Director – SHE people, Workplace & Capital
Macclesfield
At AstraZeneca, we are driven by our commitment to deliver accelerated growth and to make people's lives better. We thrive in our often intense and ambiguous environment, seeking out new challenges and working towards new solutions. We are part of an inclusive and giving community, supporting each other on our journeys. We are leading the way in delivering Lean processes that drive greater efficiency and speed. Sustainable practices are at the heart of what we do, ensuring we manage our environmental impact across all our activities and products.
We are now looking for a Director – SHE people, Workplace & Capital to join the team!
Introduction to Role
To hold the integrated Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) People, Workplace and Capital pillar of the Macclesfield Campus. The role owns the industrial hygiene programme, occupational health and wellbeing, the regulator-facing environmental and chemical compliance estate, and the SHE governance of the Campus capital investment portfolio — including engineering projects, construction activity, and infrastructure change. The role provides Director-level accountability for the people-facing dimensions of SHE culture, the workplace exposure environment, and the safe delivery of capital change across the site.
Accountabilities
- Hold named accountability for RIDDOR notifications, EA Environmental Permit breach notifications, Home Office Controlled Drugs licence administration, and DGSA statutory function (delegated to the SHE Regulated Operations Specialist).
- Own the Campus capital project SHE interface, including CDM Principal Designer / Principal Contractor governance for all engineering and construction investments, F10 notification governance, and pre-commissioning SHE assurance. Works closely with the Responsible Engineer for Construction Safety
- Lead and develop a team of 4 Subject Matter Experts (SME) and Lead roles, with clear annual objectives, capability development plans, and succession pipeline for each role.
- Govern the Campus industrial hygiene programme, including exposure monitoring strategy, exposure registers, control-hierarchy decisions.
- Govern the consolidated regulator-facing environmental and dangerous goods estate including EA Environmental Permit, trade effluent consent, borehole abstraction licence, REACH, Home Office Controlled Drugs.
- Champion the people-facing dimensions of SHE culture — sponsor the site-wide behavioural safety strategy, Hearts and Minds programme, Genba presence, wellbeing initiatives, mental-health support, and psychosocial-safety strategy.
- Sponsor the Campus leadership capability programme — felt leadership, safety conversations, and Genba quality — in collaboration with pillar Director peers.
- Sponsor the deployment of AI process-driven systems within the pillar — instrumented compliance register, statutory-clock dashboards, permit lifecycle workflows, and audit-evidence assembly.
- Represent the pillar at senior leadership teams and external forums including HSE OH inspectorate, EA regional, and Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service for workplace and capital project matters.
- Ensure qualified occupational hygienist competence is maintained on the Campus with a live succession plan (recognising the depth of the potent-compound IH capability).
- Active contribution to the Senior Director SHE's integrated annual plan; cross-pillar collaboration with Process Safety on capital project SHE and with SHE Management Systems on audit response.
- AZ Pharma SHE peer-network participation on occupational health, industrial hygiene, and workplace and capital project SHE topics.
- Internal advice to HR Business Partner on disability, reasonable-adjustment cases, and workplace psychosocial issues.
Essential Skills & Experience
- Degree qualified in occupational health, industrial hygiene, environmental science, engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
- Significant SHE leadership experience at regulated industrial sites.
- Demonstrated leadership of multi-discipline SHE teams including OH, industrial hygiene, and capital project SHE.
- Strong working knowledge of UK occupational health, industrial hygiene, environmental, construction safety, Safe Systems of Work and chemical regulatory frameworks.
- CDM 2015 Principal Designer or Principal Contractor experience at project-portfolio scale.
- Chartered status (CMIOSH, MFOM, CIEH, or equivalent).
- Track record of credible regulator engagement with HSE, EA, or equivalent.
Desirable Skills & Experience
- Pharmaceutical industry experience.
- Experience of AI-enabled SHE management-system deployment.
- Wellbeing or psychosocial-safety programme leadership.
- Major capital project SHE assurance experience
Applications close midnight Wednesday 7th October
Please note that interviews for this role are likely to commence 14th October 2026
At AstraZeneca, we are leading our Operations function at an exciting time of growth and evolution. We pioneer new approaches and processes across our sites, empowering our teams to foster a Lean mindset and sustainable practices. Every change we make is to deliver better outcomes for our patients. We are the champions of Lean, ensuring our teams understand and embody the benefits it can bring. There's improved quality and safety, as well as speed. Our manufacturing sites are environments of constant and rapid change. It's a place to expect the unexpected. There's rarely an obvious answer to the varied challenges we face, so it takes adaptability, flexibility and patience to thrive here.
When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions.
Ready to take the next step in your career?
Apply Today!
Date Posted
25-Sept-2026
Closing Date
07-Oct-2026
Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.
