Senior Safety Advisory Function Manager at Welsh Government in Wales

• Vacancy details
• Vacancy title
• Senior Safety Advisory Function Manager
• Closing date
• 28/10/2026, 16:00
• Advertising basis
• Fixed Term, Permanent
• Actual starting salary
• £47,675
• Salary range or pay band
• SEO £47,675 to £56,445
• Allowances
• No
• Work pattern
• Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
• Group
• Operational Effectiveness Group
• Directorate
• People & Places
• Branch
• Facilities
• Location (s)
• Pan Wales

‘Pan Wales’ means the post holder can be based in any Welsh Government office, subject to business needs. Roles based outside Wales, including London, are not available unless explicitly stated in the advert.

A list of the Welsh Government’s offices can be found on

www.gov.wales/welsh-government-offices

. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location.

The post holder’s travel from their home to their assigned Welsh Government office is considered their ‘ordinary commute’ and must be done in their own time and at their own cost.

Purpose of post

The Senior Safety Advisory Function Manager acts as the Welsh Government's lead competent person for the purposes of Regulation 7 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, providing authoritative health and safety advice, governance and assurance.

The role leads the development and continuous improvement of the organisation's health and safety management system, ensuring statutory compliance, effective risk management and a positive safety culture across a complex multi-site estate in Wales, and offices in London and Brussels.

Working closely with senior leaders and stakeholders, the postholder provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of health and safety arrangements, supporting informed decision-making and organisational assurance. The role's remit focuses on health and safety governance, compliance, risk management and assurance.

Responsibility for employee wellbeing programmes, occupational health services, stress management and Display Screen Equipment (DSE) arrangements sits within Human Resources. The postholder will work collaboratively with Human Resources where necessary, and with relevant Trade Unions as part of the WG’s social partnership agreement.

Key tasks

The postholder will be responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance and continual improvement of the organisation's health and safety management system in accordance with HSG65, Managing for Health and Safety, including:

Leadership and Governance

Develop and maintain the organisation's health and safety policy framework, standards and guidance.

Establish and maintain effective health and safety governance, accountability and reporting arrangements.

Ensure health and safety risks are appropriately escalated and managed through corporate governance processes.

Support governance groups through the provision of performance information, assurance reporting and recommendations for improvement.

Promote a positive and proportionate approach to health and safety management across the organisation.

Planning and Risk Management

Lead the development and implementation of the organisation's health and safety risk management framework.

Identify, assess and monitor significant health and safety risks, ensuring proportionate controls are established and maintained.

Provide strategic advice on health and safety risks associated with organisational change, projects, operational activity and the estate.

Ensure health and safety risk management is embedded within organisational planning, decision-making and governance processes.

Implementation

Develop, implement and maintain health and safety policies, standards, procedures and guidance.

Promote a positive and proportionate health and safety culture across the organisation.

Advice on arrangements for key risk areas, including fire safety, contractor management and premises-related risks.

Monitoring and Assurance

Monitor compliance against health and safety legislation, organisational standards and management system requirements.

Lead audits, inspections and assurance reviews to evaluate the effectiveness of risk controls and management arrangements.

Monitor and report health and safety performance, emerging risks and assurance findings to senior leaders and governance groups.

Learning and Improvement

Oversee the investigation of significant incidents and ensure lessons learned are identified and implemented.

Monitor the effectiveness of corrective actions and risk control measures.

Lead the continual improvement of the organisation's health and safety management system and risk management arrangements.

Partnership Working

Build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including regulators, enforcement authorities and professional bodies.

Work collaboratively with Human Resources, and relevant Trade Unions as part of the social partnership programme.

Assisting the Division with other business priorities as required.

Development opportunities

An exciting opportunity to join the Facilities Management function within the Chief Security Officer's Division. The postholder will have the opportunity to shape and influence corporate health and safety policy, governance and assurance arrangements across the Welsh Government estate.

The role offers exposure to a diverse range of strategic and operational risks, providing excellent development opportunities in leadership, risk management and organisational assurance while contributing to continuous improvement across the organisation.

Other vacancy related information

The following qualifications and current memberships are essential criteria for this role:

NEBOSH Diploma (or Level 6 equivalent qualification);

IOSH membership (graduate).

Candidates are also required to have undertaken relevant continuing professional development (CPD) in areas such as risk management, policy development, governance and assurance.

Desirable criteria will be considered if two or more candidates receive the same score at the application or interview stage

Membership of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) is desirable;

Membership of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) is desirable.

Confirmation of all your professional memberships should be included within your CV. Evidence that you hold the qualifications and memberships will be required at the onboarding stage or earlier.

In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion:

Experience 1

. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.

A verbal presentation on criterion: Experience 2 - will be required at interview stage. Candidates are permitted to use flashcards but not visual aids. More information will be provided on the topic in the invitations for that stage.

A CV is requested, the CV will not be scored but will be used by the panel to gain a fuller understanding of your experience and employment history.

The postholder will participate in the Facilities Management escalation arrangements and may be required to provide support and advice outside normal working hours in response to significant incidents or emergencies. Such requirements are expected to be infrequent.

