Safety Health Environmental Quality Director

Purpose of the role: The SHEQ Director is responsible for leading, developing, and implementing the regional Safety, Health, Environment and Quality strategy across Asia. The role provides strategic leadership and assurance to ensure compliance with local legislation, international standards, customer requirements, and company policies while driving a culture of safety excellence, environmental sustainability, operational quality, and continuous improvement.

As a member of the Asia Leadership Team, the SHEQ Director leads the integration of safety, health, environment, and quality principles into strategic and operational decision-making. Working closely with internal and external stakeholders, the role ensures SHEQ performance supports sustainable growth, operational excellence, risk reduction, employee and contractor safety, customer retention, and long-term business success across the region.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement the regional SHEQ strategy aligned with Consumer & Industrial goals.
• Provide guidance and support to BU senior leadership on workplace health, safety, environmental sustainability, quality assurance, and risk management frameworks. Create and maintain a high-performance safety culture across all operational locations.
• Support business growth activities, acquisitions, new market entry, and major projects through SHEQ oversight and due diligence.
• Represent the organisation externally on SHEQ-related matters across the Asia region
• Serve as the primary advisor to the Asia SLT on SHEQ compliance obligations, risk governance, assurance activities, and opportunities to strengthen operational integrity and business performance.
• Ensure SHEQ compliance, risk management, and ethical operating principles are embedded within business planning, investment decisions, operational strategies, and growth initiatives.
• Lead the harmonisation of SHEQ standards, management systems, and governance processes across the region, ensuring consistent compliance, accountability, and operational integrity across all countries.
• Provide independent oversight and challenge to ensure adherence to regulatory, customer, and internal requirements, while fostering a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure statutory compliance with all applicable legislation across the countries within the Asia region.
• Maintain effective governance frameworks, policies, standards, and assurance activities.
• Lead regional compliance monitoring programmes and regulatory engagement activities.
• Oversee external audits, customer audits, and regulatory inspections.
• Ensure certification and maintenance of management systems including: ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), ISO 9001 (Quality Management), 17025 (Laboratory Competence), 17065 (Certification Body Competence), 17024 (Personnel Certification)

Safety Leadership

• Ensure a robust Safety management framework exists across the region.
• Drive a zero-harm culture through proactive leadership and behavioural safety programmes.
• Establish regional safety objectives, KPIs, and lead the drive for continuous improvement plans.
• Lead the investigation of serious incidents and high-potential events.
• Ensure effective risk assessment, hazard identification, and control programmes are implemented.
• Monitor contractor safety performance and operational risk management processes.
• Champion employee wellbeing, occupational health and mental health initiatives.

Environmental Leadership

• Ensure a robust Environmental management framework exists across the region.
• Lead the implementation of environmental and sustainability strategies across the region.
• Ensure compliance with environmental permits, regulations, and reporting obligations.
• Support carbon reduction, energy management, waste reduction, and resource efficiency programmes.
• Drive environmental risk management and climate-related initiatives.
• Contribute to ESG reporting and sustainability disclosures.

Quality & Operational Excellence

• Develop, deploy and continually enhance quality management systems, ensuring compliance, effectiveness and alignment with business objectives.
• Drive a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement, risk-based thinking and quality maturity initiatives.
• Champion the voice of the customer by ensuring customer, regulatory and industry requirements are effectively translated into operational processes, performance measures and quality outcomes.
• Lead analysis of quality, customer and operational trends, systemic issues and improvement opportunities, driving sustainable actions to improve quality standards.
• Support customer retention, market growth and business development by building confidence in Element's quality performance, compliance framework and commitment to continual improvement.
• Ensure the integrity of services and processes through effective quality risk management, regulatory compliance, and oversight of audit and assurance programmes.

Risk Management & Assurance

• Lead regional risk assurance activities and compliance reviews.
• Develop risk management frameworks and controls.
• Provide assurance reporting to executive leadership and Board committees.
• Ensure business continuity and crisis management plans remain effective and tested.
• Lead SHEQ aspects of emergency preparedness and response programs.

Leadership & People Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a geographically dispersed SHEQ team.
• Build SHEQ capability across management and operational teams.
• Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Develop succession plans for key SHEQ positions.
• Promote diversity, inclusion, and collaborative leadership practices.

Skills & Qualifications

• Degree qualified or equivalent in Safety, Environmental Management, Engineering, Quality Management or related discipline. (Chartered status in a recognised professional body is desirable but not essential)
• Significant senior leadership experience in SHEQ within a multinational organisation.
• International experience operating across multiple countries and regulatory environments.
• Experience of infrastructure, construction, manufacturing, energy, logistics or industrial services sectors.
• Demonstrable knowledge of Risk Management Frameworks
• Demonstrable knowledge of ESG and Sustainability Programmes
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale safety and cultural transformation programmes.
• Strong commercial awareness and business acumen.

Travel Requirements

• Frequent international travel up to 40% across the Middle East, South East Asia and North East Asia.
• Occasional travel to UK