Health Safety and Wellbeing Lead

As the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Lead, you will play a pivotal role in fostering a culture where health, safety and wellbeing are embedded in every aspect of organisational life. Acting as Planning Inspectorate's (PINS) senior subject matter expert, you will provide strategic leadership, trusted advice and valued guidance to senior leaders, including the Executive Team and CEO, ensuring the wellbeing and safety of our people remains a key organisational priority.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape meaningful cultural change, supporting the development of behaviours, policies and practices that enable colleagues to thrive in a safe, inclusive and supportive environment. Working across health and safety, employee wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), governance, risk management and employee engagement, you will lead the delivery of a progressive Health, Safety and Wellbeing agenda, promoting continuous improvement and encouraging collective responsibility for creating a healthier, safer and more resilient workplace.

Through visible leadership, expert guidance and partnership working, the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Lead will help ensure PINS remains a place where everyone feels safe, valued and supported to perform at their best.

As the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Lead, you will lead and develop the Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) function, including line management of a small team of three colleagues, setting priorities and driving high standards of performance, engagement and professional practice. You will develop, implement and continuously improve PINS' HSW strategy, policies and procedures, ensuring legal compliance, effective risk management and alignment with organisational objectives.

Acting as PINS' senior Health, Safety and Wellbeing expert, you will provide strategic advice, support and constructive challenge to senior leaders, including the Executive Team and CEO. You will champion a positive HSW culture across the organisation, influencing stakeholders at all levels to drive engagement, accountability and continuous improvement. You will be responsible for identifying, assessing and managing organisational HSW risks, overseeing governance arrangements and the Health and Safety Committee, and ensuring appropriate assurance, monitoring and reporting mechanisms are in place.

You will lead audits, inspections and compliance reviews, investigate accidents and incidents, analyse HSW performance data, and provide insights and recommendations to support informed decision making. You will also ensure managers and colleagues have access to the guidance, training and support needed to meet their Health, Safety and Wellbeing responsibilities, including those working remotely or in lone working environments. As a member of the People Leadership Team, you will role model PINS values and Civil Service Line Manager Standards, contribute to wider organisational priorities, and deputise for the Head of People Experience when required. The role also includes a periodic on call responsibility, providing expert advice and support in response to significant incidents or emerging Health, Safety and Wellbeing matters.

Application

Complete the online application form on Civil Service Jobs which requires the following information:

• A CV: The CV section lets you share your job history. List your jobs, how long you worked at each, and briefly describe your roles and duties. Make sure to show how your experience matches the essential criteria of the job you're applying for. Type or paste this information into the 'Employment History' box in the online application. You can't attach your CV.
• A Personal Statement (1000 words max): The personal statement lets you explain why you're a good fit for the job in more detail. Use it to show how you meet the essential criteria listed in our advert and connect your answers to the Success Profile elements we're looking for.

All shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome shortly afterwards.

Interview

If you are shortlisted, you will:

• Be asked to attend an interview to have a more in-depth discussion about your experience and suitability for the role
• Interviews will be a blend of behaviour, strength and experience questions

Candidates who pass the shortlist stage will receive full assessment details with their interview invitations.

Other Information

Shortlist Date: 27th August 2026

Interview Date: 9th & 10th September 2026

Interviews will be held at The Planning Inspectorate, Bristol, further details will be sent with the invite to interview.

The Planning Inspectorate does not fund travel and subsistence for candidates to attend interviews.

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for a period of 9 months from which further appointments can be made.

Future Matches

Candidates who demonstrate strong potential and future readiness but score just below the required level at interview may be considered for alternative positions. These roles may be at a lower grade but align with their skills and offer opportunities for growth.

We encourage all candidates to make themselves familiar with the role and what we will be assessing you against which is detailed in the Person Specification.

ID and Documents

If the job needs specific qualifications or memberships and you get the job, you'll need to send scanned or photographed images of them before you start.

We must check that any successful candidates are allowed to work for the Civil Service before we employ them. If successful, you will be asked to do a right to work check using identity document validation technology (IDVT) through the services of an Identity Service Provider (IDSP), Civil Service Jobs. If we are unable to confirm your right to work and through the IDVT we will need to do a manual right to work check using original documents with you in person.

Visa Sponsorship

The Planning Inspectorate cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates, we do not hold a Visa sponsorship licence.

Disability Confident Interview scheme/Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service values diversity and offers equal opportunities. We have a Disability Confident Interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the job's minimum criteria. We will also provide reasonable adjustments to all where possible. For more information please see Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers.

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