SHEQ Manager

United Infrastructure is a dynamic and rapidly expanding business, focused on delivering critical infrastructure projects, across the utility and social infrastructure sectors.

Our team of highly skilled and hardworking specialists deliver innovative solutions to the complex challenges our clients face.

Our company is split into two business areas:

Utility Infrastructure –

Our team of Utility Infrastructure specialists design, build and maintain critical water, energy (gas), power and telecoms infrastructure, for the UK’s largest network owners and operators.

Social Infrastructure -

Our team of Social Infrastructure specialists revitalise homes and communities by carrying out a wide range of work, from retrofit to refurbishment, and maintenance.

Equal Opportunities Statement - At United Infrastructure, we are committed to making every interaction a positive and inclusive experience. If there is anything we can do to support you, remove barriers, or make the process more accessible, please let us know — we want this to be the best possible experience for you.

Role purpose

Lead the project SHEQ function and provide visible, competent and independent assurance that the project is planned and delivered safely, responsibly and to the required quality standards. The SHEQ Manager will translate United Infrastructure’s Zero Harm commitments and management systems into effective project controls, influence operational leadership and ensure that risks, non-conformances and improvement opportunities are acted upon promptly.

The role has authority to intervene and stop work where there is an immediate risk of harm, serious environmental impact, significant quality failure or breach of a critical control. The postholder will foster a fair and learning culture in which people are expected to speak up, challenge respectfully and not walk by unsafe or unacceptable conditions.

Key accountabilities

Leadership and culture

• Act as the project’s senior SHEQ lead, advising the Project Director/Manager and reporting functionally to the Head of HSSEQ.
• Provide visible leadership across work areas, engage with the workforce and supply chain, and reinforce Zero Harm, Don’t Walk By and Just Culture expectations.
• Coach managers and supervisors so that ownership of SHEQ remains firmly within operational leadership.
• Lead project SHEQ meetings, contribute to project reviews and provide clear, evidence-based escalation of material risk.
  
  

Planning, risk and compliance

• Maintain the project SHEQ plan, legal and client compliance arrangements, risk profile and assurance schedule.
• Ensure SHEQ requirements are embedded into design development, construction planning, procurement, work packaging, mobilisation and change control.
• Review and challenge RAMS, construction phase controls, environmental plans, inspection and test plans, permits and task briefings in proportion to risk.
• Monitor compliance with applicable legislation, client standards, consents, licences, United Infrastructure procedures and ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 management systems.
• Coordinate specialist advice and escalate matters that require corporate, legal, technical or client intervention.
  
  

Assurance and performance

• Develop and deliver a risk-based programme of inspections, audits, leadership engagements and supply-chain assurance activities.
• Maintain accurate project SHEQ data and dashboards, validate leading and lagging indicators, identify trends and present concise performance reports.
• Ensure actions are specific, owned, proportionate and closed by agreed dates; challenge overdue or ineffective corrective actions.
• Verify competence, induction, authorisation and ongoing assessment arrangements for employees and contractors undertaking safety- or quality-critical work.
• Support internal, client and certification audits and retain suitable evidence of compliance and improvement.
  
  

Events, learning and improvement

• Ensure incidents, close calls, environmental events, defects and non-conformances are reported, controlled and investigated at the appropriate level.
• Lead or support investigations using the company’s approved methodology, identify organisational and underlying causes, and track effective learning actions.
• Coordinate timely notifications and communications with the Head of HSSEQ, project leadership, client and regulators where required.
• Turn findings, observations and workforce feedback into practical improvements and verify that lessons learned are embedded across the project.
  
  

Environmental and quality management

• Ensure environmental aspects, consent conditions, pollution-prevention controls, waste arrangements, ecology constraints and sustainability commitments are understood and controlled.
• Promote right-first-time delivery through effective quality planning, material assurance, inspection and test records, hold/witness points, defect prevention and handover readiness.
• Work closely with environmental, sustainability and quality specialists while retaining oversight of the integrated project SHEQ position.
• Provide assurance over subcontractor performance and intervene where standards or critical controls are not being met.
  
  

Project-specific priorities

• Provide close assurance of high-risk civil and structural activities, including excavation, earthworks, concrete operations, lifting, temporary works, work at height and heavy plant interfaces.
• Ensure robust coordination at interfaces between civil construction, electrical installation, existing assets, outages, testing, commissioning and energisation.
• Verify that permit, isolation, access-control and authorisation arrangements are clearly defined and effective as the project moves toward electrical installation and commissioning.
• Assure lifting plans, crane and plant activities, exclusion zones, logistics routes and simultaneous operations, with particular attention to changing site congestion and work sequencing.
• Drive right-first-time construction by ensuring inspection and test plans, material traceability, hold points, as-built records, defect management and handover dossiers remain current.
• Maintain effective environmental controls for drainage, water management, fuels and chemicals, waste, noise, dust, ecology and reinstatement, aligned with consent and client requirements.
  
  

Phase transition assurance

• Lead SHEQ readiness reviews at phase transitions, formally handing over residual risks, actions and operational interfaces.
  
  

Qualifications And Experience

• NEBOSH Diploma, NVQ Level 6 in Occupational Health and Safety, or an equivalent recognised professional qualification.
• Chartered Member of IOSH, or demonstrable progress toward chartered status.
• Strong experience leading SHEQ delivery on major construction, utilities, power transmission or high-voltage infrastructure projects.
• Working knowledge of UK health and safety, environmental and quality legislation and the practical application of CDM Regulations.
• Practical experience of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 systems, audit and assurance.
• Competence in incident investigation and root-cause analysis; a recognised lead-investigator qualification is desirable.
• Experience managing and assuring principal contractors, subcontractors and geographically or technically complex work fronts.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel within the project footprint.
  
  

Skills and behaviours

• Credible and visible leader who can influence senior managers, supervisors, specialists and frontline teams.
• Confident to challenge, intervene and escalate while maintaining constructive working relationships.
• Commercially aware and able to integrate SHEQ requirements into delivery rather than treating them as a parallel process.
• Analytical and organised, with strong written reporting, investigation, presentation and action-management skills.
• Calm and decisive during incidents, emerging risks and changing project conditions.
• Collaborative, fair and curious, with a strong commitment to learning, workforce engagement and continuous improvement.
  
  

Indicative measures of success

• Critical risks and simultaneous operations are actively coordinated, with effective controls verified before and during work.
• Temporary works, lifting, permit and commissioning interfaces are assured with no unapproved or uncontrolled deviations.
• No avoidable harm, significant environmental event or material compliance breach.
• Inspection and test records, material assurance, defects and handover dossiers support right-first-time acceptance.
• Events and non-conformances are reported promptly, investigated proportionately and closed with demonstrably effective actions.
• Project leaders, supervisors and subcontractors show clear ownership of SHEQ performance and respond promptly to assurance findings.
  
  

Join us at United Infrastructure and be part of our mission to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to the complex infrastructure needs of the UK.