Health & Safety Lead

Health and Safety Programme Lead

Ballyragget | On-site role

Tirlán

Tirlán is a world-class food and nutrition co-operative, with a diverse portfolio of quality ingredients, leading consumer and agri brands.

Tirlán owns leading brands such as Avonmore, Kilmeaden Cheese, Millac, Solmiko, Truly Grass Fed, Premier Milk, Wexford, mymilkman.ie and GAIN Animal Nutrition.

We nurture a talented team across Ireland, the US, MEA and China, delivering annual revenues of over €3 billion, and circa 2,000 people to manage our network of 11 processing plants and 52 agri branches. Our purpose is to nourish the world, while safeguarding our environment for future generations.

Role Profile

We're looking for a proactive and experienced Health & Safety Programme Lead to join our Ballyragget site on a permanent basis.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in advancing health and safety performance at Europe's largest integrated dairy processing site, encompassing Butter, Cheese, Casein, Whey & R&D operations.

Reporting to the Site Health & Safety Manager, you will lead the implementation and continuous improvement of site health and safety programmes, partnering with operational teams to identify risks, drive compliance, and foster a culture where safety is at the heart of everything we do.

You will work closely with leaders, employees, contractors and external stakeholders to deliver best-in-class safety standards, support operational excellence, and contribute to the continued success of one of Tirlán's flagship manufacturing sites.

What You'll Do

• Support the implementation, maintenance and continuous improvement of the site's Health & Safety Management System (HSMS), ensuring compliance with company standards, legislation and ISO 45001 requirements.
• Lead and facilitate risk assessments, job safety analyses and the development of safe systems of work.
• Coordinate key health and safety programmes, including contractor management, permit-to-work processes and employee inductions.
• Conduct workplace inspections, audits and compliance reviews, ensuring corrective and preventative actions are effectively implemented.
• Lead and support accident, incident and near-miss investigations, carrying out root cause analysis and driving sustainable improvement actions.
• Provide day-to-day health and safety guidance to operational teams, supporting risk identification and risk reduction initiatives.
• Support the development and delivery of safety training, awareness programmes and employee engagement initiatives.
• Participate in HAZOP studies, ATEX assessments, process safety reviews and other risk management activities.
• Maintain accurate health and safety records, reports and documentation in line with regulatory and company requirements.
• Act as the site's Radiation Protection Officer (or Deputy Radiation Protection Officer), ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.
• Support emergency preparedness activities, including response planning, training and emergency drills.
• Build strong relationships across the site to promote a positive, proactive and collaborative safety culture.
• Liaise with contractors, auditors, regulatory bodies and other stakeholders on health and safety matters.
• Support Business Excellence initiatives, operational improvements and strategic site projects.
• Provide health and safety input to engineering, maintenance and capital projects to ensure safe design, construction and operational readiness.
• Act as deputy to the Site Health & Safety Manager when required.

What You'll Bring

• Third-level qualification in Health & Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering or a related discipline.
• 3-5 years' experience in a Health & Safety role within food, dairy, manufacturing or a similarly regulated environment.
• Strong knowledge of Irish Health & Safety legislation, risk assessment methodologies and incident investigation techniques.
• Experience supporting audits, inspections and compliance programmes.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and engage at all levels.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced operational environment.
• NEBOSH, IOSH or equivalent qualification (completed or in progress).
• Experience with ISO 45001 management systems would be advantageous.
• Familiarity with ATEX, COMAH and radiation safety regulations would be beneficial.

What Success Looks Like

You'll thrive in this role if you:

• Lead by example and champion a strong safety-first culture.
• Build trusted partnerships with colleagues across all levels of the organisation.
• Take a proactive approach to identifying risks and implementing practical solutions.
• Communicate effectively and influence positive behavioural change.
• Demonstrate resilience, accountability and sound judgement in a fast-paced environment.
• Use data, insights and root cause analysis to drive continuous improvement.
• Coach and support others to build health and safety capability across the site.
• Balance compliance requirements with operational needs to achieve sustainable business outcomes.
• Show a genuine passion for creating safer workplaces and protecting people.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

We believe in the value of difference. We know that different perspectives, life experience and backgrounds can drive innovation and deliver growth.

We welcome people from all walks of life without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, or disability status.

Join our Talent Pool

Considering a new career in Tirlán but this isn't the role for you? Join our talent community and sign up for job notifications at www.tirlan.com/careers

Tirlán is a Values Based Organisation.