Praxis Real Estate Management

Acquires and optimizes UK commercial properties

Head of Health and Safety

Environmental Health & SafetyUpdated on Nov 13

Full-timeNo salary listed

About the Job

Requirements

Proven experience of 10 or more years in senior QSHE roles within engineering, property, facilities management, or complex operational environments.
NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent is essential.
Experience leading behavioural safety initiatives.
Certified lead auditor for ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001.
Proven success securing and managing accreditations and compliance schemes.
Strong familiarity with UK health and safety legislation, risk frameworks, and auditing standards.
Demonstrable experience managing fire safety and statutory compliance within complex commercial buildings.
Confident communication, report-writing, and presentation abilities.
Skilled in internal and external stakeholder management, negotiation, and performance reviews.
Ability to deliver change quickly and effectively.
Self-driven and comfortable in a fast-growth, entrepreneurial setting.
Ability to prepare and present concise business cases.
Values-led leadership style aligned with the company's stated ethos.

Responsibilities

Set the strategic direction and development priorities for Health & Safety in alignment with business objectives.
Act as the senior Health & Safety lead, providing technical expertise, guidance, and direction across the business.
Contribute recommendations and insight on significant Health & Safety matters in senior leadership discussions.
Develop a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement across the business.
Identify opportunities to improve processes, develop internal capability, and enhance operational performance.
Develop the Health & Safety function and its resources in line with the evolving needs of the business.
Develop, implement, and maintain Health & Safety policies, procedures, and operational standards to ensure compliance with legislation and industry best practice.
Establish a governance framework with clear responsibilities, accountability, and escalation arrangements.
Provide assurance to senior management that systems and controls manage statutory and regulatory obligations across the portfolio.
Maintain oversight of statutory compliance areas including fire safety, asbestos, legionella, electrical safety, gas safety, lifting equipment, and other building compliance requirements.
Provide strategic oversight of fire safety management, including Fire Risk Assessments, fire strategies, fire compartmentation, fire doors, and associated remedial actions.
Manage implementation, maintenance, and ongoing accreditation processes for management systems, including ISO 45001.
Oversee internal audits, inspections, and compliance monitoring, ensuring issues are addressed and corrective actions implemented.
Ensure significant risks, incidents, and instances of non-compliance are escalated appropriately.
Benchmark standards against industry best practice and identify improvement opportunities.
Support site operations, projects, and maintenance teams with expert Health & Safety guidance.
Conduct inspections and audits to identify risks, drive improvements, and share best practice.
Manage incident response processes and lead investigations, including root cause analysis.
Define, track, and report Health & Safety KPIs.
Use data analytics to identify trends and proactively reduce incidents and non-conformities.
Act as the principal point of contact for relevant regulatory bodies.
Provide expert Health & Safety advice during property development, refurbishment, and major event planning.
Conduct regular briefings to senior leadership and stakeholders on Health & Safety risks and strategy.
Partner with business development teams to support high-value pitches with credibility, clarity, and insight.

Desired Qualifications

Chartered membership of IOSH (CMIOSH) is preferred.

The Opportunity:

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a newly created, senior leadership role and shape the future of Health & Safety across Praxis Facilities Management (PFM).

With responsibility spanning a diverse national portfolio of major shopping centres, business parks, commercial offices and public realm environments, you will set the strategic direction, establish consistent standards and drive operational excellence across the business.

This is a national role with responsibility for sites across the UK, from Plymouth to Glasgow. Regular travel will be a fundamental part of the position.

You can be based from either our London, Manchester or Birmingham office, which will act as your main office base.

Main Purpose:

To lead the strategic direction and operational oversight of the Health & Safety function across Praxis Facilities Management.

The role is responsible for establishing and maintaining the standards, systems, policies and governance arrangements necessary to ensure PFM operates safely and complies with its statutory and regulatory obligations across its national property portfolio.

Working closely with the senior PFM leadership team, the Head of Health & Safety will provide technical expertise, operational assurance and strategic direction, ensuring risks are effectively managed and a culture of ownership, accountability and continuous improvement is embedded throughout the business.

Overview of duties:

The Head of Health & Safety is responsible for translating the strategic priorities of the business into effective policies, procedures and operational standards across a diverse property portfolio, including major shopping centres, business parks, commercial offices and public realm spaces.

Acting as the senior Health & Safety lead, the role will provide technical leadership, oversight and assurance across the business, ensuring clear accountability at operational level and that appropriate systems are in place to manage risk, maintain compliance and drive continuous improvement.

The role will also identify opportunities to develop PFM's internal capability, improve operational standards and support the wider commercial objectives of the business.

