Head of Occupational Health & Wellbeing

10-12 MONTH FIXED TERM CONTRACT

The purpose of this role is to lead, develop and deliver a best-in-class Occupational Health function aligned with the organisation’s strategic risks and objectives. The successful candidate will provide expert clinical oversight, ensure legal and regulatory compliance, manage health risks, and partner with business, HR and safety stakeholders to drive proactive health, wellbeing and rehabilitation interventions.

What you’ll be doing as a Head of Occupational Health & Wellbeing

• Provide expert advice and oversight on complex occupational health / fitness-for-work / return-to-work cases.
• Oversee and assure the quality of health surveillance, screening and medical referral processes.
• Ensure protocols, clinical pathways and standard operating procedures are fit-for-purpose and consistently applied.
• Audit clinical practice, monitor outcomes and lead continuous improvement.
• Define the strategic direction and roadmap for Occupational Health (OH) aligned with organisational goals (e.g. absence reduction, wellbeing, culture).
• Develop business cases, resource plans and investment proposals for OH services.
• Innovate new service models (e.g. digital health, telemedicine, proactive health programmes).
• Develop and maintain OH policies, processes, and governance frameworks.
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation (Health & Safety, employment law, GDPR, Equality Act etc.).
• Maintain and update the clinical risk register, incident reporting, root-cause investigations and corrective actions.
• Lead accreditation or certification programmes (e.g. SEQOHS) and external audits.
• Own and manage the OH budget, forecasting and resource allocation.
• Monitor performance of the OH service (KPIs, SLAs, turnaround times) and deliver efficiency improvements.
• Oversee operational delivery — scheduling, triage, staffing, systems.
• Ensure data integrity, confidentiality, and integration of OH digital systems with HR / safety platforms.
• Drive audit, evaluation and metrics.
• Design and deliver training for line managers, HR, employees on health, sickness management, reasonable adjustments.
• Lead health promotion, wellbeing campaigns (physical, mental, ergonomic).
• Communicate OH services, policies, guidance and updates in a clear and engaging way.
• Promote a culture of prevention, early intervention and health ownership.

Base location: Reading / London - Hybrid
Working pattern: 36 Hours

What you should bring to the role
To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need is:

• Registered clinician (e.g. Nurse, Physician, Allied Health Professional) with current professional registration (e.g. NMC, GMC, HCPC).
• Postgraduate qualification (or working toward) in Occupational Health or related discipline (e.g. Diploma in Occupational Health Practice – DipOHPrac).
• Membership of relevant professional bodies (e.g. Faculty of Occupational Medicine, Society of Occupational Medicine).
• Continuous Professional Development (CPD) record.
• Competent in fitness-for-work assessments, clinical evaluation and occupational case management.
• Proficiency in health surveillance programmes (e.g. respiratory, noise, HAVS, biological hazards).
• Understanding of occupational hygiene / exposure science principles (chemical, physical, ergonomic hazards).
• Skill in interpreting and applying health risk assessments, workplace hazard assessments and control strategies.
• Ability to design, audit, evaluate clinical protocols, policies, standard operating procedures.
• Capability in use of data, metrics and analytics to identify trends, priority areas, and measure outcomes.
• Proficiency with electronic health / OH record systems, integration with HR / safety systems.
• Strong report writing, clinical documentation, and ability to produce clear, actionable recommendations.
• Extensive experience in occupational health or related field, including case management, health surveillance, return-to-work.
• Strong knowledge of UK OH, health & safety, employment law and clinical governance.

Additional skills and experiences would be great to have/bring:

• Formal HOP training or certification in learning teams.
• Experience at senior / leadership level in OH.
• Exposure to occupational hygiene, exposure science, specialist hazards.
• Experience in service transformation, change management.
• Commercial experience: contracting, outsourcing, provider negotiation.
• Strong track record in influencing, stakeholder engagement and negotiation.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary up to £110,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays).
• Car Allowance.
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Private Medical Health Care.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks

Who are we?
We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.
Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.
Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.