Risk and Safety Manager Job Description
Hire a Risk and Safety Manager to lead risk reduction, ensure legal compliance and build a positive safety culture across your operations. This template helps you describe the role, responsibilities and the candidate you need.
What does a Risk and Safety Manager professional do?
A Risk and Safety Manager oversees organisational health and safety strategy, manages risk assessments and incident investigations, and ensures compliance with UK regulations while influencing safe behaviours across teams and sites.
Risk and Safety Manager job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Risk and Safety Manager
About the role
We are looking for a Risk and Safety Manager to develop and deliver our risk management and health & safety programme. You will lead risk assessments, incident investigations and safety assurance, advise senior leaders on risk reduction, and work with site teams and contractors to maintain compliance and continuous improvement. This vacancy is based in [Location] and reports to [Reporting Line].
Key responsibilities
- Develop, review and implement the organisation’s risk management and health & safety policies, procedures and toolkits.
- Plan and carry out site-based and corporate risk assessments, producing clear mitigation actions and tracking completion.
- Lead incident and near-miss investigations, determine root causes and oversee corrective action plans.
- Design and deliver safety training, inductions and toolbox talks for staff, contractors and supervisors.
- Monitor safety performance using KPIs, audits and inspections; prepare regular management reports and recommendations.
- Provide competent advice on UK HSE regulations and work with regulators or external auditors where required.
- Manage contractor safety assurance and pre-qualification processes.
- Chair or support safety committee meetings and coordinate cross-functional safety initiatives.
Essential skills and experience
- Relevant health & safety qualification and/or demonstrable experience in H&S leadership (e.g. NEBOSH diploma or equivalent experience).
- Proven experience of managing risk and safety activities at organisational or multi-site level (typically 3–5+ years).
- Working knowledge of UK health and safety legislation and good practice (e.g. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations).
- Experience carrying out structured risk assessments, audits and incident investigations.
- Ability to influence senior stakeholders and operational teams; strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Competent use of MS Office and ability to present data and reports clearly.
Desirable
- Sector experience in construction, manufacturing, logistics or utilities.
- Formal auditing qualification or experience delivering ISO 45001 audits.
- Membership of a professional body (for example IOSH or equivalent).
- Experience with safety management software or digital permit systems.
- Occupational hygiene, environmental or fire safety knowledge.
- Experience managing a small team and overseeing contractor compliance.
What we offer
- [Pension scheme with employer contribution]
- [Annual leave allowance plus bank holidays]
- [Flexible and hybrid working options where applicable]
- [Training and professional development budget]
- [Private medical insurance or cash plan (placeholder)]
- [Employee assistance programme (EAP) and wellbeing support]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Risk and Safety Manager role?
A Risk and Safety Manager establishes and maintains an organisation’s approach to health, safety and risk management. They translate legislation and standards into practical systems, lead risk assessment and investigation activity, support operational teams to reduce hazards and non-compliances, and report safety performance to senior management to drive continuous improvement and accountability.
Risk control
Designs and implements controls to reduce risk exposure across people, sites and processes.
Assurance & reporting
Monitors safety performance and provides evidence-based recommendations to leaders.
People & influence
Works with operational teams and contractors to embed safe behaviours and compliance.
Typical Risk and Safety Manager responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Develop
Develop, review and implement the organisation’s risk management and health & safety policies, procedures and toolkits.
Plan and carry out site-based
Plan and carry out site-based and corporate risk assessments, producing clear mitigation actions and tracking completion.
Lead incident
Lead incident and near-miss investigations, determine root causes and oversee corrective action plans.
Design
Design and deliver safety training, inductions and toolbox talks for staff, contractors and supervisors.
Monitor safety performance using KPIs
Monitor safety performance using KPIs, audits and inspections; prepare regular management reports and recommendations.
Provide competent advice on UK HSE regulations
Provide competent advice on UK HSE regulations and work with regulators or external auditors where required.
Manage contractor safety assurance
Manage contractor safety assurance and pre-qualification processes.
Chair or support safety committee meetings
Chair or support safety committee meetings and coordinate cross-functional safety initiatives.
Risk and Safety Manager skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Relevant health & safety qualification and/or demonstrable experience in H&S leadership (e.g. NEBOSH diploma or equivalent experience).
