Health & Safety Contract Manager

Health & Safety Manager / Consultant – Data Center Construction
Type: Freelance / Contract
Location: Eskilstuna, Sweden
Working Model: On-site
Start: ASAP
Duration: 9 month initial contract

Overview
We are looking for an experienced Health & Safety Manager / Consultant to support major data center construction projects in Sweden.
Acting as the client-side Health & Safety representative, you will provide independent oversight and assurance of the General Contractor, Developers and subcontractors throughout the construction lifecycle.
This is a highly site-focused position requiring someone comfortable operating independently, challenging unsafe practices, conducting regular site inspections and audits, reviewing contractor safety management systems, and working closely with Construction Managers and project stakeholders to maintain a high standard of Health & Safety performance.
The successful contractor should have strong construction experience and the confidence to intervene and stop work immediately where an imminent danger or serious safety risk is identified.
Key Responsibilities
• Act as the client-side Health & Safety representative across construction activities.
• Monitor and evaluate the General Contractor’s and subcontractors’ implementation of the project Construction Safety Management Plan (CSMP).
• Ensure construction activities comply with project H&S requirements, risk assessments, safe systems of work and applicable local legislation.
• Conduct regular site inspections and daily safety walks across active construction areas.
• Identify elevated-risk activities, unsafe conditions, non-conformances and potential breaches of statutory requirements.
• Exercise Stop Work authority where an activity presents imminent danger or an immediate risk to life, health or the facility.
• Review contractor risk assessments, method statements, Activity Hazard Analyses and pre-task planning documentation.
• Assess whether contractors have the appropriate competencies, resources, appointments and controls to safely complete their scope of work.
• Conduct and document formal weekly Health & Safety audits and track findings through to closure.
• Support the Construction Manager with contractor meetings, safety meetings and daily project coordination.
• Review contractor corrective action plans and assess whether preventative and corrective measures adequately mitigate identified risks.
• Monitor contractor H&S performance and challenge General Contractors and subcontractors where improvements are required.
• Support the investigation and management of incidents, accidents and near misses.
• Review incident investigations, root-cause analysis and corrective actions and provide recommendations to prevent recurrence.
• Participate in post-incident reviews and follow-up audits.
• Ensure required incident notifications and regulatory reporting obligations are completed appropriately.
• Monitor the maintenance of project H&S files, permits, licences, certificates and supporting documentation.
• Maintain accurate records of safety observations, findings, actions and contractor performance using systems such as Procore or equivalent.
• Support monthly safety assessments, H&S performance reporting and safety metrics validation.
• Assist with periodic evaluations of General Contractor H&S performance.
• Coordinate closely with Construction Managers, contractors, suppliers and other project stakeholders.
• Support final project handover by ensuring relevant H&S documentation, permits, licences and certificates are complete and available.

Basic Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree or advanced technical qualification in one of the following: Health & Safety Management/Occupational Health & Safety/Engineering/ Construction/ Industrial Hygiene/ Similar technical discipline
OR
• Significant professional experience operating within Health & Safety management roles.
• Minimum 5+ years’ Health & Safety experience within industrial, civil, technology or major construction environments.
• Strong practical experience working directly on active construction sites.
• Strong understanding of the Health & Safety legislation and regulatory framework applicable to the country in which the project is being delivered.
• Practical experience with Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems such as ISO 45001 / OHSAS 18001.
• Demonstrable experience conducting:
o Construction site safety inspections
o H&S audits
o Hazard and risk assessments
o Safe method statement reviews
o Incident investigations
o Root-cause analysis
• Experience reviewing or auditing project Construction Safety Management Plans (CSMPs) or equivalent.
• Able to independently identify unsafe conditions and determine when construction activity must be stopped.
• Strong written reporting and documentation skills.
• Fluent in the local language of the project location with professional working proficiency in English.
Preferred Qualifications
• 5–10+ years of construction Health & Safety experience, particularly on complex or high-risk projects.
• Previous experience representing a client, developer, principal contractor or major construction organisation.
• Experience within:
o Data centres
o Mission-critical facilities
o Industrial construction
o Technology infrastructure
o Large-scale engineering projects
• Experience overseeing General Contractors and multiple subcontractors rather than solely providing H&S support to a single construction package.
• Experience reviewing RAMS, AHAs, PTPs and contractor safety documentation.
• Experience using Procore or similar construction management / H&S reporting systems.
• Experience managing and analysing project safety KPIs and performance metrics.
• Recognised Health & Safety certifications relevant to the local market, for example NEBOSH, IOSH, CSP, SiFa or equivalent.
• Previous experience supporting construction projects for international or multinational organisations.
• Experience participating in construction handover, commissioning or facility transition activities.
A Successful Profile Would Look Like
The strongest profile would be an experienced construction Health & Safety professional who is accustomed to representing the client rather than simply administering H&S documentation.
They would ideally have 8+ years’ experience working on major construction, industrial or mission-critical projects and be comfortable overseeing General Contractors and multiple subcontractors simultaneously.
They should be highly visible on site and able to move confidently between field-level safety observations and senior stakeholder discussions. A typical day could involve attending a toolbox talk, reviewing an Activity Hazard Analysis, conducting multiple site walks, challenging a contractor over an unsafe activity, documenting observations, reviewing corrective actions and then reporting the project’s overall safety position back to the Construction Manager.
The ideal contractor will be:
• Hands-on and site focused – regularly walking the construction site rather than operating primarily from an office.
• Confident and authoritative – comfortable challenging contractors and exercising Stop Work authority where required.
• Technically credible – understands construction hazards, risk controls, RAMS and safe systems of work.
• Strong on contractor assurance – experienced assessing whether a General Contractor is effectively managing its subcontractor supply chain.
• Strong on incident investigation – capable of challenging root-cause analysis and ensuring corrective actions address the underlying issue.
• Commercially and operationally aware – understands the need to maintain project progress while ensuring risks remain adequately controlled.
• Independent – capable of managing day-to-day H&S activities with limited supervision.
• A strong communicator – able to engage effectively with Construction Managers, engineers, General Contractors, subcontractors and senior project stakeholders.
• Structured and documentation focused – capable of producing clear audits, reports, observations and action tracking.
• Experienced in complex environments – ideally data centres, mission-critical construction, industrial facilities or similarly high-risk engineering projects.
Ideal Candidate Snapshot
8–15 years’ construction H&S experience + major project/site experience + client-side or principal contractor exposure + strong contractor management + RAMS/risk assessment + audits + incident/root-cause investigation + ISO 45001 + confident Stop Work authority + local language & English.