HSE Manager O&M

Job Description

Is this your chance to join the team operating one of Scotland's largest offshore wind farms?

Inch Cape is a 1080MW offshore wind farm situated 15km from the Angus coast in the North Sea. The power it generates will be transmitted 85 kilometres to a new substation at Cockenzie, in East Lothian from where it will enter the national transmission system. Inch Cape is a more than ??3 billion infrastructure project that will make a significant contribution to the UK's carbon emissions reduction targets. Once complete its 72 turbines will generate enough electricity to power almost half the homes in Scotland.

The HSE Manager (O&M) is responsible for the leadership, governance, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Health, Safety & Environmental management framework for the offshore windfarm during the Operations & Maintenance phase.

The role ensures that all onshore and offshore operational activities are conducted in a manner that:

• Protects personnel, contractors, visitors, and the environment
• Complies with applicable UK legislation, licence obligations, and industry standards
• Supports safe operational delivery and asset integrity
• Promotes a proactive, learning-based safety culture across the asset lifecycle

The HSE Manager is a key operational leader responsible for integrating HSE into day-to-day offshore execution, contractor management, emergency response, and long-term operational strategy. The role will include:

• Leadership of HSE systems and operational assurance
• Contractor and marine safety oversight
• Audit and investigation leadership
• Emergency preparedness
• Behavioural safety and cultural improvement
• Operational risk management
• Interface with regulators, insurers, and senior stakeholders

The postholder therefore acts as both a strategic assurance leader and a visible operational safety leader within the O&M organisation.

The role sits within the operational asset organisation and has accountability for ensuring that the windfarm's HSE arrangements remain effective, proportionate, auditable, and aligned with current UK offshore wind practice.

The role must support a complex offshore operating environment involving:

• Offshore wind turbine operations
• Marine logistics and vessel transfer
• High voltage systems
• Working at height and rescue
• Lifting operations
• Confined spaces
• Hazardous energy control
• Contractor and OEM management
• Offshore emergency preparedness
• Environmental and marine consent obligations

Location: Montrose, (3 days a week in the office, 2 days WFH)

Responsibilities

HSE Leadership and Safety Culture

• Lead the development and implementation of the windfarm's Health, Safety & Environmental strategy during the operational phase
• Promote a proactive and learning-focused safety culture across all onshore and offshore activities
• Act as the visible HSE leader for the operational asset, engaging regularly with offshore teams, contractors, vessel operators, OEMs, and management
• Champion behavioural safety, workforce engagement, near-miss reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Ensure safety expectations are embedded into planning, execution, contractor management, and operational decision-making

HSE Management System and Operational Assurance

• Maintain and continuously improve the asset's HSE Management System, ensuring alignment with:
  • UK Legislation
  • Corporate governance requirements
  • ISO 45001 & ISO 14001 principles
  • Offshore wind industry good practice
• Ensure operational procedures, Safe Systems of Work, Permit to Work arrangements, and emergency procedures remain suitable and effective
• Develop and oversee audit, inspection, and assurance programmes covering offshore operations, contractors, vessels, lifting operations, electrical safety, confined spaces, and environmental compliance
• Monitor and track corrective and preventative actions arising from audits, incidents, inspections, and assurance activities
• Support management reviews and performance reporting to senior leadership and the Board

Offshore Operational Safety and Risk Management

• Provide HSE support and oversight for offshore maintenance campaigns, major component exchanges, vessel operations, lifting activities, and high-risk work scopes
• Ensure operational risk assessments and RAMS are robust, proportionate, and effectively implemented
• Participate in planning reviews, toolbox talks, offshore readiness reviews, and operational safety meetings
• Monitor compliance with Permit to Work systems, LOTO procedures, working-at-height controls, and marine coordination arrangements
• Support safe management of simultaneous operations (SIMOPS)

