Overview
What is a SHEQ Manager?
SHEQ specialists focus on the Safety, Health, Environment and Quality assurance side of the built environment. Whilst a SHEQ Manager may take responsibility for all these aspects, a SHEQ team member may be responsible for a specific area, such as compliance.
A SHEQ Manager may be referred to by other, similar titles, such as SHEQ Compliance Manager, SHEQ Advisor or even SHEQ Officer.
How much do SHEQ Managers earn?
The salary of a SHEQ Manager is usually between: £30,000-£45,000 a year.
Skills
What’s required for the role?
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
- IT skills and digital literacy
- Maths and numeracy
- Business skills such as strategy and financial modelling
- Ability to drive and embed change
- Comfort working and influencing others at all levels
- Record keeping and report writing
- Effective communication skills, written and verbal
- Coaching skills
- Familiarity with legal standards and compliance
- Comprehensive understanding of safety regulations and legal requirements
- Accuracy and attention to detail
- Planning and organising skills
- Knowledge of sustainability and environmental issues
Details
What does a SHEQ Manager do?
A SHEQ Manager working in this field can have a wide range of key responsibilities, including:
What is the work environment like?
SHEQ Managers work on-site, delivering frontline SHEQ advice and training to line managers and the workforce. It’s a role that is split between the office and the construction site, depending on the nature of the employer, making it a busy profession with frequent contact with other stakeholders.
Opportunities
Is SHEQ a good career?
SHEQ is a broad field in the built environment that spans multiple disciplines and functions, making it a particularly varied role. For people seeking a diverse, detail-oriented career driven by safety and relationships, this can be a rewarding area to work in.
Health and safety and sustainability are two key areas where the construction industry is suffering from a shortage of skills. According to a UCEM survey of 300 built environment professionals, 98% agreed that the sector desperately needs more sustainability skills. In addition, with 41% of the construction workforce expected to have retired by 2031, workers with knowledge of safety regulations and environmental standards will be in high demand going forward.
What’s more, in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, there’s never been greater pressure on the built environment to ensure the safety of a building’s inhabitants and meet increasingly stringent quality standards, meaning roles like SHEQ will play a key role in the future of the sector.
The role of a SHEQ Specialist is also not specific to the built environment – professionals in this area have transferrable skills that can be taken to other industries and sectors, adding another layer of security and long-term employment.
Become a SHEQ manager
Who can work in SHEQ management?
If you’re interested by the prospect of becoming a SHEQ Manager, there’s nothing stopping you from launching your career in this field. At UCEM, students from across the world have undertaken their studies and successfully entered areas like SHEQ in the built environment. Find out about their experiences below:
How to become a SHEQ Manager
To launch a career in SHEQ, previous experience or qualifications in areas like facilities management, building services or even construction
Specific health and safety qualifications and memberships from professional bodies like the National Examination Board in Occupational Health and Safety (NEBOSH) and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) can also put you in a strong position.
Online CPD courses in relevant subjects are another way to strengthen your employment credentials. Examples of these include:
