Senior Health and Safety Business Partner

This is a key and demanding leadership role within the People Safety Team, providing strategic and operational leadership across the Health & Safety function. As a Senior Health & Safety Business Partner (SHSBP), you will lead a team of Health & Safety Business Partners (HEO) and jointly lead the wider Operational Health & Safety Team, ensuring the department continues to meet its statutory, regulatory and corporate obligations while placing the health, safety and wellbeing of our people, customers and partners at the centre of decision-making.

You will play a pivotal role in shaping, implementing and continually improving the department's Health & Safety Management System (SMS), ensuring that policies, procedures and controls remain effective, proportionate and aligned to organisational priorities. Through your leadership, you will promote a positive safety culture where health and safety is understood as a shared responsibility and embedded into everyday business activities.

Working across a complex and diverse operational environment, you will provide expert professional advice and assurance to senior leaders, helping them understand risk, make informed decisions and deliver safe business outcomes. You will support the department's ambition to continuously improve its health and safety maturity by driving consistency, sharing best practice and identifying opportunities to strengthen capability across the organisation.

A key element of the role is leading and developing a high-performing team. You will provide clear direction, coaching and support, creating an inclusive environment where colleagues are empowered to contribute, develop and perform at their best. You will be responsible for setting priorities, overseeing delivery and ensuring that work is aligned to departmental objectives and delivered to a consistently high standard.

The role requires excellent stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to influence at all levels. You will work collaboratively with senior leaders, operational teams, specialist functions and Trade Union representatives to identify emerging risks, agree practical solutions and drive continuous improvement. You will also lead a specialist area of Health & Safety expertise, ensuring lessons learned, good practice and professional knowledge are shared effectively across the team and wider business.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Health & Safety professional who is passionate about making a difference, leading others and helping create a safe, healthy and resilient working environment across the Department for Work and Pensions. Occasional travel and overnight stays will be required.

As a Senior Health & Safety Business Partner, you will:

• Lead and develop a team of Health & Safety Business Partners (HEO), providing inclusive leadership, professional guidance and effective performance management.
• Develop, implement and continuously improve the Health & Safety Management System, ensuring compliance with legislative requirements and recognised best practice.
• Promote a positive health and safety culture by embedding effective systems, processes and behaviours throughout the organisation.
• Provide expert, evidence-based advice to senior leaders and stakeholders on health and safety risks, controls and legal requirements.
• Support the development and implementation of strategies that improve organisational understanding of health and safety risks and proportionate risk management.
• Monitor and interpret Health & Safety performance data, identifying trends and opportunities for learning, improvement and informed decision-making.
• Lead or support investigations, audits and reviews, ensuring lessons learned are captured and shared effectively.
• Work collaboratively across business areas to identify emerging risks, understand operational change and implement effective mitigations.
• Drive continuous improvement by promoting innovation, sharing good practice and supporting organisational learning.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with Trade Union representatives and key stakeholders, fostering constructive engagement and collaborative problem-solving.
• Take ownership of a specialist Health & Safety lead area, acting as the subject matter expert and ensuring knowledge, guidance and best practice are shared across the wider function.
• Contribute to the development of departmental policies, procedures and standards, ensuring they remain relevant, practical and legally compliant.

This role requires occasional travel and overnight stays to support departmental priorities and stakeholder engagement.

A Level 3 qualification in Occupational Health & Safety (for example, the NEBOSH General Certificate or equivalent).

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Written Sift:

A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. The CV is an on-line tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobsite and there is no requirement to upload your personal CV. Our CV element is short and allows an initial check of eligibility but is not scored so please put the main content of your evidence and skills in your Personal Statement.

A personal statement (maximum 1250 words), explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities, and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role against the essential criteria in the person specification.

If we receive a large number of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criteria:

LEAD CRITERIA

Significant experience of delivering Health & Safety advice, guidance and assurance within a complex operational environment.

If you pass the initial sift, you will be progressed to a full sift or directly to interview.

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Interview:

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview lasting up to 45 minutes. This will take place face-to-face in Sheffield, Kings Court. The interview panel will be a minimum of two people and will assess:

You will also be asked additional questions to validate your knowledge which will be measured against the essential criteria as specified in the vacancy. Your will also be asked some Behaviour & Strength questions.

Sift and Interview Dates

• Sift week commencing 21 September 2026
• Interviews week commencing 5 October 2026

Offer:

This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office. If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert.

Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles here. Successful candidates will be posted in merit order based on your location preferences, where appropriate, and the geographical requirements of the business. Dependent on your position on the merit list, if none of your location preferences remain at the point we make a job offer DWP may offer you a role at an alternative advertised location. If we are unable to offer you a role in any of your preferred locations, and you are unable to accept a role at an alternative advertised location, we will add you to the reserve list if one is being held.

For these vacancies, we strongly recommend that applicants consult with an immigration specialist or qualified advisor to assess their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship before deciding to apply. Please note that while we consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, sponsorship cannot be guaranteed.

At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

Find out more about working for DWP on the DWP Careers Hub.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

If you are placed on a reserve list but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:

• If you are later offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances (e.g. a contractual Part Time Working Pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health).
• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

Disability Confident Scheme

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

Reasonable Adjustments

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Integrity, plagiarism and Civil Service Principles

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles.

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words.

Examples of plagiarism can include:

• Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own
• Copying content or answers from an online or published source that is not your own

Disclosure and Barring Service and Internal Fraud Database Checks

To process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check will be carried out.

Important

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. If you are a current employee and are successful you must be able to be released from your current post within four weeks.

Those on protected TUPE/ COSoP terms and conditions applying on promotion or voluntary permanent level move will adopt DWP’s Terms and Conditions and this may have a different impact on pay and allowances. Please review this prior to acceptance of a role.

Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing. Accepting a post will be taken to mean acceptance of revised terms & conditions.

Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or within 10% of existing salary.

Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may, however, be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at the Childcare Choices Website.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.