Venue Health & Safety Adviser (1 year FTA with a view to extension or permanency)

We are looking for a Venue Health & Safety Adviser to join us to provide competent, pragmatic and enabling health & safety leadership across the QEII Centre, ensuring that risks are effectively identified, assessed, controlled and assured across; Building infrastructure and plant systems, Contractors and supplier activities, Statutory compliance systems (H&S, fire, water hygiene, incident reporting, emergency planning and Event operations (including complex and high-profile events).

 You will act as a trusted adviser to all teams, balancing legal compliance, building safety integrity and client experience, while supporting the delivery of a busy live-events environment.

Key Tasks

Building & infrastructure safety (core focus)

• Provide oversight of safety across building systems, plant and infrastructure. Work closely with hard services and soft services teams to ensure safe operation of plant and equipment, robust maintenance and statutory inspection regimes, and risks associated with ageing infrastructure are identified and controlled. Support compliance with building-related statutory requirements and good practice and ensure safe integration between event activity and building operations

Health & safety management system

• Lead and continuously improve the QEII Centre’s health and safety management system, provide practical advice to managers on risk assessments, safe systems of work, training, and legal compliance. Maintain proportionate, accessible policies embedded in practice, monitor and report on risk trends, incidents, audit findings, and compliance performance and escalate material risks to senior leadership

Event safety & operational assurance

• Provide hands-on safety support for event planning and delivery, review event documentation (e.g. RAMS, safety plans) and undertake onsite assurance during build, live, and breakdown phases. Work with Event Managers to manage key risks including crowd safety, temporary structures, work at height, lifting operations, electrical and contractor activities and attend higher-risk events in a senior safety capacity as required

CDM & project safety (where applicable)

• Advise on application of CDM Regulations 2015 to events, projects, and refurbishments, promote clarity of duty holder responsibilities, high-quality RAMS, and safe build and dismantling practices

Contractor & supplier assurance

• Support the contractor assurance programme across all service areas, ensure effective onboarding, competence checks, inductions, and safe systems of work. Manage permit-to-work systems for high-risk activities (e.g. hot works, work at height, electrical isolation) and monitor performance and escalate non-compliance

Fire safety governance

• Support Responsible Person(s) in maintaining effective fire safety arrangements, ensure fire risk assessments are suitable and actions progressed. Conduct assurance checks on fire doors, escape routes, and evacuation procedures and coordinate with multiple duty holders within the building

Water hygiene & legionella control

• Oversee water hygiene arrangements in line with ACOP L8, ensure appropriate controls, monitoring, and documentation are in place and work with specialists to maintain compliant water systems

Incident management & learning

• Manage incident, hazard, near miss reporting and investigation, ensure RIDDOR compliance where applicable, produce clear investigation outputs, including root cause analysis and lessons learned and promote a positive reporting culture.

Emergency preparedness & response

• Support emergency planning, exercises, and procedure updates. Provide leadership during incidents and coordinate post-incident reviews

Training & engagement

• Maintain training matrices and records, deliver or commission targeted safety training and support managers to take ownership of safety responsibilities and promote a proactive safety culture

Systems, documentation & audit readiness

• Maintain accurate, auditable records (risk assessments, inspections, permits, incident logs). Ensure effective document control and up-to-date safety guidance for staff, clients, and contractors

Budget responsibility

• Support delivery within agreed budgets, and recommend proportionate investment where risk controls require strengthening

Decision-making authority

• Authority to stop or pause work where there is serious and imminent risk, reject inadequate RAMS or permit applications and require corrective actions and ensure close-out

Additional information

This is a primarily site-based role due to the requirements of a live events venue. Flexible working requests will be considered in line with QEP policies and flexible working rights and rules for employees and employers in the UK.

The above is not exhaustive and other duties not outlined may form part of the employees’ job description.

Person Specification

Experience:

• Demonstrable H&S experience in a complex, public-facing operational environment (e.g., venues, events, hospitality or estates)
• Experience of contractor management and permit-to-work systems
• Experience of audit and inspection programmes
• Experience of supporting fire safety and emergency preparedness
• Strong written skills for reports, investigations and guidance
• Experience in live event environments or multi-use venues
• Experience supporting CDM compliance
• Oversight of water hygiene / legionella controls
• Experience using digital reporting or safety systems

Technical Skills and Qualifications:

• NEBOSH General Certificate (or equivalent)
• NEBOSH Construction Certificate
• IOSH membership (TechIOSH / GradIOSH / CMIOSH)
• Degree-level qualification in H&S or related discipline

Behaviours

We will assess you against these behaviours during the selection process.

• Changing and Improving – Drives continuous improvement
• Making Effective Decisions – Uses evidence to inform decisions
• Managing a Quality Service – Focuses on client and operational excellence  
• Communicating and Influencing – Builds trust and clarity across stakeholders
• Working Together – Collaborates effectively across teams

Information on the Civil Service Success Profiles framework, and how this relates to this role, can be found online or from the QEII HR Team.

QEII Values 

• Team – Work as one team, treating everyone equally
• Quality – Focusing on high standards and attention to detail
• Exceptional – Go beyond expectations in everything we do
• Innovation – Daring to be bold in everything we do
• Integrity – Supporting each other, speaking up and learning from mistakes to grow as one team
• Collaboration – Ensuring integration across all departments