Senior Health and Safety Advisor

Who sets the standards, to ensure that anything that can be measured is done so with consistency and reliability? We do. Through our vital research, the National Physical Laboratory is helping support scientific and commercial innovations, international trade, environmental protection and health and wellbeing.  Given the nature of our work, we take the health and safety of our people very seriously at NPL. As a Senior Health and Safety Advisor, you’ll set the standards as to what that means. At NPL, we touch ordinary lives in extraordinary ways, and you could too.

Our workplace is incredibly varied – from controlled laboratory environments to a restaurant and everything in-between.  Each area has very specific health, safety, environmental and security standards to which we must comply to protect the health and safety of our people. You’ll manage, develop, and communicate these standards, carrying out training where needed.

Supporting the Health and Safety Leader, you’ll help deliver departmental and organisational objectives and compliance plans. You’ll be hands-on in performing audits and incident investigations as well as providing dedicated support to the departments assigned to you. We’ll expect you to keep up to date with latest Health and Safety developments, championing best-practice across our organisation. You’ll also help drive and motivate the team, whilst actively encouraging professional development. You’ll be a part of the Teddington Site Emergency Response Team, responding to urgent queries as they arise.

The role requires the successful candidate to be able to obtain an elevated security clearance upon joining the organisation.

A health and safety professional with substantial experience, backed by UK health and safety qualifications and professional membership. Ideally, you’ll have experience in other R&D environments and / or have a background in Chemistry. You need to be a good presenter and possess good communication and influencing skills, able to engage and collaborate with various organisational functions.

Beyond that, we’re looking for someone who’ll thrive in an environment like ours. At NPL we learn from each other, respect each other and work together to do better. For ourselves and for our customers. And whilst we’re always looking to stretch beyond what we know; we don’t make things more complicated when there’s no need. Together, we’re helping make the impossible, possible.

• Support the Health and Safety Leader and Head of Department in managing the daily deliverables and workflow to ensure timely delivery of all stakeholder requirements.
• Mentor a pool of highly motivated Health and Safety Advisors and in conjunction with the Health and Safety Leader ensure that there is a plan for continuous personal development.
• Support the development of the overall health and safety audit plans and scheduling for NPL.
• Ensure incident investigations and lessons learned are completed in a timely manner.
• Plan and continually review the health and safety training components of the corporate training matrix.
• Write and maintain health and safety documents, ensuring they  are up to date with new legislation and practices.
• Develop knowledge, skills and experience associated with area of specialism and stay up to date with developments and legislation.
• Be a key part of the Teddington site Emergency Response Team.
• Responsible for taking reasonable duty of care for Health & Safety of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work and always follow direct instructions given with regards to Health & Safety. 

We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance. 

Please note: Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert therefore we may at any time bring the closing date forward. We encourage all interested applicants to apply as soon as practical.