Job Introduction
About the Role
This is a senior leadership position with a focus on People, Property, Profit and Reputation. The role holder will build and lead a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team, translate complex legislation into practical, retail-ready policy, and ensure business resilience and crisis management capability is embedded and tested across every location. The position carries personal accountability as competent person and is expected to represent the function confidently in front of the Executive Committee, Operations Director and external regulators.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Team Development
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Lead, coach and develop the H&S Manager, Senior H&S Advisor, H&S Advisor and Business Resilience Coordinator, setting clear objectives, personal development plans and create a clear succession plan.
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Champion a positive, proactive safety and resilience culture, acting as a visible, credible leader to Store Directors and Senior Operations Managers.
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Great communicator, with excellent influencing and negotiating skills, whilst building professional, lasting relationships at all levels
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The ability to build relationships is key, working across various functions and stakeholders to simplify ways of working, confident to take the lead and influence where necessary
Legislative & Regulatory Responsibility
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Act as Selfridges appointed Competent Person under Regulation 7 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, providing formal H&S advice to the business.
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Lead investigation and enforcement liaison with applicable authorities
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Ensure compliance with Health and Safety, Building Safety, Martyn's Law legislation and RIDDOR reporting, and keep pace with regulatory change.
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Maintain awareness of the Sentencing Council Health & Safety Offences Definitive Guideline and Manchester Arena Inquiry recommendations, ensuring findings are reflected in policy and training.
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Ensure statutory risk assessments, audits and competent-person records are current, defensible and site-specific across all locations.
Governance & Meeting Forums
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Chair the Group Health & Safety Committee and Business Resilience Steering Group, report performance and risk to the Executive Committee.
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Represent H&S and resilience at Crisis Management Team, incident debrief and site leadership meetings, liaise closely with the Fire Manager on integrated fire and life-safety governance.
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Oversee H&S and BR risk registers. Provide timely, RAG-rated reporting and assurance updates to Executive & Director level stakeholders and the Risk Committee on compliance status, incidents and emerging risk.
Strategy Setting
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Own and evolve the multi-year H&S and Business Resilience strategy and management framework, aligned to people, property, profit and reputation framework and Selfridges risk appetite.
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Lead gap analysis, training needs analysis and capability planning for the function, with clear KPIs and an implementation roadmap.
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Horizon Scan for resilience threats, develop and test business continuity, crisis management and emergency response plans for all four stores and the Leicester office.
Qualifications Required
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NEBOSH Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety (or equivalent Level 6 NVQ) — essential.
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Chartered Membership of IOSH (CMIOSH) — essential.
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Recognised Business Continuity qualification (e.g. MBCI/CBCI or equivalent) — desirable.
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Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience — desirable.
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Demonstrable experience acting as a competent person in a multi-site retail, hospitality or comparable high-footfall environment.
Key Skills & Attributes
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Proven senior leadership experience, managing and developing specialist H&S, fire safety or resilience teams.
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Strong working knowledge of UK H&S, and building safety legislation, with the confidence to interpret and apply it practically.
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Experience chairing governance forums and presenting risk and assurance information to senior/Board-level stakeholders.
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Strategic mindset, able to set and deliver a multi-year functional strategy against clear KPIs and milestones.
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Calm, decisive crisis leadership, with hands-on experience of incident and business continuity management.
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Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, able to balance a fast-moving retail culture with compliance rigour.
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Willingness and ability to travel regularly across all Group sites, including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leicester.
