Head of HSW Operational Excellence

Join Ferrovial: Where Innovation Meets Opportunity

Are you ready to elevate your career with a global leader in infrastructure solving complex problems and generating a positive outcome on people's lives? At Ferrovial, we are not just a company; we are a community of innovators and trailblazers. Listed on three major stock markets: Nasdaq (US), Euronext Amsterdam (Netherlands) and IBEX 35 (Spain), we are also member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and FTSE4Good. We operate in more than 15 countries and have a workforce of over 24,000 professionals worldwide, including Highways, Airports, Construction, and Energy.

Ferrovial Construction is internationally recognized for its capacity to design and build civil engineering and construction projects, mainly in large transportation infrastructure. Its track-record to date includes more than 304 miles of tunnels, 11,930 miles of roads (including 2,485 miles of highways), 2920 miles of railroad lines (including 434 miles of high-speed railroads) and 16,994 miles of road maintenance and repair.

Why Ferrovial?

• Global presence, local impact: Be part of a company that is shaping the future of infrastructure worldwide, with challenging roles and projects that make a real difference.
• Collaborative excellence: Work alongside talented professionals in a collaborative environment where your ideas and contributions are valued.
• Inclusive culture: Thrive in an innovative and respectful workplace that values every voice, celebrates what makes us unique and turns differences into innovation.
• Career growth: Benefit from global and cross-business unit mobility, with development processes designed to ensure your professional growth.
• Compelling benefits and employee wellbeing: Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that rewards your hard work and dedication and take advantage of initiatives designed to support your physical and psychological health.
• Productivity tools: Utilize cutting-edge tools like Microsoft Copilot to enhance your productivity and efficiency.

Job Description

Main functions:

Four areas of operation, and the development of necessary processes, tools, key indicators, and personnel to sustain each area of operation. All activities are to be conducted in coordination with BU HSW Leads.

1. Knowledge and Learning

• Organize HSW knowledge, practices, and methods and make it universally accessible and useful to all projects, companies, and levels of the organization
• Create new bodies of knowledge – conducting internal data analysis studies, e.g., precursor analysis of HiPos and SIFs, license to operate effect on SIF rate, trends in critical control failure modes, empirical studies on the effectiveness of HSW interventions, etc.
• Support operations, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and know-how across projects, business units, and regions through individual and small group meetings and interactions.
• Establish and monitor framework, to ensure that all employees are trained in relevant health and safety procedures and that they have access to appropriate resources and support.
• Keep abreast of state-of-the-art HSW practices, tools, technologies for improvement opportunities and knowledge transfer within the organization
• Manage the creation of new HSW training content that is engaging and effective.
• Establish, implement, and maintain current, a robust HSW induction and "license to operate" for all levels of the organization, including contractors.
• Establish SIF prevention, SIF precursor, etc. training as an annual requirement for all levels, including contractors.

Tools: HS Hub, Workday

2. Continuous Improvement

• Champion "Operational excellence with safety at the forefront," utilizing Continuous Improvement (CI) methods, e.g., lean principles, 6S, kaizen, etc.
• Establish a CI process, e.g., involving front line operations to identify improvement opportunities, facilitate solutions, test, and measure improvement actions, and standardize the best practices that emerge across the organization.
• Develop local HSW and Operational team members, "train the trainer" programs e.g., Field Safety Engagement tool/ program to sustain local CI improvement actions.

Tools: to be developed

3. Supply Chain / Contractor Management

• Harmonize contractual HSW requirements of contractors and sub-tiers
• Establish a uniform system of contractor qualification and evaluation
• Develop processes for contractor HSW "license to operate" assurance

Tools: to be incorporated with existing systems / developed.

4. Select Large and Complex Projects

• Provide corporate level leadership to large and complex projects to assure Severe Injury and Fatality (SIF) Prevention.
• Work closely with BU HSW lead and Project team to ensure HSW alignment
• Support mutually agreeable HSW frameworks on Joint Venture projects
• Support BU tender of large projects from an HSW perspective
• Add value to project planning from the design phase through installation means and methods.
• Support the recruitment of the project HSW team
• Provide oversight of the HSW project plan / management system, and key indicators

Tools: Ensure corporate requirements are incorporated into JV systems

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Degree in Engineering, Occupational Health & Safety, or a related discipline
• Postgraduate qualification (MSc or equivalent) in Safety, Risk Management, or Engineering (preferred)

Professional Experience

• Minimum 10–15 years of experience in Health & Safety, with a strong track record in operational environments (construction, infrastructure, engineering, or similar sectors)
• Proven experience in leading HSW transformation or operational excellence initiatives at corporate or multi-business unit level
• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale, complex projects with significant safety risk exposure
• Strong background in continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, etc.)
• Experience working with and managing contractors and complex supply chains

Industry & Company Background

• Previous experience in organizations with high standards of Health & Safety performance and culture (e.g., leading infrastructure, construction, industrial or energy companies)
• Exposure to mature safety management systems and advanced HSW practices
• Strongly preferred experience in European and/or UK markets, or
• Demonstrated familiarity with regulatory frameworks, standards, and operating practices in these regions
• Experience working in international and multicultural environments

Seize the challenge. Move the world together! Innovative, creative, respectful, and diverse are some of the ways we describe ourselves. We are motivated by challenges, and we collaborate across our business units to move the world together. Your journey to a fulfilling career starts here!

Ferrovial is an equal opportunity employer. We treat all job applications equally, regardless of gender, color, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, covered veteran status or protected genetic information (each, a "Protected Class"), or any other protected class in accordance with applicable laws.

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