Health and Safety Manager

Job summary

• Are you passionate about creating safe, supportive workplaces where people can thrive?
• Do you have experience leading, managing, and developing a Health & Safety function?
• Can you provide confident, visible leadership that inspires a positive safety culture?
• Would you value the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in an organisation that truly benefits from your expertise?

If you have answered yes, then we could have the role for you. We’re looking for a proactive Health and Safety Manager to join our Facilities and Estates team. Learn more about this role, our team and the impact you could make at the Vehicle Certification Agency in our Role Profile and Candidate Pack, attached.

Here's Steve Perry, Senior Facilities and Estates Manager, to tell you more –

Our work is focused on improving vehicle safety and environmental protection by providing robust testing and certification to national and internationally recognised standards. We are a part of the Department of Transport as the designated UK Vehicle Type Approval Authority. With more than 40 years’ experience, we have become one of the largest and well-respected approval bodies around. This position has been built on a reputation for technical expertise and quality, which is at the heart of everything we do, and what you could be a part of.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here

• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday

• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at Vehicle Certification Agency - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

We’re looking for an enthusiastic Health & Safety Manager to play a pivotal role in protecting staff and visitors at our Nuneaton office and across other sites. In this influential position, you will lead and continuously develop the Health & Safety function, ensuring the organisation remains compliant, capable and aligned with relevant legislation and best practice. You will provide visible leadership, champion a positive safety culture and clearly communicate key messages across the organisation. A key part of the role is establishing strong governance and reporting arrangements, maintaining effective relationships with internal and external bodies, and ensuring Health & Safety considerations inform senior decision‑making. As the principal advisor to the Senior Estates and Facilities Manager, you will offer expert guidance on all Health & Safety matters, including Fire Safety and First Aid, and provide regular assurance and reporting at Board and Executive level.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to shape a safer, more confident workplace and drive meaningful cultural change.

Your main duties will include but will not be limited to:

• Managing the development and maintenance of the Health & Safety function, maintaining organisational capability and maturity and embedding relevant legislation and best practice into operational processes.
• Providing visible leadership around Health & Safety, role modelling positive behaviours, and communicating key messages.
• Establishing and maintaining a clear governance framework and reporting regime aligned to Health & Safety best practice, including relationships to internal and external governance bodies.
• Informing and influencing key business discussions and decisions related to Health & Safety.
• Providing advice and assurance to the Senior Estates and Facilities Manager for Health and Safety including Fire and First Aid, with regular reporting at Board level.

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Good inter-personal skills and communication at all levels within the business.
• Demonstrate effective problem‑solving skills, applying sound judgement in complex and challenging scenarios.
• Good planning and organisational skills including good time management skills.
• The ability to train staff at all levels within the Agency.
• Able to work under pressure and remain calm in stressful situations.
• Able to carry out H&S Audits as required by internal OR external bodies
• Good working knowledge of Health & Safety Management Systems and Risk Registers

For more information, please read the role profile

Additional Information

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we are currently unable to offer Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate right to work in the UK before applying.

Licences

A full UK Category B Driving Licence

Qualifications

•NEBOSH Diploma OR working towards completing the NEBOSH Diploma.
•IOSH certification.
You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications at some point during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,663, Vehicle Certification Agency contributes £10,331 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window). Further detail can also be viewed in the attached Candidate Pack.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000-word count). Please provide evidence of your experience of the following:

• Demonstrate effective problem‑solving skills, applying sound judgement in complex and challenging scenarios.
• Ability to carry out H&S Audits as required by internal OR external bodies
• Good working knowledge of Health & Safety Management Systems and Risk Registers.
• Experience in conducting and concluding accident investigations.

The sift will take place week commencing 27th July 2026.

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours - Communicating and Influencing, Working Together, Making Effective Decisions
• Experience - please see attached Role Profile

The interviews will take place week commencing 10th August 2026.

This interview will be conducted in person at VCA Midlands Centre, Watling Street, Nuneaton, CV10 0UA. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

You are encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

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

Merit List

Please note that candidates placed on the merit list will be considered for suitable positions as they arise. Being on the merit list may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role of Health and Safety Manager.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

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

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert or the information on our website, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit theHow We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.

Pre-employment Checking

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.

All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

• Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
• Threats or acts of violence
• Illegal activity or substance misuse
• Sexually explicit material
• Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Paul Cooke
• Email : Paul.Cooke@vca.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here

Attachments

15663 Health and Safety Manager Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 172kB)15663 VCA_Candidate_Pack_Corporate_Affairs_Rev0 Opens in new window (pdf, 6054kB)