HSSE Director (Noatum Ports)

Job Purpose

The International HSSE Director is responsible for providing strategic leadership, governance, and oversight of Health, Safety, Security and Environmental activities across the Group’s international ports and terminal operations.

The role will establish and maintain a consistent international HSSE framework, ensuring that all business units operate safely, responsibly, and in compliance with applicable local legislation, international standards, Group policies, and industry best practices.

The role will support Noatum Ports operations across multiple countries and will work closely with regional leadership teams, port and terminal management, operational functions, and corporate HSSE teams.

The position requires extensive international HSSE leadership experience within the ports, terminals, maritime, logistics, or cargo-handling industry.

Key Responsibilities

HSSE Strategy and Leadership

• Develop and implement the international HSSE strategy for ports and terminal operations.
• Align international HSSE objectives with the Group’s overall business strategy, operational priorities, and sustainability commitments.
• Provide strategic advice to senior leadership regarding HSSE risks, performance, compliance, and improvement priorities.
• Promote a strong safety culture across all international operations.
• Act as the senior HSSE subject-matter expert for international ports and terminals.
• Establish clear HSSE priorities, standards, and performance expectations across all countries and business units.
• Ensure HSSE considerations are integrated into operational planning, investment decisions, acquisitions, projects, and new market entries.

International HSSE Governance

• Develop and maintain a consistent HSSE governance framework across international operations.
• Ensure local operations comply with Group HSSE policies, minimum standards, procedures, and reporting requirements.
• Define the governance structure, responsibilities, authorities, and escalation processes for HSSE matters.
• Establish appropriate levels of HSSE assurance based on operational risk and business complexity.
• Review and approve country and terminal-level HSSE plans.
• Ensure appropriate HSSE controls are incorporated into operational procedures, contracts, and management systems.
• Monitor the implementation of corrective and preventive actions arising from audits, investigations, inspections, and risk assessments.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with applicable health, safety, security, environmental, maritime, port, and labour-related regulations in each country of operation.
• Maintain oversight of changes to relevant legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Work with Legal, Compliance, HR, Operations, Engineering, and Security teams to ensure regulatory requirements are translated into operational controls.
• Support business units during regulatory inspections and interactions with government authorities.
• Ensure licences, permits, certifications, and regulatory approvals related to HSSE are maintained.
• Escalate significant compliance risks or breaches to senior management.
• Coordinate with local HSSE teams to maintain country-specific legal registers.

. HSSE Management Systems

• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of integrated HSSE management systems.
• Ensure alignment with relevant international standards, including ISO 45001, ISO 14001, and other applicable standards.
• Establish standard operating procedures, guidelines, and technical requirements for port and terminal activities.
• Ensure management systems are practical, risk-based, and suitable for different operational environments.
• Support operations in obtaining and maintaining relevant HSSE certifications.
• Ensure document control, record keeping, and management review processes are effectively maintained.

. Risk Management

• Establish a consistent HSSE risk-management methodology across international operations.
• Ensure risk assessments are completed for routine, non-routine, and high-risk activities.
• Review significant operational, environmental, security, and occupational-health risks.
• Maintain oversight of critical controls and high-potential risk exposures.
• Develop and monitor risk-reduction plans.
• Ensure HSSE risks are included in corporate and operational risk registers.
• Provide HSSE input into business continuity, crisis-management, and emergency-response planning.
• Escalate material HSSE risks to the appropriate governance committees.

Incident Management and Investigation

• Establish consistent incident notification, classification, investigation, and reporting requirements.
• Lead or oversee investigations into fatalities, serious injuries, high-potential incidents, significant environmental events, and major security incidents.
• Ensure root-cause-analysis methodologies are applied consistently.
• Review investigation reports and verify the adequacy of corrective actions.
• Ensure lessons learned are shared across countries, terminals, and business units.
• Identify recurring trends and systemic weaknesses.
• Monitor the timely closure and effectiveness of corrective actions.
• Provide senior management with clear reports on significant incidents and required interventions.

=Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Management

• Ensure each location maintains effective emergency-response and crisis-management plans.
• Establish minimum requirements for emergency preparedness across ports and terminals.
• Coordinate emergency exercises, drills, and simulations.

Security Oversight

• Provide strategic oversight of security risks across international port and terminal operations.
• Ensure alignment with applicable port-security and maritime-security requirements.
• Support compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code where applicable.
• Coordinate with corporate and local security teams on physical security, access control, cargo security, and threat management.
• Ensure security risk assessments and site-security plans are regularly reviewed.
• Support the management of civil unrest, geopolitical risks, theft, sabotage, terrorism, and other security threats.
• Ensure effective incident escalation and communication protocols are maintained.

Environmental Management and Sustainability

• Lead environmental compliance and performance improvement across international operations.
• Support the implementation of environmental and sustainability objectives.
• Establish environmental monitoring and reporting requirements.
• Ensure environmental incidents are reported, investigated, and addressed.
• Work with sustainability teams to support carbon-reduction and resource-efficiency initiatives.
• Ensure new projects and expansions consider environmental risks and regulatory requirements.

Occupational Health and Well-Being

• Establish occupational-health standards appropriate to port and terminal operations.
• Ensure health risks such as noise, vibration, heat exposure, fatigue, manual handling, ergonomics, and chemical exposure are assessed and controlled.
• Support medical-surveillance and fitness-for-work programmes where required.
• Develop fatigue-management requirements for shift-based operations.
• Work with HR and operational teams to promote employee well-being and occupational-health awareness.
• Monitor occupational illnesses and health-related absence trends.
• Lead and develop regional, country, and terminal HSSE leaders.
• Define clear objectives and performance expectations for the international HSSE function.
• Support workforce planning, recruitment, development, and succession planning.
• Build a strong network of HSSE professionals across international operations.
• Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing between corporate and local teams.
• Ensure HSSE teams have appropriate authority, competency, and resources.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and development discussions.

Qualifications

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Engineering, Environmental Science, Maritime Studies, Risk Management, or a related discipline.
• Professional qualification in health and safety, environmental management, security, or risk management.
• Recognised HSSE certification such as NEBOSH Diploma, IOSH, CSP, or equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 management systems.
• Formal training in incident investigation and root-cause analysis.
• Strong understanding of HSSE legislation and international standards.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Engineering, Environmental Management, Maritime Management, or Business Administration.
• Chartered or certified professional status in an HSSE-related discipline.
• Lead auditor certification for ISO 45001 and/or ISO 14001.
• Training in maritime security, crisis management, business continuity, or dangerous-goods management.
• Knowledge of the ISPS Code and applicable maritime regulations.

Experience

• Minimum 15+ years of progressive HSSE experience.
• At least 7 years in a senior leadership role.
• Significant experience within ports, terminals, maritime, stevedoring, cargo handling, or related logistics operations.
• Demonstrated experience managing HSSE across multiple countries, regions, or business units.
• Experience leading HSSE teams in complex, high-risk operational environments.
• Strong experience in incident investigation, regulatory compliance, operational safety, and contractor management.
• Experience working with executive leadership and presenting to senior governance committees.
• Experience establishing or transforming HSSE management systems across international operations.
• Experience supporting acquisitions, new projects, terminal start-ups, or operational integrations is highly desirable.

Technical Competencies

• International HSSE strategy
• Port and terminal operational safety
• Maritime and port security
• Environmental compliance
• Occupational-health management
• HSSE legislation and regulatory compliance