- Proven experience of managing risk and safety activities at organisational or multi-site level (typically 3–5+ years).
- Working knowledge of UK health and safety legislation and good practice (e.g. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations).
- Experience carrying out structured risk assessments, audits and incident investigations.
- Ability to influence senior stakeholders and operational teams; strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Competent use of MS Office and ability to present data and reports clearly.
Useful where relevant
- Sector experience in construction, manufacturing, logistics or utilities.
- Formal auditing qualification or experience delivering ISO 45001 audits.
- Membership of a professional body (for example IOSH or equivalent).
- Experience with safety management software or digital permit systems.
- Occupational hygiene, environmental or fire safety knowledge.
- Experience managing a small team and overseeing contractor compliance.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Risk and Safety Manager job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about scope
State which sites, teams or contract relationships the role will cover and the expected travel or field time.
Clarify authority
Explain the role’s reporting line, budget or purchase authority and whether it chairs safety committees.
Describe measurable outcomes
Include the KPIs or targets the successful candidate will be accountable for, such as audit scores, incident rates or training completion.
List essential versus desirable
Keep professional qualifications and regulatory knowledge as essential where necessary, and make sector experience desirable where appropriate.
Avoid vague jargon
Use plain language to describe daily tasks (risk assessments, investigations, audits) rather than high-level terms.
Risk and Safety Manager salary considerations
Salary for a Risk and Safety Manager varies widely by sector, location and the role’s breadth of responsibility. Rather than a single market figure, consider the factors below when setting the pay band for this vacancy.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Risk and Safety Manager candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What is the scope of sites and operations covered?
Candidates will want to know the number of sites, geographic spread and whether travel or overnight stays are required.
Who does this role report to and what is the team structure?
Applicants need clarity on the reporting line, direct reports and relationship with operational managers.
Is there an on-call or shift requirement?
Provide details on out-of-hours duties, incident response expectations and paid on-call arrangements if applicable.
What level of authority does the role have to enforce changes?
Candidates will ask whether they can implement corrective actions, stop works or influence capital spend for safety measures.
Which qualifications or licences do you expect?
State whether you require a specific qualification (for example NEBOSH) or accept equivalent experience and professional membership.
What health & safety systems and software are in use?
Detail any safety management systems, permitting platforms or reporting tools the candidate will be expected to use.
Where to post a Risk and Safety Manager job
Target a mix of channels: post on broad UK job boards to reach general safety candidates, and use sector-specific boards and trade forums for construction, manufacturing or utilities vacancies. Promote the vacancy through professional networks and IOSH-linked groups, and consider local recruitment channels if the role is site-based to attract candidates willing to travel or relocate.
Risk and Safety Manager job description FAQs
Is a NEBOSH qualification mandatory for a Risk and Safety Manager?
NEBOSH or an equivalent professional qualification is commonly requested and demonstrates technical competence, but employers can also accept substantial prior experience and other recognised qualifications. Be clear in the advert whether a specific certificate is essential or desirable.
How much experience should I ask for?
Specify experience according to the role’s complexity — 3–5 years is typical for a managerial role with multi-site responsibilities, more where senior leadership, strategy or large contractor management is required.
Should the role be site-based or office-based?
That depends on coverage and risk profile. Site-heavy operations benefit from a field-based manager, while corporate roles can be office-based with regular site visits. State the expected travel and time on site in the advert.
What are reasonable KPIs for this role?
Common KPIs include incident frequency and severity rates, audit and inspection results, completion of corrective actions, training completion rates and contractor compliance metrics.
How do I verify a candidate’s competence?
Review qualifications and CPD records, check examples of delivered safety programmes or incident investigations, assess practical knowledge in interviews and request references that confirm responsibility for past safety outcomes.
Do Risk and Safety Managers need security checks (DBS)?
Most safety roles do not require a DBS unless the role involves regular work with vulnerable groups or regulated environments where criminal-record checks are standard. Check the specific requirements for your sector.
Ready to recruit a Risk and Safety Manager?
Use this template to create a tailored vacancy for your organisation. Add role-specific scope, reporting lines and measurable outcomes, then publish on sector and general job channels to reach qualified candidates.
