Elite Landscapes is a multi-award winning, industry leading full-service external works contractor, delivering soft and hard landscape works, maintenance services and with our partners, specialist features such as irrigation systems and water features for ground floors, podiums, and roof terraces.
We transform ambitious designs into reality through exceptional quality and meticulous attention to detail. With over 300 plus dedicated employees, our core expertise is in commercial landscape construction and maintenance, with project values ranging from £100,000 to £10 million and over, and an annual turnover of over £40 million.
Location: Regional office (Cookham, Berkshire), project sites (travel to sites required), London and the South of England
Contract Type: Full-time, permanent
Reports to: Managing Director
Role Purpose
Leads and maintains Elite Landscapes’ safety, health, environmental and quality (SHEQ) arrangements, providing competent advice, practical support and assurance to directors, managers and employees across the full project lifecycle – from tender and pre-construction through mobilisation, construction and handover to ongoing landscape maintenance. The role also mentors the SHE Apprentice, providing structured development, supervised practical experience and staged competency sign-off towards independent practice.
Key Responsibilities
Health, safety and compliance
- Acts as Elite’s competent health and safety adviser on UK legislation, HSE guidance and industry good practice; owns and continually improves SHEQ policies, procedures, RAMS frameworks and inspection systems.
- Plans and undertakes proportionate inspections and audits across projects and maintenance operations, ensuring findings are closed out; investigates accidents, incidents and near misses and coordinates statutory reporting.
- Maintains workforce consultation, toolbox talks and safety communications; holds stop-work authority for immediate or serious risk and escalates unresolved matters to a Director.
Project lifecycle and CDM
- Provides SHEQ input at tender and pre-construction (risks, methods, competence and compliance requirements) and confirms arrangements are in place before mobilisation; supports proportionate assurance through construction, handover, close-out and transition into maintenance, without taking over site management’s day-to-day role.
- Advises on Elite’s CDM 2015 duties and duty holder role, including Principal Contractor arrangements where applicable; undertakes Appointed Person (lifting) or Temporary Works Coordinator duties only where separately and formally appointed and competent.
- Acts as principal workplace mentor, maintaining a structured development plan aligned with the apprenticeship program; provides regular reviews, coaching and supervised exposure to inspections, audits, RAMS and compliance work, quality-checking output and signing off competency in stages before independent practice.
- Liaises with the training provider on workplace evidence and learning objectives, increasing the apprentice’s responsibility as competence develops.
- Competence, training and contractor assurance
- Owns Elite’s training and competency management system and CPD records; plans and delivers a structured monthly company-wide SHEQ training program and supports competence and authorisation for higher-risk activities.
- Supports approval and periodic review of contractors and suppliers, reviewing competence evidence and raising non-conformities; subcontractors remain responsible for managing their own workforce.
Environmental, quality and management systems
- Maintains environmental, sustainability and CSR arrangements (waste, pollution prevention, resource efficiency, carbon reduction) and the Quality Management System.
- Owns Elite’s ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certification requirements and the Integrated Management System, coordinating audits, surveillance/recertification and non-conformity close-out; administers Constructionline and other compliance and pre-qualification portals.
- Prepares SHEQ management information (trends, risks, audit findings, overdue actions) for senior management and identifies opportunities to simplify systems without adding unnecessary administrative burden.
Authority
- Raise SHEQ non-conformities and require corrective action; stop any activity presenting immediate or serious risk.
- Escalate significant or unresolved matters directly to a Director and recommend suspension of plant, activities or contractor operations where controls or competence cannot be demonstrated.
- Request records, evidence and information reasonably necessary to fulfil Elite’s assurance and compliance responsibilities.
Person Specification
- Demonstrable SHEQ management experience in construction, landscaping or a related contractor environment, with strong knowledge of UK health and safety legislation including CDM 2015 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
- Thorough working knowledge of ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 and their practical application within an integrated management system, including audits, evidence and corrective action.
- Experience managing certification, accreditation or pre-qualification requirements and external compliance portals, and owning a workforce training and competency system.
- Practical understanding of COSHH, PUWER, LOLER, Work at Height and related legislation; able to develop and critically review RAMS, procedures and management-system documentation.
- Relevant occupational health and safety qualification with evidence of ongoing continuing professional development.
- Confident communicator able to work effectively with Directors, managers, clients, employees and contractors, with experience coaching or mentoring less-experienced SHEQ personnel.
- Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel to various project sites within the region as required.
- Appointed Person or Temporary Works Coordinator competence or experience.
- Environmental, sustainability or CSR experience.
- Working knowledge of the Building Safety Act 2022; relevant professional membership.
- Working knowledge of National Highway Sector Schemes (NHSS) and streetworks.
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