Head of HSEQ

Welshpool | Manufacturing | Senior Leadership Opportunity

Lead the strategy. Shape the safety culture. Drive operational excellence.

We are partnering with an established manufacturing business in Welshpool to appoint a Head of HSEQ to lead its Health, Safety, Environment and Quality function.

This is a senior leadership appointment for an experienced HSE professional who understands the complexities of a manufacturing environment, has a strong background in health and safety, and is ready to take a more strategic role within the business.

The company already has established Health and Safety and Quality Managers on site. Your role will be to provide the strategic direction, leadership and accountability for the wider HSEQ function, ensuring that health and safety remains at the forefront of operational decision-making while maintaining robust quality, environmental and compliance standards.

The opportunity

Reporting into the senior leadership team, you will take ownership of the HSEQ strategy, leading and developing the existing Health and Safety and Quality Managers.

This is not a role where success is measured purely by policies, audits and compliance paperwork. We are looking for someone who can influence at leadership level, engage with operational teams and embed a proactive, sustainable safety culture across the site.

You will have the opportunity to shape the direction of the function, challenge existing practices where necessary and ensure that HSEQ is recognised as an integral part of operational performance, rather than a standalone support department.

Key responsibilities

• Strategic leadership: Develop and implement the site-wide HSEQ strategy, aligning health, safety, environmental and quality objectives with wider business priorities.

• Health and safety leadership: Drive a proactive safety culture, ensuring effective risk management, accident prevention, incident investigation and continuous improvement across manufacturing operations.

• Team leadership: Lead, coach and develop the existing Health and Safety Manager and Quality Manager, establishing clear accountability, objectives and performance expectations.

• Manufacturing compliance: Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, industry standards, customer requirements and internal management systems.

• Quality standards: Provide leadership and oversight of quality and compliance systems.

• Operational engagement: Work closely with production, engineering, maintenance and senior management to integrate HSEQ into everyday operational decisions.

• Continuous improvement: Use data, audits, incident trends and performance indicators to identify risks, drive improvements and deliver measurable results.

• Leadership and culture: Build engagement at all levels of the organisation, ensuring that managers and employees take ownership of health, safety and quality standards.

What we're looking for

We are looking for a credible, commercially aware HSEQ leader with a strong health and safety foundation and the ability to operate effectively at both strategic and operational levels.

You will ideally bring:

• A proven track record in a senior HSE, HSEQ or SHE leadership position within manufacturing.

• Experience in an automotive manufacturing environment with exposure to IATF 16949 highly desirable.

• A strong technical understanding of health and safety legislation, risk management and the practical challenges of manufacturing operations.

• Experience leading, developing or influencing managers and multidisciplinary teams.

• A track record of improving safety performance, strengthening compliance and embedding sustainable behavioural and cultural change.

• The confidence to challenge established practices, influence senior stakeholders and hold operational leaders accountable.

• Relevant professional qualifications, ideally NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent, with IOSH membership or chartered status advantageous.

Quality experience is beneficial, particularly within an automotive environment, but health and safety leadership is the priority. We are more interested in the depth of your HSE experience and your ability to lead the wider function than in finding someone whose career has been exclusively focused on quality.

The background that will make you stand out

You may currently be an HSE Manager, SHE Manager, HSEQ Manager or Head of HSE within an automotive manufacturer, Tier 1 or Tier 2 supplier, or another complex manufacturing business.

You will have developed a solid technical foundation, progressively taken on greater responsibility and built a track record of delivering results over time.

We are particularly interested in people who can demonstrate career progression, sustained impact and the ability to develop long-term relationships within a business. This is an opportunity for someone who wants to take the next step into a broader leadership position, rather than simply make another lateral move.

Experience working within an IATF 16949 environment will be a significant advantage, particularly where you have had direct responsibility for health and safety within an automotive manufacturing operation.

The ideal next step

This is an opportunity to move into a strategic leadership position where you can influence the direction of an established manufacturing operation, lead an existing management team and take ownership of the wider HSEQ agenda.

If you have built your career in manufacturing, have a genuine passion for health and safety and are ready to take the next step into a Head of HSEQ role, we would welcome a confidential conversation.

Location: Welshpool

Role: Head of HSEQ / HSEQ Manager

Sector: Manufacturing / Automotive

Focus: Strategic HSEQ leadership, with a strong emphasis on health and safety

At Morgan Ryder we can provide you with a full range of employment opportunities from short term and fixed term temporary vacancies to permanent positions.

We recruit for companies that operate in the following industries: Defence Equipment, Food and Drink Manufacturers, FMCG, Packaging, Engineering, Automotive, Aerospace, Warehousing, Logistics, Waste Management, Petro Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Power & Renewable Energy.

Our commitment:

Equal opportunities are important to us. We believe that diversity and inclusion at Morgan Ryder Associates are critical to our success as DE&I positive company, so we want to recruit, develop, and keep the best talent. We encourage applications from everyone, regardless of background, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, ethnicity, belief, age, family or parental status, and any other characteristic.

Please note that calls to and from the offices of Morgan Ryder Associates Ltd. may be monitored or recorded. This is to ensure compliance with regulatory procedures, record business transactions and for training purposes.