H&S Manager

H&S Manager – Data Centre Projects

Location: Europe – extensive travel across European project sites
Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time

About the Company

We are recruiting on behalf of a global specialist in electrical and digital infrastructure, providing innovative solutions for mission-critical environments and the rapidly growing data centre sector.

The business designs and delivers highly customisable infrastructure solutions focused on performance, reliability, energy efficiency and operational resilience. Its extensive portfolio includes busbar systems, transformers, UPS systems, cable management, racks and cabinets, power distribution units (PDUs), aisle containment, cooling systems, structured cabling and high-power distribution solutions.

Operating across Europe and internationally, the organisation supports hyperscale operators, colocation providers, cloud infrastructure businesses and other major data centre customers in delivering complex, technically demanding projects.

The Role

We are looking to recruit an experienced Health & Safety Manager to lead and coordinate H&S requirements across European data centre projects.

This is a highly visible, project-focused position covering the full project lifecycle, from engineering preparation through to site delivery, installation, commissioning and project close-out.

You will ensure company H&S standards, local legislation, customer requirements and contractor expectations are translated into practical controls and consistently applied across project sites.

Acting as the main H&S point of contact, you will work closely with customers, general contractors, specialist subcontractors, Project Managers, Site Managers, Commissioning Managers, Engineering teams and manufacturing operations.

The role will have particular exposure to hyperscale, colocation and next-generation cloud/data centre projects, where technical complexity, multiple contractors and strict site requirements demand a highly structured approach to safety.

Key Responsibilities

H&S Governance & Customer Requirements

Implement and manage the European H&S framework for project and service activities, ensuring alignment with group policies, customer requirements, contractual obligations and relevant local legislation.

Review customer and contractor H&S requirements and translate these into practical project controls, including RAMS, method statements, inspection points, site inductions and communication routines.

Act as the primary H&S contact throughout engineering preparation, delivery, installation, commissioning and project close-out.

Develop and maintain H&S procedures, templates, dashboards, KPIs, meeting structures and escalation processes.

Coordinate with contractors and third parties to ensure responsibilities, interfaces and H&S deliverables are clearly understood and incorporated into project execution plans.

Promote a strong safety-first culture through visible leadership, coaching, communication and awareness initiatives.

On-Site Coordination & Supervision

Support and supervise the safe execution of works across European data centre construction and commissioning sites.

Ensure robust risk assessments are completed for high-risk activities including lifting operations, electrical works, working at height, energisation, commissioning and activities involving multiple contractors working simultaneously.

Take accountability for reviewing and approving relevant H&S documentation and ensuring preventive measures are incorporated into RAMS, MOPs, installation sequences, commissioning plans, permits to work, toolbox talks and site briefings.

Conduct regular H&S audits, inspections and observations, documenting findings and ensuring corrective actions have clear ownership and deadlines.

Work alongside Project and Site Managers in daily coordination with general contractors, customer H&S representatives and specialist subcontractors.

Apply appropriate escalation procedures and, where necessary, recommend or initiate stop-work decisions where safety controls or compliance fall below the required standard.

Incident Management & Continuous Improvement

Lead or support investigations into incidents, near misses and unsafe conditions using structured root cause analysis methodologies.

Develop, implement and monitor corrective and preventative action plans, ensuring actions are completed effectively and within agreed timescales.

Create and deliver H&S awareness initiatives, toolbox topics, instructions, lessons learned and other communications specifically suited to data centre construction environments.

Use KPIs, trend analysis, PDCA principles and feedback from projects, customers, contractors and manufacturing operations to continuously improve H&S performance.

Share best practice across countries and projects to help establish a consistent European H&S culture.

Compliance, Documentation & Reporting

Ensure projects comply with applicable H&S legislation, internal standards, customer site requirements and contractual obligations.

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of national H&S regulations across the European countries in which projects are delivered and develop appropriate compliance plans covering areas such as training and certification.

Support the implementation and development of H&S management systems, including alignment with ISO 45001 principles where applicable.

Maintain structured and traceable H&S documentation across projects.

Prepare H&S reports, dashboards and KPIs for project reviews, steering committees, internal governance meetings and customer meetings.

Identify H&S training requirements for project and service employees, including site inductions, high-risk activities, emergency procedures and customer-specific requirements.

Ensure appropriate PPE requirements are established, communicated and monitored across site operations.

Stakeholder & Project Support

Work closely with Project Management, Engineering, Site Management, Commissioning, Manufacturing, Sales and Operations teams to integrate H&S considerations into project planning and key decision points.

Support tender and project execution activities by reviewing H&S requirements, constraints, assumptions, risks and resources.

Participate in project risk assessments from RFQ through to project close-out, ensuring H&S risks are identified early and appropriate mitigation measures are implemented.

Represent the organisation in customer and contractor H&S meetings, providing professional, factual and action-focused communication.

Support budget planning for H&S resources, external support, audits, training and project-specific improvement initiatives.

Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will ideally hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Health & Safety, Construction Management or another relevant technical discipline, alongside a recognised formal H&S qualification.

You should have approximately 5–8+ years of H&S experience within complex technical environments, ideally involving data centres, construction, industrial buildings, critical power infrastructure, electrical installation or other mission-critical environments.

Experience coordinating H&S across sites where multiple companies and contractors operate simultaneously is particularly important, along with a strong understanding of coactivity, permit-to-work processes and high-risk activities.

You should also have experience working within customer-facing project environments and be comfortable managing the requirements of major contractors, hyperscale customers and other demanding stakeholders.

Practical experience of H&S audits, risk assessments, RAMS and MOP reviews, incident investigations, corrective actions and continuous improvement methodologies is required.

Knowledge of ISO 45001 and H&S management systems is expected, while experience of different European H&S regulatory environments would be a significant advantage.

Experience managing contractors, service providers or third-party H&S specialists within an international project environment would also be beneficial.

Fluent English is required, with additional European languages advantageous.

The Person

We are looking for a structured, pragmatic and field-focused H&S professional who can combine a strong safety culture with the commercial and operational realities of delivering complex projects.

You will need excellent communication and influencing skills, with the credibility to engage effectively with customers, contractors, site teams and senior management.

You should be analytical, organised and confident making decisions under pressure, with the ability to anticipate risk, prioritise actions and escalate critical safety concerns when necessary.

A coaching-led approach is important, alongside the ability to establish clear accountability and maintain high standards across geographically dispersed project teams.

What’s on Offer

This is an opportunity to take on a pivotal European H&S position within a major global organisation operating at the forefront of electrical, digital and mission-critical infrastructure.

You will have significant autonomy to strengthen H&S governance and site execution across major European data centre projects, while working with some of the industry’s leading hyperscale, colocation and cloud infrastructure customers.

The position offers extensive international exposure, professional development and the opportunity to build your career within one of the world’s fastest-growing infrastructure sectors.

A competitive salary and benefits package will be offered, alongside employment conditions aligned with the relevant market.