Regional Health and Safety Advisor

Start an exciting new chapter in your hospitality career at Hickory's Smokehouse - We are thrilled to have been recently crowned the ‘Best Pub Employer’ for 2025 at The Publican Awards!

As our Regional Safety Advisor, you will be the hands‑on, visible expert for a portfolio of our authentic and thriving smokehouses. Your mission is to champion our positive people‑first safety culture, providing practical and solutions focused support to our Area Managers, General Managers and Smokehouse teams.

This is a comprehensive and proactive role that covers all aspects of health, safety, fire, and licensing. You will be responsible for everything from conducting audits and risk assessments to investigating accidents, managing claims, and delivering training. This isn’t just a desk job; you’ll be in our smokehouses, working shoulder‑to‑shoulder with our teams to find solutions that work in our unique, fast‑paced environments.

• Act as the first point of contact for all safety, fire, and compliance matters, providing proactive, hands‑on support to smokehouse management teams.
• Undertake in-depth health and safety audits of smokehouses identifying and mitigating risks.
• Identify hazards and support with the completion and review of all site‑specific risk assessments.
• Support restaurant management teams in ensuring full compliance with action plans following internal and external audits.
• Organise, oversee, and drive engagement in restaurant H&S committee meetings.
• Liaise with third party support providing auditing and pest control services.

• Take the lead on fire safety, overseeing and arranging external fire risk assessments.
• Carry out internal fire risk assessment reviews with General Managers, ensuring all actions are tracked to completion.
• Ensure all fire safety procedures are robust and followed, including fire drills.

• Lead and conduct thorough investigations into all incidents, including accidents, near‑misses, alleged food poisonings, and any food allergy‑related incidents.
• Manage and provide on‑the‑ground support for any critical safety‑related concerns or incidents, such as fires, gas leaks, or hot water failures.
• Lead the management of any personal injury (PI) type claims, liaising with insurers, legal teams, and operational managers.

• Provide a range of engaging safety‑related training to Hickory’s teams to build competence and confidence.
• Oversee the implementation and compliance with all safety training requirements, ensuring all records are accurate and up‑to‑date.
• Coach and mentor General Managers and their teams to foster a positive and proactive safety‑first culture.

• Oversee compliance with all Licensing Act requirements, including the submission of Temporary Event Notices (TENs) and supporting with DPS‑related matters.
• Liaise with all enforcing authorities (EHO, Fire Service, Police, HSE) as required, acting as the key point of contact and managing any follow‑up actions.
• Work on specific risk and safety projects as directed by the Head of Risk.

• You are a people‑first safety professional who understands that 'best practice' has to work in the real world. You thrive in a busy, multi‑site environment and know how to build trust and influence at all levels.

• Excellent Communicator: You can explain complex safety concepts in a simple, engaging way.
• Pragmatic & Solutions‑Focused: You find solutions, not just problems.
• Influential & Confident: You are comfortable coaching a new team member one minute and advising a senior manager the next.
• Highly Organised: You can manage your own diary, prioritise tasks, and work with autonomy.
• Resilient & Positive: You have a can‑do attitude and thrive in a dynamic environment.
• A 'Hickory's' Person: You’re passionate, friendly, and genuinely care about people.
• A full valid UK driving licence is essential for this role.

• A generous Regional Health and Safety Advisor package of up to…