Operational Specialist (Health & Safety)

We are seeking an experienced Health & Safety Advisor to join our Construction & Contracting Team, based in our Inverness offices and covering a large geographical area in northern Scotland.

You may also occasionally be asked to support other regions as needed.

In this role, you’ll provide health & safety support to various groups within the Capital Investment and enabling directorates, playing a key role in raising safety awareness and enhancing compliance.

You’ll work closely with internal stakeholders and construction partners to drive continuous improvement in health and safety performance and foster a positive safety culture across our Capital Investment Programme and operational activities.

This is a hybrid role, primarily site-based, with flexibility for hub and home working as required.

What you’ll do

As a Construction Health & Safety Advisor, you’ll play a key role in meeting the legal requirements placed on Scottish Water. You will provide thorough health and safety advice and support across all regional levels of the business, ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Construction Design Management (CDM) 2015 regulations and all other relevant UK legislation.

By aligning your approach with Scottish Water’s strategic objectives, you will play a crucial role in upholding our commitment to the highest standards of safety and compliance across the organisation.

Promoting safe practices in key risk areas such as Excavations, Working at Height, Lifting Operations, COSHH, DSEAR, Confined Spaces, Lone Working, and Temporary Works. Responding swiftly to any incidents, you’ll lead investigations to determine the root cause of accidents, helping to prevent future occurrences.

Your focus will be on building a strong culture of safety that extends throughout the organisation. In partnership with management, you’ll contribute to the development of health and safety action plans for Scottish Water and specific customer needs. This involves designing and delivering training that empowers managers and employees to understand and meet their safety responsibilities. You’ll gather feedback and provide follow-up support, enabling continuous improvement that goes beyond compliance to deliver best practices and value.

Your role will also involve auditing and reviewing Scottish Water’s safety management systems, and actively monitoring activities across operations, including our suppliers, contractors, and partners. Additionally, you’ll work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen health and safety performance through collaborative initiatives, site inspections, and customer liaison, fostering strong relationships built on trust and shared safety goals.

What you’ll need

You’ll need to be comfortable working independently, sometimes remotely, and motivated to deliver top-notch service across a wide area. You should have experience working with a diverse range of people at all levels and know how to positively influence health and safety culture here at Scottish Water.

You’ll also enjoy being part of a high-performing team and have a genuine desire to develop your skills, take on training, and learn from both internal and external coaching. We’re looking for someone with a NEBOSH General Certificate or NEBOSH Health and Safety Management for Construction as a minimum, who has construction site experience and can make smart, informed decisions even when things are moving fast. Experience working with key stakeholders and getting positive results is essential, too.

If you’re ready to build on your operational experience and are open to learning more about Scottish Water’s processes and practices, this role could be a great fit. You’ll need a solid grasp of health and safety legislation and the Construction Design Regulations, and a full, clean UK driving licence is a must.

It would also be great if you’re aiming for a NEBOSH Diploma or have already started on it! Experience with key health and safety aspects like energy isolations, contractor management, Excavations and utility avoidance, COSHH, DSEAR, permit-to-work systems, working at height, lifting operations, and confined spaces would be a plus.

Looking out for you

While the work we do is important, we know it’s not the only thing that matters. That’s why we make sure you have everything you need to find a good work-life balance.

But you’ll get plenty of time to recharge with 38 days of holiday every year (including public holidays). And you can even buy five more if you need a little extra time. You can also take paid time off to volunteer in your community.

When it comes to major life events we have family-friendly policies around adoption, maternity, and parental leave. And for the everyday? We embrace flexible working.

For your future, there’s our pension (the ‘know-what-you’ll-get-when-you-retire’ kind), as well as life assurance.

As for some nice extras? You can expect an annual company bonus. Not to mention access to SW Splash – handy rewards that can save you money on holidays, bills, and shopping.

The not-so-small print

This role will be a Grade 6. If you’re new to Scottish Water, you’ll join us on a starting salary of £37,815. Performance-driven pay progression would then allow you to move through the range to a maximum of £48,395.

If you’re interested in this role – or know someone else who might be - we’ll be accepting applications until midnight on the 1st July 2026

Job offers at Scottish Water are conditional, and will be confirmed on completion of our pre-employment screening, e.g. referencing, criminal record checks, license checks, etc. Screening is conducted on our behalf by a third party, and must be completed before your start date. Don’t worry - we’ll only start these checks once you’ve accepted an offer.