Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Manager

Role Overview

This is a senior, field-active HSE leadership role at a fast-growing aquaculture operation based on Lake Victoria. You will own the day-to-day execution of the company’s health, safety, and environmental programmes across lake-based fishing, fish processing, cold-chain distribution, and active construction sites. Your primary mission is to keep every employee and contractor safe while ensuring full regulatory compliance, and to do so through visible presence, relentless follow-through, and a culture where reporting hazards is the norm.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive the roll-out and steady maintenance of the company’s HSE management system, including policies, risk registers, safe systems of work, and the incident-management framework – always in line with the group HSE plan.
• Chair safety committees and deliver monthly HSE performance reports to the Managing Director and leadership team, using agreed leading and lagging indicators to track progress and drive decisions.
• Hold and exercise the authority to stop any operation that poses an unacceptable safety risk, with no commercial or operational override permitted.
• Enforce stringent water and marine safety protocols on all lake activities – covering life-jacket compliance, vessel integrity, man-overboard drills, weather risk assessment, and swim competency – given this is the highest life-safety exposure in the business.
• Apply and audit safety controls for machines, chemicals, cold rooms, road transport, and construction work, including working at height, lifting operations, excavation safety, and contractor supervision.
• Ensure daily environmental compliance with NEMA licensing conditions, EIA/EA obligations, effluent and waste management, and water-quality monitoring, safeguarding the company’s licence to operate on Lake Victoria.
• Maintain statutory compliance with OSHA 2007, WIBA, and EMCA; act as the primary liaison with DOSHS and NEMA for inspections, registrations, audits, and returns.
• Deliver HSE induction and role-specific training, lead incident investigations and root-cause analyses, run emergency drills, and build a culture of near-miss reporting with closed-loop corrective actions.

Requirements & Qualifications

• At least 8 years of progressive HSE experience in Kenya or East Africa, with demonstrated hands-on ownership of both safety and environmental compliance in a high-hazard, multi-site environment.
• Background in one or more of: marine/maritime, manufacturing and food processing, construction, oil & gas, or logistics – with a clear record of implementing established HSE systems rather than simply administering paperwork.
• Registered as an OSH Advisor/Practitioner with DOSHS, plus a NEBOSH or equivalent professional HSE qualification; ISO 45001/14001 lead auditor certification is a strong advantage.
• Deep working knowledge of Kenyan HSE law (OSHA 2007, WIBA, EMCA) and familiarity with NEMA and DOSHS processes, including statutory reporting requirements.
• Proven ability to measurably reduce incidents through disciplined, consistent enforcement and visible field presence on boats, processing floors, and construction sites.
• Strongly preferred: prior exposure to water/marine safety or cold-chain operations, and experience commissioning HSE for a new processing or manufacturing facility.
• High integrity, independence, and courage to hold the line with senior operators; a natural coach who builds safety culture through engagement and not just policing.
• Excellent data discipline – able to track KPIs, close out corrective actions, and communicate clearly in writing and in person to leadership and regulators.

What We Offer / Why Join

You will get direct visibility into one of the world’s fastest-growing aquaculture companies, working within a mission-driven organisation committed to responsible food production on Lake Victoria. The leadership team is invested in your success and will provide active coaching, mentorship, and exposure to experienced leaders from both the entrepreneurial community and the social sector, giving you rare access to people and challenges you won’t find elsewhere.