Health and Safety Business Partner

Circa £75,000 – £80,000 depending on skills and experience + Car Allowance

​​Permanent, Full-time (With flexibility for part-time)

Location: ​Flexible across the Anglian Water Region​

​​Anglian Water embraces a flexible working approach. This role offers the opportunity for hybrid working, with an average of 3 days per week being onsite across the Anglian Water region.​

​​Join the UK’s largest water company!​

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Anglian Water is preparing to deliver its largest-ever capital and operational maintenance programmes during AMP8. Across our region, we expect population growth of approximately 700,000 people, alongside increasing demand from homes and businesses.

We are proud of the fundamental role we play in enabling this growth. Safety is central to our values, and as we begin this new chapter, we will work closely with our colleagues and delivery partners to ensure it remains at the heart of everything we do.

As part of the continued development of our Supply Maintenance Delivery business unit, we are looking for an experienced Safety Business Partner to lead the SMD Safety Team.

The role

As Safety Business Partner for Supply Maintenance Delivery, you will be the senior safety lead for the business unit, managing a team of Safety Professionals and providing visible, credible and independent safety leadership.

You will work closely with the Head of SMD, Directors, senior leaders, operational teams and delivery partners to establish clear safety priorities, strengthen assurance and improve the management of high-risk construction and maintenance activities.

The role will be pivotal in developing the capability of the SMD Safety Team and ensuring that leaders, colleagues and contractors receive consistent, practical and high-quality safety advice, challenge and support.

You will ensure that SMD has a robust safety strategy and measurable improvement plan aligned with Anglian Water’s Safer Every Day strategy and Annual Statement of Intent.

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead, manage and develop the SMD Safety Team, setting clear expectations and ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality safety support, assurance and insight.

• Act as the principal safety adviser to the Head of SMD and the SMD Leadership Team, providing constructive challenge and independent advice on significant risks, incidents and business decisions.

• Provide visible safety leadership across operational sites, construction activities, maintenance programmes and contractor work locations.

• Oversee and influence contractor safety performance across a significant programme of capital construction and operational maintenance work.

• Strengthen the management and assurance of Principal Contractors, Principal Designers, Tier 1 and Tier 2 delivery partners and specialist subcontractors.

• Provide leadership and assurance across high-risk activities, including confined spaces, lifting operations, excavation, temporary works, electrical safety, work at height, hazardous substances and complex operational interfaces.

• Ensure proportionate and effective compliance with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and other relevant health and safety legislation.

• Work with senior leaders to develop clear safety objectives, leading and lagging indicators, assurance plans and measurable improvement outcomes.

• Lead the development and delivery of the SMD strategic Health and Safety Plan, aligned with wider company objectives.

• Review incidents, near misses, audit findings and performance data to identify trends, underlying causes and opportunities for improvement.

• Ensure that learning from incidents, assurance activity and good practice is translated into sustainable changes in behaviours, systems and operational delivery.

• Develop the capability of leaders and managers to understand, own and manage safety risk within their areas of responsibility.

• Drive improvements to safety processes, systems, standards and policies across SMD and its delivery partners.

• Build strong relationships with operational teams, Capital Delivery, alliances, contractors and the wider Anglian Water Safety Team.

• Promote a culture in which concerns are raised early, standards are consistently applied and safety is fully integrated with operational performance, quality and delivery.

What does it take to be successful?

• A recognised health and safety qualification, such as the NEBOSH Diploma or an equivalent Level 6 qualification.

• Chartered Membership of IOSH, or evidence of actively working towards Chartered status, is strongly preferred.

• Significant experience in a senior health and safety leadership or business partnering role.

• Demonstrable experience of leading and developing a team of safety professionals.

• Strong experience of providing senior health and safety oversight across large-scale capital projects, construction activities and ongoing operational maintenance.

• Detailed knowledge and practical experience of CDM compliance, Principal Contractor arrangements and contractor management.

• Experience of assuring high-risk work activities, ideally including confined spaces and work within operational utility or process environments.

• A strong track record of improving contractor performance, organisational capability and safety culture.

• The ability to analyse business strategy and operational risk and translate these into clear, measurable and deliverable safety plans.

• Strong influencing and communication skills, with the confidence to advise and challenge senior leaders, contractors and delivery teams.

• A proactive, analytical and pragmatic approach, with the ability to balance regulatory requirements, operational risk and delivery needs.

• Excellent planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage personal and team priorities and deliver to agreed deadlines.

• A full UK driving licence, as regular travel across the Anglian Water region will be required.

We invest in our people - as a valued employee, you’ll be entitled to:

• Personal private health care

• Generous double match pension – contribute 7% and Anglian Water will contribute 14%, giving a total contribution of 21%

• 24-hour Virtual GP service for you and your household

• 26 days annual leave – rising with length of service and the ability to buy more

• Life assurance (up to 8 x salary)

• Personal accident cover (up to 5 x salary)

• Excellent family friendly policies, such as 26 weeks full pay for maternity / adoption leave, as well as 4 weeks paid paternity / partner leave. Opportunity for shared parental pay

• Bonus scheme

• Flexible benefits and working culture to support your wellbeing and lifestyle.

Inclusion at Anglian Water:

​​Inclusion is for everyone, and we are an equal opportunity employer, which means we’ll consider all suitably qualified applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or beliefs, age, sexual orientation, disability status or any other protected characteristic. We recruit and develop our people based on merit and their passion for creating better outcomes, and we’re committed to creating an environment where all our colleagues feel they belong. ​

Closing date: 13/08/2026

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