Head of Health and Safety

The National Trust for Scotland is the conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to enjoy. With around 350,000 members, it is the largest conservation charity in the country with responsibility for over 100 natural and built-heritage sites across all Scotland, from the UNESCO-recognised archipelago of St Kilda  and the UK’s largest National Nature Reserve,  Mar Lodge Estate in the Cairngorms, to Robert Adam’s Culzean Castle and Estate in Ayrshire and Priorwood Garden  in Melrose in the Scottish Borders, with its beautiful orchard of heritage apples.  Established in 1931, the Trust acts as guardian of the nation’s magnificent heritage of architectural, scenic and historic treasures in its ownership and care, welcoming over 5 million people a year. As an independent charity, not a government department, it acts on behalf of everyone to safeguard our heritage. 

The National Trust for Scotland is looking for an experienced Head of Health & Safety to help drive innovation and change management and support the organisation as we look towards our centenary in 2031.  This role provides strategic leadership and organisational stewardship of Health & Safety across the Trust.  This person is the organisation’s most senior expert advisor on health and safety and, as such, is the named ‘competent individual’.  The postholder sets the strategic direction for Health & Safety ensuring the function is proactive, data and intelligence‑led and fully aligned with organisational priorities. 

Your Role: 

As Head of Health & Safety you will: 

• Lead the development of a multi-year Health and Safety strategy which aligns to the Trust’s wider organisational ambitions and people strategy 

• Drive a culture of continuous improvement, modernising policies, systems and processes, cutting through complexity to ensure health and safety is well understood across the Trus 

• Provide strategic leadership to the Health & Safety team, building a high performing, future-focussed team 

• Review H&S monitoring and reporting systems ensuring they are utilised effectively and provide accurate and up to date assessment of actions and risks 

• Regularly review risk assessment processes to monitor effectiveness and implementation of actions 

• Work closely with the Head of Buildings Conservation, Regional Directors, Audit Risk Management Committee, Board, Executive Committee and Health & Safety Committee to support effective decision-making by balancing risk with heritage and conservation principles  

• Represent the Trust as a senior leader to regulators, and other external partners, building influence and shaping perception of the Trust as a high-performing organisation 

What We’re Looking For: 

• Proven track record in a senior leadership role in Health & Safety in a diverse, multi-site, dispersed workforce 

• Experience of introducing and leading transformation programmes, including digital systems 

• Demonstrable experience of successful budget management 

• Experience of planning and prioritising competing demands, along with highly developed communication and influencing skills 

• Strong leadership skills with a track record of managing high-performing teams 

• A passion for conservation and alignment with the values of the National Trust for Scotland