Head of Health and Safety

Location:

Dorset/Wilthire, United Kingdom

Job Type:
Permanent, Full-time

Job title: Head of Health & Safety

Grade: Man B

Salary: £57,722 - £62,664 per annum (rising by annual increments to £62,664) More information on salaries and progression can be found on our pay and policies page.

Allowances: Corporate Car Scheme (if car is eligible)

Hours: Full Time - 37 hours per week

Location: There will be a requirement to attend Service Headquarters at Five Rivers Salisbury for key activities and meetings. When you are not working from your centre of duty location there will be the flexibility to work from home / DWFRS Stations / Support Offices, and we will welcome a conversation with the successful candidate on what type of flexible working arrangement will work best for you.

Appointment Type:Permanent

Contact: For a chat about this post, please contact Dave Waters, ACFO Prevention, Protection & Compliance on  /

Closing and Interview date: The closing date for applications is Sunday 8 November
2026 (midnight). We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. It is intended that interviews will take place on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 November 2026
. Should you be shortlisted for interview, further details regarding the interview format / location will be provided before the interview date.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, an organisation that is passionate about changing and saving lives. Our corporate staff are absolutely vital in helping to make our communities safer and healthier. Without them, we couldn’t do it.

We offer a wide range of employee benefits and strive to ensure that staff are valued and rewarded. For example, we offer a flexi time scheme, Local Government Pension Scheme, a generous annual leave allowance, a variety of family friendly schemes including 39 weeks’ full pay during maternity leave (subject to qualifying criteria) and health & well-being services.

As
Head of Health & Safety in our Health & Safety department you will:

• Strategic Leadership Team reporting:
  Advises senior leadership and the Fire Authorities on safety performance, risk exposure, and required investments to ensure organisational compliance to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
• Provide strategic direction and health and safety expertise to support Service projects, programs and organisational change, working collaboratively with project leads and relevant stakeholders to ensure health and safety risks and requirements are considered throughout their development and implementation
• Act as the senior point of contact for the HSE in relation to the Service's health and safety arrangements, working with the Service's competent H&S Adviser(s) to ensure appropriate technical advice, statutory notifications and responses are provided.

What makes you our ideal Head of Health & Safety?

• Hold a recognised health and safety qualification, or commit to achieving the NEBOSH National General Certificate (or equivalent) within 12 months of appointment, and, where a relevant Level 6 health and safety qualification is not already held, the NEBOSH Level 6 National Diploma (or equivalent) within 36 months of appointment
• Understanding of applying health and safety and risk management principles across operational and corporate environments, including organisational learning from incidents, investigations, exercises and audits.
• Experience of developing, reviewing and improving policies, procedures, frameworks, systems or management arrangements within a complex organisation.

For full details of the role and requirements please have a look at the job description and person specification.

Other…