Senior Health & Safety Manager (Infrastructure)
On-siteSa, Distrito de Viana do Castelo, Portuguese Republic
Job Summary
Develop and maintain the project health and safety strategy, policies, and plans for major road, civil, and structural infrastructure projects in line with ISO 45001 standards and legal requirements. Provide visible leadership as the senior H&S authority, establishing governance arrangements and leading risk assessments for high-risk activities including deep excavations, tunnel construction, and work adjacent to live traffic. Conduct regular site inspections, audits, and walkdowns across multiple contractors and joint ventures to monitor compliance, identify non-conformances, and drive corrective actions. Oversee incident investigations, produce trend analyses, and present performance metrics to senior leadership and regulators while promoting a safety culture and behavioral safety programs.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Health, Engineering, Construction Management, or related discipline
- Recognised professional H&S qualification (e.g. NEBOSH Diploma, Level 6 or equivalent)
- Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g. IOSH, IIRSM)
- 15+ years' H&S experience within construction
- Experience with major road and highway projects
- Experience with bridges, tunnels, heavy civils, and complex structures
- Experience in large, multi-contractor or joint venture environments
- Proven track record in a senior H&S leadership role on large / mega infrastructure projects
- Strong understanding of construction techniques for highways and heavy civil engineering
- Strong understanding of temporary works, groundworks, and structural construction risks
- Strong understanding of applicable national H&S regulations and international standards
- Excellent leadership and influencing skills with the ability to drive culture change and secure buy-in from site teams and management
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills for incident investigation and risk control
- Clear, confident communication skills – written and verbal – with the ability to engage operatives, supervisors, and executives
- Ability to manage multiple sites, contractors, and priorities in a fast-paced construction environment
- High level of integrity, resilience, and professionalism, with a commitment to continual improvement
- Competent user of H&S reporting systems, incident management tools, and standard office software
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