, we can offer stand-out candidates a range of opportunities across the UK. We are challenging the other providers when it comes to true Full Fibre, delivering our own dedicated fibre-optic network with a unique cable to the home (FTTP), offering some of the fastest broadband products at low, low prices. Customers love our product, our simple packages and our transparent pricing. We believe that we are helping to bring digital transformation to the UK and offering the UK a better choice for broadband.
With millions of pounds of investment, our independent company is making waves in the industry and in communities from Aberdeen to Brighton. Now is the perfect time to join one of the fastest growing companies on an exciting journey, future-proofing broadband connectivity for homes and businesses for years to come. Apply today and join the Grain revolution!
Employment with Grain Connect Ltd is subject to satisfactory references and other verification checks (including basic DBS check where applicable) that may be a requirement of your role. Reference and/or other verification requirements applicable to your post will be advised to you during the recruitment process.
Dedicated to fostering inclusivity and diversity, our company takes pride in our commitment to equal opportunities.
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Life insurance
- Referral programme
Work Location: On the road