Key responsibilities:

Leadership & Strategy

Set the strategic direction and development priorities for Health & Safety, aligned with PFM's wider business objectives. Act as the senior Health & Safety lead, providing technical expertise, guidance and direction across the business. Contribute to senior leadership discussions, providing recommendations and insight on significant Health & Safety matters. Develop a culture of ownership, accountability and continuous improvement across PFM. Identify opportunities to improve processes, develop internal capability and enhance operational performance.

Develop the Health & Safety function and its resources in line with the evolving needs of the business.

Compliance & Accreditation

Develop, implement and maintain Health & Safety policies, procedures and operational standards, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and industry best practice.
Establish an effective governance framework, providing clear responsibilities, accountability and escalation arrangements throughout PFM.
Provide assurance to senior management that appropriate systems and controls are in place to manage statutory and regulatory obligations across the portfolio.
Maintain oversight of key statutory compliance areas, including fire safety, asbestos, legionella, electrical safety, gas safety, lifting equipment and other relevant building compliance requirements.
Provide strategic oversight of fire safety management, including Fire Risk Assessments, fire strategies, fire compartmentation, fire doors and associated remedial actions.
Manage the implementation, maintenance and ongoing accreditation processes for relevant management systems, including ISO 45001.
Oversee internal audits, inspections and compliance monitoring, ensuring identified issues are addressed and appropriate corrective actions implemented.
Ensure significant risks, incidents and instances of non-compliance are appropriately escalated.
Benchmark PFM's standards against industry best practice and identify opportunities for improvement.

Operational Excellence

Support site operations, projects, and maintenance teams with expert H&S guidance.
Conduct inspections and audits to identify risks, drive improvements, and share best practice.
Manage incident response processes and lead investigations, including root cause analysis.

Performance Monitoring

Define, track, and report on H&S KPIs.
Use data analytics to identify trends and proactively reduce incidents and non-conformities'

Stakeholder Engagement

Act as the principal point of contact for relevant regulatory bodies
Provide expert H&S advice during property development, refurbishment, and major event planning
Conduct regular briefings to senior leadership and stakeholders on H&S risks, and strategy
Partner with business development teams to support high-value pitches with credibility, clarity, and insight

Required skills and experience:

Proven experience (10+ years) in senior QSHE roles within engineering, property, FM or complex operational environments
NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent (essential)
Chartered membership of IOSH (CMIOSH preferred)
Experience in leading behavioural safety initiatives
Certified lead auditor for ISO 9001 / 14001 / 45001
Proven success in securing and managing accreditations and compliance schemes
Strong familiarity with UK H&S legislation, risk frameworks, and auditing standards
Demonstrable experience of managing fire safety and statutory compliance within complex commercial buildings.

Person Specification

Confident communicator with excellent report-writing and presentation abilities
Skilled in stakeholder management (internal and external), negotiation and performance reviews
A demonstrable ability to get things done and deliver change quickly and effectively
Highly self-driven and comfortable in a fast-growth, entrepreneurial setting
An ability to prepare and present concise business cases
Values-led leadership style that aligns with Praxis’s ethos: professional, proactive and unafraid to challenge convention

Benefits:

Highly competitive salary DOE
Discretionary bonus scheme
25 days holiday plus bank holidays
Private Medical Insurance (medical history disregarded)
Healthcare Cash Plan
Company pension contribution
3X Life assurance
Cycle to work scheme
Employee Assistance Programme
Business travel (fuel allowance or trains), subsistence and accommodation expenses covered in line with company policy

Professionalism | We consistently seek to exceed expectations. Our people can express themselves fully while upholding the highest standards of conduct, competence, and integrity.

Ownership | Every asset, challenge, and opportunity is treated as our own. We deliver all real estate services in-house — never outsourcing responsibility, accountability, or blame.

Entrepreneurialism | We challenge convention and champion imaginative solutions. Rigorous debate is encouraged, and everyone is empowered to make decisions that elevate performance.

Meritocracy | Results, hard work, and strong ideas matter more than age, tenure, or titles. We are a diverse team that collaborates openly so each person can reach their full potential.

Action This Day | We do not defer or delay. Anything that can be done today, is done today.

About the Company

Praxis Real Estate Management

Acquires and optimizes UK commercial properties

Praxis Real Estate Management buys commercial properties in the UK, especially assets that are underperforming or not performing well, and improves them. It uses a flexible, opportunistic approach to pick projects and handles everything in-house, including asset management, finance, marketing, and development work. The company earns money by acquiring properties and then boosting their value through active management and optimization in the short to medium term, serving a range of clients from small lots to large portfolios. Its main goal is to raise asset performance quickly through capital investment and intensive management, differentiating itself by hands-on, end-to-end in-house capabilities and a flexible investment strategy rather than following a fixed plan.

Company size: Not listed
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Founded: 2008

Recently Posted Jobs

Explore more opportunities at Praxis Real Estate Management

See more jobs