*Closes 26th February*

The Department for Work and Pensions is seeking one Non-Executive Director (NED) with a range of established skills/competence to join HSE’s Board. We are looking for candidates who can provide experience from other organisations with challenges on a similar scale to HSE.

About the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a Crown Executive Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
HSE is the national independent regulator for health and safety for those at work and those affected by work activities. Its wide range of activities includes overseeing major hazard safety regimes (including offshore oil and gas and onshore chemical processing), workplace inspections, accident investigations, policy development and publishing guidance and research.
The HSE Board oversees all these activities and is responsible for delivering Government policy and advising Government on health and safety issues.
HSE is a well-respected, world-class regulator but needs to tackle the future by developing innovative, modern strategic approaches to influence further improvements. HSE has published a new strategy that recognises and accommodates the impacts of the changing world of work, industrial and technological advance, the green economy, the role of HSE in post EU Exit chemicals regulation and the Building Safety Regulator.

The new strategy provides HSE with an enabling tool, direction, and principles through which HSE has the flexibility to innovate, reform and trial new ways of working to establish those with the greatest effect, whilst maintaining those that have been proven to have a positive effect and have stood the test of time.
Further information about HSE can be found at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/
The Non- Executive Director (NED) role

The successful candidate will contribute to the Board’s role in leading HSE, with the opportunity to influence the future direction of health and safety in Great Britain.

In particular, the Board is seeking a Non-Executive Director who can provide strategic insight and challenge on the prevention of work-related ill health across sectors, helping HSE deliver its ambition to protect people and reduce harm at work.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Helping lead the work of HSE by operating effectively as a Board Member and contributing to Board meetings and discussions;
  • Providing strategic challenge and assurance on HSE’s approach to improving workplace health and preventing work- related ill health;
  • Chairing or participating in the activities of Board Committees;
  • Building and maintaining effective working relationships with a broad range of networks and stakeholders;
  • Providing guidance on financial management and ensuring the effective scrutiny of HSE’s financial practices, in line with public sector accountability standards;
  • Representing HSE externally, acting collectively in representing its decisions to stakeholders and the general public;
  • Acting as a critical friend to HSE’s senior staff, particularly in their area of expertise; and
  • Demonstrating a commitment to the Seven Principles of Public life.

Organisation description

HSE’s Code of Governance details the principles, policies, procedures, and guidelines by which HSE directs and controls its functions and manages its business. In support of a cohesive best practice corporate governance infrastructure, it is intended to guide the Directorate and Leadership Team and all those working within HSE, and the agencies funded by HSE, in performing their duties to the highest standards of accountability, integrity and propriety.

Corporate governance: Leading health and safety at work (hse.gov.uk)

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website 

Person specification

Essential criteria

It is important that in your supporting letter you provide evidence relating to the essential criteria below.
We are seeking a candidate with the right skills and abilities to complement the existing Board members. Successful candidate will need to demonstrate:
• An understanding of the work, priorities and challenges of HSE and the context within which it operates.
• A track record in preventing work -related ill health and improving workforce health outcomes in the public or private sectors, at a scale relevant to the responsibilities you will fulfil.
• Effective decision-making skills, with the ability to critically analyse complex information and make clear, evidence-based recommendations.
• strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to listen, accept challenge and constructively challenge others with clarity and respect.
• A proven ability to build strong relationships at executive level and with senior stakeholders.

Desirable criteria

The following criteria is desirable, Candidates would not need to demonstrate all necessary of these below:
• On-going connections with relevant stakeholders in Scotland.

How to apply:

In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in.

Once you are logged into your account, click on ‘apply for this role’ and follow the on-screen instructions. To apply, all candidates are required to provide:

  1. A  Curriculum Vitae (Maximum 2 Pages in MS Word format ) which provides your contact details, details of your education and qualifications, employment history, directorships, membership of professional bodies and details of any relevant publications or awards;
  2. A supporting statement Maximum 2 Pages in MS Word format not PDF) setting out how you meet the essential criteria for the appointment –please 
    ensure you refer to the contents of this document; that your full name is clearly noted at the top of your letter along with the email address of your two referees  
  3. Information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues;
  4. Diversity monitoring information. This allows us to see if there are any unfair barriers to becoming a public appointee and whether there are any changes that we could make to encourage a more diverse field to apply. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be used as part of the selection process and will not be seen by the interview panel;
  5. Disability Confident – please state if you want to be considered for the disability confident scheme you can find more information about the scheme further down in the Disability Confident section of the vacancy;
  6. Reasonable adjustments – requests for reasonable adjustments that you would like to the application process (if applicable);

Due Diligence Checks

Please note that due diligence checks will be carried out on all candidates shortlisted for interview. The result of the checks will be shared with the panel and with Ministers who make the final decision following the results of the interview. The search will include:

• Google search – publicly available information

• Social Media search – including Bluesky, ‘X’, Facebook

• Individual insolvency search

• Removed trustee register search

• Financial Services Prohibited Individuals Register

• Disqualified Director Register

• Personal Information declarations

• References