Project Lead - Risk and Safety Management

Secret Compass is a Bristol-based risk management and expedition company, our ambitious projects seek to achieve the extraordinary in theworld’s wildest places. 

We are lucky to support a growing slate of TV and Film projects across the world spanning the breaking news, drama, natural history, reality TV and factual genres. Over the last decade we have also completed world-first trekking, packrafting and mountain biking expeditions across the globe, in locations as diverse as South Sudan, North Korea, Afghanistan, DRC and Panama’s infamous Darien Gap. 

As the company continues to grow, Secret Compass is recruiting an additional Project Lead - Risk and Safety Management, to assist us in delivering our growing portfolio of work across our range of projects.

Outline of role

The successful candidates will be an integral part of the Secret Compass Management Team, focused on the delivery of high quality, professional support across a wide range of varied projects in the TV and Film sphere. This will involve working with and being supported by the wider Secret Compass team in assessing projects, developing and reviewing risk assessments, safety plans and supporting our clients to successfully achieve their goals. 

Key areas of responsibility.

Oversee and manage TV Projects through the project lifecycle. 

• Initial client scoping, services proposals.
• Risk management advice (inc risk assessments, safety plans and Hostile Filming Protocols (with SC office support). 
• Staff TV projects (hire consultants, brief and prep for deployment).
• Ongoing risk management advice and support to productions.
• Debrief / reviews. 

Develop, maintain and evolve client relationships. You are the key point of contact between the client and SC and responsible for the relationship. 

Deploy as a Safety Advisor on location. On occasion, when skill set or project manager required. 

Review, develop and refine Risk Management best practice. Work with the team to refine our approach to the spectrum of risk management services we offer. As an example, this could be review of medical policy, consultant onboarding and training, data management, development of online client risk portal.

TV and Film – business strategy. Work with the Senior team to develop strategy for evolution of the risk management business.

Operational Cover:

This role is required to, on a scheduled and managed basis, take regular rotation of operational cover. This will include as a minimum, 

• Out of office hours contact via the duty mobile
• Emergency ‘on call’ out of office hours
• 
  

The successful candidate will preferably have extensive experience of risk management at the managerial level in the following sectors:

• Guiding and expedition risk management. 
• Security risk management. 

In addition to considerable practical “on the ground” risk management experience, you will have extensive experience of writing risk management paperwork within the outdoor, security or military sectors. You will also have experience of advising senior management on risk, and be a well informed enabler. 

You will be able to quickly forge strong working relationships with clients, through being personable, understanding and helpful. You will be senior enough and have the requisite experience to be able to offer top level advice to clients.

This role requires a dynamic, fast moving, adaptable individual who takes a positive, solution-oriented approach to problem solving. Good report writing with a studious attention to detail is essential for the role and we are particularly looking for candidates who are highly organised and efficient, with excellent time management skills. In addition, the candidate will be personable, flexible, team focused. 

On-the-ground experience and understanding of the type of projects we deliver is essential for this role. This could be from the expedition, TV and Film or security sectors and we welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds. Similarly candidates who have professional or personal experience of, or interest in, working in remote outdoor environments or of the outdoor industry would be of interest. A working knowledge of ISO31000 and/or BS8848 is also essential.

As part of the management team you will be involved in decision making at the top level of the organisation on a day to day basis. Whilst you won't have direct line management responsibilities you will have formal mentoring responsibilities and if deploying on the ground, you will be expected to manage a safety team on location. 

Life at SCHQ

We're a fun team at SCHQ, we’re busy, with sections of the company spanning the adventure travel, TV and film, risk management, creative production and magazine industries, there is no such thing as a ‘normal’ day.

The dog-friendly office is situated in South Bristol within walking distance of shops, town and a park with many of the team choosing to walk or cycle to work – not exactly a hardship in the South-West’s adventure capital and ‘Best Place to Live in the UK’!

Our informal office is populated by ‘outdoorsy-types’ with hobbies ranging from climbing to cycling, horse riding to hiking, and surfing to skiing - and our annual staff days out often reflect these interests with previous trips including coasteering, SUPing and a mountain-bike pub crawl. 

Key benefits include:

• Competitive salary dependent on experience 
• Comprehensive onboarding and training programme including CPD opportunities
• 20 days leave (increasing each year) plus bank holidays and Christmas close-down
• Generous staff expedition policy and kit discounts
• Pension, cycle to work scheme and options to request specific benefits
• Relaxed dress-code, dog-friendly office, in-house bar, unlimited tea, coffee and strange international concoctions

This role will be open until Fri 24 February 2023, however, we may close recruitment early for the right applicant. Interviews for those selected will take place in February / March. Once the application process has closed, we will be in touch with candidates to let you know of any next steps. 

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