The successful candidate will be required to travel across the estate to include sites not easily accessible by public transport, so a car and driving license would be beneficial.

• Vetting level
• Basic
• Number of posts
• 1
• Contact point for further information regarding the post
• FacilitiesManagement.Recruitment@gov.wales RheoliCyfleusterau.Recriwtio@llyw.cymru
• Welsh language requirements
• Welsh language requirements

3 - Welsh language skills are not essential for this opportunity; you do not need Welsh language skills to apply. However, as the Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation, Welsh language skills are desirable and will be considered if two or more candidates receive the same score at the application or interview stage.

• Understanding by reading
• 0 - No skills
• Speaking and being understood
• 1 - Can hold a basic conversation in Welsh
• Understanding by listening
• 1 - Can understand parts of a basic conversation
• Writing and being understood
• 0 - No skills
• Working for the Civil Service
• The
• Civil Service Code

sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

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

AI candidate guidance

for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection Process and Stages

Welsh Government, like all other Government Departments use Success Profiles when we recruit. For each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job. It raises performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

The selection process and stages are:

Number of Stages:

• 2 stage process
• Stage 1
• Application Form
• Stage 2
• Interview
• Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these Behaviour criteria during the selection process.

Behaviour 1:

Seeing the Big Picture

Understand how the strategies and activities of the team create value and meet the diverse needs of all stakeholders.

This will be tested at stage 1: Application Form

Behaviour 2:

Leadership

Consider the impacts of own and team’s activities on stakeholders and end users.

This will be tested at stage 1: Application Form

Behaviour 3:

Working Together

Encourage joined up team working within your own team/ branch and across other groups.

This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Behaviour 4:

Making Effective Decisions

Present strong recommendations in a timely manner outlining the consideration of other options, costs, benefits and risks.

This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Behaviour 5:

Managing a Quality Service

Successfully deliver high-quality outcomes that meet the customers’ needs and gives value for money.

This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Behaviour 6:

Delivering at Pace

Act promptly to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance.

This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Experience

We'll assess you against the following Experience criteria during the assessment process.

Evidence to provide

CV, Experience questions

Experience 1:

Experience of advising senior leaders on the effective management of health and safety risks, influencing decision making across diverse business areas and operational environments, including the management of significant and high-consequence risks.

This will be tested at Stage 1: Application Form

Experience 2:

Ability to develop, implement, maintain and continually improve a corporate health and safety management system, including governance, compliance, assurance and performance reporting, within a large and complex organisation (presentation at interview).

This will be tested at stage 2: Interview

Eligibility

You will be asked about your nationality and if you are legally allowed to work in the United Kingdom. This is to find out if you are eligible to apply for this vacancy. This is a requirement for working within the Civil Service.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria your application will not progress. If it becomes clear at a later stage in the process that you are not eligible to apply, your application may be withdrawn, or the offer retracted.

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)
• 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

Social Model of Disability

Welsh Government has adopted the social model of disability, which recognises that barriers in society

act to disable people who have impairments, or health conditions, who are neurodivergent or who use British Sign Language.

We are committed to removing barriers in the recruitment process so that all (or potential new) staff can perform at their best.

Recruitment adjustments can be made at any part of the recruitment process for candidates with an impairment or health condition, who are neurodivergent or who use British Sign Language.

Please get in touch with

DiversityInRecruitment@gov.wales

to discuss adjustments for any part of the process.

• Inclusive Interview Schemes
• We are committed to inclusive recruitment and offer interviews to eligible candidates who meet the
• minimum criteria

for the role through the following schemes:

Disability Confident

The Welsh Government is a Disability Confident Leader. As part of our commitment to this scheme we interview any candidate with an impairment, health condition, who is neurodivergent or who uses British Sign Language if they meet the

minimum criteria

for the post.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The Welsh Government operates the Great Place to Work for Veterans Initiative. As part of our commitment to this scheme we interview any eligible candidates who meet the

minimum criteria

for the post.

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service employers can offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of civil servants who are at risk of redundancy and who meet the

• minimum criteria
• for the post
• By ‘
• minimum criteria

’ we mean that candidates must provide us with evidence in their application (and/or test) that they meet the minimum level of competence for the role - usually defined as

a minimum score of 4 per criterion.

Social Partnership

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:

• PCS
• Prospect
• FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:

• Pay
• Terms and conditions
• HR Strategy, policies and procedures
• Health, safety and well-being
• Organisational change

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. We encourage you to learn more about our trade unions, partnership working and to get involved in their work.

Benefits

All Welsh Government staff are members of the Civil Service, and as a result are eligible for:

• Civil Service Pension Scheme
• 31 days annual leave (pro-rated for part time)
• training and development opportunities
• Cycle2Work Scheme
• Smart Working flexible working arrangement
• Green Car Scheme (subject to availability)

If you are an active Civil Service Pension member you can continue your membership throughout your employment with us.

• Recruitment principles and complaints
• We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Please see the
• Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles

on the Commission's website.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and wish to make a complaint please email

complaints@gov.wales

. Please ensure that you refer to the vacancy reference number.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Welsh Government, you can contact the Civil Service Commission:

info@csc.gov.uk.