Health, Safety and Compliance Specialist

Location         : Hammersmith, UK     

Reporting to  : Senior Manager, Facilities and Laboratory Operations                  

 

Orchard Therapeutics, a Kyowa Kirin company, is a global gene therapy leader focused on transforming the lives of patients with rare disorders through innovative gene therapies based on gene-modified hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Orchard has its global headquarters in London, England, and its U.S. headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts.

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced and proactive Health, Safety & Compliance Specialist to support all aspects of health & safety, regulatory compliance, and biological safety across the organisation. This role will serve as the company’s appointed Biological Safety Officer (BSO) and will ensure full compliance with UK health & safety legislation, biological safety regulations, and internal governance standards. The successful candidate must have demonstrable experience managing health, safety and compliance within a regulated environment.

 

Key Responsibilities

Health & Safety

• Assist in the development, implementation and continuous improvement of the company’s Health & Safety Management System.
• Champion compliance with relevant legislation including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and associated regulations.
• Conduct risk assessments (including COSHH and biological risk assessments) and ensure appropriate control measures are implemented.
• Assist in development and delivery of H&S policies, procedures, and safe systems of work.
• Actively participate in incident investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective action planning.

Biological Safety Officer (BSO) Duties

• Act as the designated Biological Safety Officer for the organisation.
• Ensure compliance with biological safety legislation and containment requirements.
• Oversee safe handling, storage, transport and disposal of biological materials.
• Conduct biological risk assessments and ensure appropriate containment measures.
• Provide expert advice on biosafety matters to management and operational teams.
• Lead biological safety audits and inspections.
• Liaise with regulatory bodies as required.

Compliance & Governance

• Deliver engaging EHS training programs to foster a culture of safety awareness and compliance with relevant regulatory, statutory and accreditation requirements.
• Maintain documentation, permits, licenses, and regulatory submissions.
•  Actively participate in internal and external audits.
• Develop compliance training programs for staff.
• Stay current with changes in legislation and best practice.

Training & Culture

• Promote a positive health & safety culture across the organisation.
• Deliver training and toolbox talks.
• Provide guidance and coaching to managers and staff.
• Act as the subject matter expert for health, safety and biological compliance matters.

Education / Key Competencies

• Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology or related field with at least 5 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified. Experience within laboratory, pharmaceutical, biotech, and/or manufacturing industries preferred.
• NEBOSH General Certificate desirable.
• Formal training or demonstrable experience in biological safety.
• Eligible to act as Biological Safety Officer.
• Proven experience in a Health & Safety leadership role.
• Experience managing biological hazards in a regulated environment.
• Experience conducting audits and working with regulatory bodies.
• Strong knowledge of UK H&S legislation and compliance frameworks.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and influencing abilities.
• High attention to detail.
• Ability to lead change and drive continuous improvement.
• Strong organisational and documentation skills.

Orchard is an equal opportunity employer. We recognise and celebrate the diverse culture of our workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our employees. We fully support the principle of Equality and Diversity in employment and oppose all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination. We assess all applications on basis of job requirements and individual qualifications.

We work within the requirements of all current legislation and we implement the provisions of regulatory codes of practice in employment.

Notice to All Applicants: Orchard Therapeutics participates in E-Verify