Head of Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE)

Overview

As head of HSSE, you will set the strategic direction for Health, Safety, Security, and Environmental performance across OnPath Energy Limited. Operating as a sole practitioner, you will lead this function independently, with support from other business areas. Appointed as the company’s competent person under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, you will provide authoritative guidance to the board, senior leaders and employees.

In this role, you’ll foster a culture of accountability and care, drive proactive risk management, and lead continuous improvement to deliver safe, sustainable, and excellent performance at every level. You will ensure HSSE is more than just compliant – positioning it as a driver of innovation, resilience, and competitive advantage, enabling the safe, secure, and responsible growth of our renewable energy portfolio.

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Key responsibilities & deliverables

Strategic leadership & governance

• Act as the company’s competent source of health & safety advice, ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation, regulations, and best practise standards.
• Develop and execute a forward-looking HSSE strategy aligned with OnPath’s business objectives and ESG commitments.
• Lead all aspects of HSSE with full ownership of the management system, policies, and performance, ensuring alignment with shareholder expectations and regulatory framework.
• Monitor, review, and report on H&S performance to the Board, including key performance indicators (KPIs), trends, and improvement plans.

Operational risk & compliance

• Oversee the implementation and continuous improvement of a best-in-class HSSE Management System, including legal registers, certifications, audits, and management reviews.
• Lead business-wide risk assessments and mitigation strategies, ensuring robust controls across all operational development activities, with particular focus on contractor-led delivery environments.
• Drive incident investigation, root cause analysis, and corrective actions with a focus on learning and prevention.
• Ensure the organisation is prepared for, and compliant with, statutory inspections, audits, and enforcement agency requirements.
• Ensure robust contractor H&S management especially around our construction activities, including onboarding, inductions, competency checks, and ongoing performance monitoring recognising that most of the operational work is delivered via third-party partners.

Stakeholder engagement & influence

• Act as the primary HSSE interface with regulators, industry bodies (e.g. SafetyOn), and external auditors.
• Represent OnPath in national and industry forums, contributing to policy development and sharing best practices.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders to embed HSSE into business planning, project delivery, and contractor management, ensuring third-party partners meet the same safety standards and cultural expectations as direct employees.
• Chair the HSSE Steering Committee and provide senior leadership with regular insight on performance, risks, and strategic initiatives.
• Engage externally to influence HSSE best practice, ensuring the companies represented in regulatory and industry discussions.
• Ensure all operational activities are planned and delivered in full consideration of public safety, community impact, and access requirements upholding OnPath’s duty of care beyond site boundaries.

Culture, capability & emergency preparedness

• Champion a proactive culture of safety, wellbeing, and accountability, providing expert guidance to directors, managers, and employees, and influencing all levels of the organisation to embed HSSE into business decision-making.
• Lead HSSE training, development, and engagement programmes, ensuring capability and awareness are continuously enhanced.
• Mentor and develop HSSE awareness and capability across operational teams to build resilience and high-performance.
• Support contractors in adopting OnPath Energy’s safety culture through clear expectations, training, and collaborative engagement ensuring alignment with company values and risk standards.
• Lead the company’s response to emergencies and ensure business continuity plans integrate health and safety considerations.

Environmental & sustainability leadership

• Collaborate with the ESG team to integrate HSSE into broader sustainability reporting and performance metrics.

Project & technology enablement

• Provide strategic HSSE input into the design, development, and integration of new technologies and assets.
• Ensure HSSE considerations are embedded from concept through to commissioning and operations.

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Key competencies

• Expert technical knowledge with the ability to translate legislation into practical business solutions.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and presentation skills across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to balance compliance, operational delivery, and commercial priorities.
• Resilient, proactive, and solutions-focused able to lead through complexity and drive change.
• Committed to continuous improvement and embedding a strong values-led safety culture.
• Proven leadership in shaping HSSE strategy, mentoring teams, and fostering cross-functional collaboration.

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Qualifications & experience

• Chartered Membership (CMIOSH) or Fellowship (FIOSH) of IOSH (or equivalent) or working towards.
• Proven track record in senior health & safety leadership role.
• In-depth knowledge of UK H&S legislation and H&S Management Systems.
• Strong experience acting as an organisation’s competent person under H&S law with specific expertise in the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM).
• Experience of influencing at board level and engaging stakeholders across a diverse workforce.
• Demonstrable ability to design, implement, and embed H&S strategy in complex organisations.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and people management skills.

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Working environment

The role requires regular travel between OnPath’s offices in Houghton-le-Spring and Hamilton, as well as project sites across the UK and will be responsible for overseeing HSSE across a 24/7/365 power generation and development operation.

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Person specification

Category	Criteria	Essential/desirable
Qualifications	Chartered Member (CMIOSH) of IOSH or working towards Fellowship (FIOSH), or equivalent	Desirable
	Recognised Training in CDM regulations and risk management	Desirable
	Postgraduate qualification in H&S, Environmental Management, or related field	Desirable
Experience	Senior health and safety leadership roles	Essential
	Acting as competent person under UK H&S law	Essential
	Specific expertise in CDM 2015	Essential
	Designing and embedding H&S strategy in complex organisations	Essential
	Board-level engagement and stakeholder influence	Essential
	Sector experience in renewables, infrastructure, or contract-led environments	Desirable
	Representation in national or industry forums	Desirable
Technical knowledge	In-depth understanding of UK H&S legislation and regulatory frameworks	Essential
	HSSE Management Systems, audits, legal registers, statutory compliance	Essential
	Translating legislation into practical, business-aligned solutions	Essential
	Familiarity with ESG frameworks and sustainability reporting	Desirable
	Awareness of emerging technologies and their HSSE implications	Desirable
Leadership & behavioural	Strategic thinker – balances compliance, delivery, and commercial priorities	Essential
	Resilient, proactive, and solutions-focused	Essential
	Coaching and mentoring capability across operational and contractor teams	Essential
	Excellent communication and influencing skills across all levels	Essential
	Values-led leadership, grounded in care, accountability, and continuous improvement	Essential
	Comfortable operating independently with high autonomy	Essential
	Embedding HSSE into organisational culture and decision-making	Essential
	Leading emergency response and business continuity planning	Desirable

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