Health & Safety Lead

About Us: At Dublin Simon Community, we're dedicated to making home a reality. We empower individuals to access and sustain housing through services like prevention, addiction treatment, emergency response, and targeted interventions, in collaboration with our partners.

If you share our values and want to make a difference, we'd love to hear from you. We're looking for client-focused, friendly, and adaptable individuals to join our team.

We prioritise best practices in HR, including staff training, communication, and involvement in decision-making, to create a supportive and effective work environment.

About the Role

This is a Senior Management role and an opportunity to lead Health & Safety within an organisation working at the forefront of addressing homelessness in Ireland.

As member of senior management and organisational Health & Safety Lead, you will play a critical role in ensuring the safety, dignity and wellbeing of both staff and the individuals we support. This is a hands on leadership role, combining strategic oversight with strong operational engagement across services, properties, and frontline environments.

This is a newly created role, offering the opportunity to build on strong existing systems and compliance foundations, while embedding a more consistent, practical, and culture led approach to safety in day to day operations.

Lead reports into the Director of Advocay and Compliance.

Location: Central Dublin & Hybrid.

Contract: Permanent

Salary: Depending on experience. Salary range from €60,000 to €70,000

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the continued development of the organisation's Health & Safety Policy and implementation of H&S plans
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on all H&S matters.
• Ensure strong alignment between policy, compliance, and operational practice.
• Embed a culture where safety is understood as a core part of quality service delivery.

Operational Safety & Service Delivery

• Provide oversight and assurance through annual planning, that Health & Safety is effectively implemented across all services, sites, and operational activities.
• Ensure the safety of buildings, facilities, and physical environments, working closely with Property, operational teams, and local management.
• Support and challenge services to implement safe systems of work that are practical and workable in frontline settings.
• Provide hands on guidance in managing risk in complex, client facing environments, including lone working and high risk situations.
• Conduct and oversee risk assessments relating to service delivery, staff activities, and client interactions.
• Ensure consistency between documented policies and actual day to day practices across the organisation.

Systems, Compliance & Governance

• Oversee and continuously improve the organisation's Health & Safety Management Systems.
• Ensure full compliance with all relevant Health & Safety legislation, while driving standards beyond minimum requirements.
• Maintain and develop policies, procedures, and the Safety Statement.
• Lead internal audits and ensure effective follow up and improvement actions.
• Support the management of H&S related claims and liaise with insurers where required.

Engagement, Culture & Consultation

• Champion a positive, proactive, and people centred safety culture
• Chair the Health & Safety Oversight Group and support effective engagement with Health & Safety representatives and staff consultation and working groups
• Work collaboratively with managers and frontline teams to build ownership of safety
• Promote a trauma informed approach to safety in service delivery

Performance, KPIs & Reporting

• Develop and monitor Health & Safety KPIs aligned with organisational goals and annual planning
• Provide regular reporting and insights to the Executive Team and Board
• Use data and trends to drive continuous improvement and informed decision making
• Track performance across services and ensure accountability for safety outcomes

Person Specification

• Bring experience in Health & Safety, risk, compliance, or operational roles
• Have a strong understanding of H&S legislation and practical application
• Be comfortable working both strategically and operationally
• Be confident engaging with frontline teams and influencing practice
• Have the ability to translate policy into practical, workable solutions
• Be motivated by working in a complex, people focused environment

Qualifications & Experience

• A qualification in Health & Safety (e.g. NEBOSH, IOSH or equivalent) is desirable
• However, support will be provided to the right candidate to develop formal H&S qualifications
• We welcome candidates with relevant transferable experience, particularly in operational, social care, housing, or similarly complex environments

What Success Looks Like

• Strong alignment between policy, systems, and real world practice
• Consistent and effective safety standards across all services and properties
• High levels of engagement from staff and management in safety
• Clear visibility and ownership of safety performance across the organisation
• A Health & Safety function that supports both operational excellence and social impact

Benefits to working with Dublin Simon Community

• 25 days annual leave
• 5% matched contribution to your pension
• Paid Sick Leave Policy
• Paid Maternity Leave Policy
• Bike to Work Scheme
• Commuter Travel Tax Savers Ticket

Dublin Simon Community is an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from all qualified individuals.