25 Health Jobs in Darlington

Lead health and safety strategy across a national care portfolio.

Join a forward-looking care organisation where you'll shape the health and safety agenda across a large, multi-site environment. Working alongside senior leaders, you'll strengthen governance, embed a positive safety culture and ensure colleagues, residents and visitors are protected through robust, proportionate and practical health and safety leadership.

This role requires regular travel across the organisation's care home portfolio, with attendance at regional locations and the Central Support Office as required.

About the role

As Head of Health & Safety, you'll provide strategic leadership for health and safety across the organisation, ensuring compliance with legislation and best practice across England, Scotland and Wales.

Leading a team of Health & Safety Advisors, you'll develop and oversee the organisation's health and safety strategy, governance framework, policies and assurance programme. Your remit will span operational health and safety, fire safety, contractor and construction safety, estates risk, incident investigation, regulatory compliance and workplace wellbeing.

Working closely with operational, estates and executive teams, you'll provide expert advice on major projects, lead risk-based audit and inspection programmes, oversee incident investigations and RIDDOR reporting, and ensure learning is embedded to drive continuous improvement. You'll also represent the organisation with regulators and provide Board-level reporting on performance, emerging risks and assurance.

About you

You're an experienced health and safety leader with a strong background in managing risk across complex, multi-site organisations. You combine technical expertise with a pragmatic, collaborative approach, enabling operational teams to achieve compliance while supporting safe, effective care environments.

Comfortable operating at Executive level, you're equally confident developing strategy, leading specialist teams and influencing stakeholders to deliver sustainable improvements across the organisation.

What you'll bring

Essential

• NEBOSH Diploma (or equivalent Level 6 qualification) and Chartered IOSH (CMIOSH) status.
• Significant senior health and safety leadership experience within a complex, multi-site and regulated environment.
• Extensive knowledge of UK health and safety legislation, including RIDDOR, COSHH, CDM Regulations, fire safety, asbestos management and risk assessment frameworks.
• Proven experience developing health and safety strategy, governance frameworks, audit programmes and safe systems of work.
• Strong experience of incident investigation, regulatory engagement, contractor management and leading high-performing teams.
• Excellent leadership, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to balance compliance requirements with operational realities.

Desirable

• Audit, assurance or risk management qualification.
• Leadership or management qualification.
• Experience supporting capital projects, acquisitions or estates programmes.
• Experience working with enforcement agencies and developing operational health and safety training.

Additional information

An Enhanced DBS check and DVLA licence check are required in line with company policy.