Health, Safety & Environment Manager

About the role

We're hiring a Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Manager to head the HSE function, owning safety protocols, environmental compliance, and risk management across the assembly operation. This role sits within the Operations pillar and is responsible for leading the facility's HSE initiatives, setting the technical direction for safety culture, regulatory compliance, and ISO standards, and ensuring HSE processes scale reliably as production volumes grow.

You will work closely with Operations Leadership, Engineering, Planning, and Procurement to translate product, process, and legal requirements into robust, documented, and scalable safety and environmental processes for our new factory supporting complex robotic platforms, including legged robots and humanoids.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead and develop the HSE function, setting priorities across new factory setup, commissioning, and continuous risk management projects.
• Own the development, implementation, and maintenance of robust HSE management systems fully compliant with ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety) and OSHAD, reviewing and approving site-wide protocols.
• Direct comprehensive baseline risk assessments, job hazard analyses, and environmental impact assessments for new assembly lines, automation equipment, and general manufacturing operations.
• Set the standard for incident reporting, lead root cause analysis investigations, and ensure the team implements effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) consistently.
• Drive a proactive "zero-harm" safety culture and continuous improvement initiatives across the line, applying practical methodologies to improve safety without bottlenecking production.
• Own the relationship and act as the primary focal point for all local authorities and regulatory bodies (e.g., Municipality, Civil Defense), ensuring accuracy in permitting and clearances.
• Ensure comprehensive HSE training programs, safety SOPs, and process documentation are developed, maintained, and followed across the team.
• Act as the senior HSE point of contact for new factory setup, escalations, and cross-functional safety decisions with engineering, quality, supply chain, and commercial teams.

Requirements:

• 10 to 12 years of experience in progressive, dedicated HSE roles, including experience leading a site's safety function, preferably in a start-up or scale-up environment with manufacturing/assembly experience.
• UAE experience preferred, with familiarity with local regulatory requirements and a track record of successfully navigating local authority inspections.
• Proven hands-on experience with the HSE requirements for the construction, setup, and operational handover of at least one new manufacturing factory (greenfield or brownfield).
• Working knowledge and expert-level practical experience implementing, auditing, and maintaining ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 and OSHAD standards, and ability to set governance standards for the team.
• Strong grounding in incident management and root cause analysis methodologies, with experience driving corrective actions through others.
• Experience developing safety SOPs, work instructions, and HSE policies, and holding a team accountable to them.
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, early-stage, or scaling business environments, and managing competing priorities across projects and people.

Education and certifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Science, or a related technical discipline.
• Registered as an OSHAD OSH Practitioner is highly preferred.
• Certified Lead Auditor for ISO 14001 and/or ISO 45001.
• Recognized professional HSE certifications (e.g., NEBOSH Diploma, CSP, or equivalent) considered an advantage.
• Familiarity with local HSE platforms and permitting portals is a plus.