Incident Investigation and Learning

• Lead or support investigation of incidents, near misses, unsafe acts, environmental events, and operational deviations
• Ensure investigations identify immediate, underlying, and root causes using recognised methodologies
• Develop and monitor corrective action plans to prevent recurrence across organisation and contractor network
• Maintain robust incident reporting and trend analysis processes

Contractor, OEMs, and Marine HSE Governance

• Provide HSE oversight of OEMs, contractors, vessel operators, and subcontractors working on the asset
• Participate in contractor qualification, onboarding, audit and performance review processes
• Review contractor HSE documentation, marine procedures, emergency arrangements, and competency frameworks
• Ensure contractor performance is monitored against agreed HSE standards and KPIs
• Support interface management between marine coordination, offshore operations, engineering, and contractor teams

Emergency Preparedness and Response

• Maintain and test emergency response arrangements for offshore operations including:
  • Medical emergencies
  • Marine incidents
  • Turbine rescue
  • Fire response
  • Environmental incidents
  • Severe weather
  • Vessel incidents and evacuation scenarios
• Coordinate drills and exercises involving offshore personnel, marine coordination, emergency services, and contractors
• Support post-incident recovery arrangements aligned with offshore operational risk profiles

Environmental Management and Compliance

• Ensure compliance with environmental obligations arising from:
  • Marine licences
  • Consents conditions
  • Environmental permits
  • Waste-management requirements
  • Pollution-prevention obligations
• Support environmental monitoring, reporting, and incident-response arrangements
• Promote environmental responsible operational practices and continuous environmental improvement
• Support ESG and sustainability reporting where required by the wider organisation or shareholders

Governance, Reporting, and Board Assurance

• Produce regular HSE performance reports for senior leadership, lenders, regulators, Board committees, and shareholders
• Monitor and report trends relating to:
  • Incidents and near misses
  • Leading and lagging indicators
  • Audit findings
  • Contractor performance
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Environmental events
• Escalate material HSE risks promptly and transparently
• Support external audits, regulatory interactions, and insurance reviews

Health, Safety, Environmental, and Regulatory Accountability

• The postholder shall ensure that all activities under their control or influence comply with applicable UK legislation, offshore regulatory requirements, and recognised industry good practices
• The principal legislation and governance baseline for the role includes:
  • Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
  • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
  • Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
  • Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
  • Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
  • Work at Height Regulations 2005
  • HSE offshore jurisdiction covering health and safety risks arising from work activities on the UK Continental Shelf
  • Applicable marine and environmental licence obligations relevant to offshore wind operations

Skills

• Visible safety leadership and credibility
• Strong operational judgement
• Contractor and stakeholder management
• Incident investigation and root-cause analysis
• Clear communication from offshore teams to Board level
• Risk-based decision-making
• Continuous-improvement mindset
• Ability to influence safety culture positively across complex contractor environments

Knowledge

Essential

• Significant HSE experience in:
  • Offshore wind
  • Offshore energy
  • Marine operations
  • Utilities
  • Or another high-hazard operational environment
• Experience supporting offshore operations, contractor governance, and operational assurance
• Experience leading incident investigations and audit programmes
• Strong understanding of UK offshore HSE legislation and operational risk management
• Experience presenting HSE risk and performance information to senior stakeholders

Highly Desirable

• Direct offshore wind O&M experience
• Experience with marine coordination and vessel operations
• Experience implementing ISO 45001 / ISO 14001 systems
• Experience supporting major maintenance or construction campaigns offshore
• Chartered IOSH membership or equivalent professional accreditation

Qualifications

• Degree, HND, or equivalent higher qualification in
  • Occupational Health & Safety
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Management
  • Or a related discipline
• Recognised professional HSE qualification such as:
  • NEBOSH Diploma
  • NCRQ / HVQ Level 6 equivalent
  • Or comparable recognised qualification

If you wish to make a big impact in renewables and being involved in this innovative project do not hesitate to apply.

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