Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization

Workplaces are responsible for the active management of the Global Real Estate Portfolio including leases and transactions of all the properties, all design, construction, and facilities maintenance for offices, retail, showrooms, and DC’s for adidas. This supports revenue growth, portfolio optimization and creating great workplaces to attract and retain top talent across the globe. To ensure a successful and sustainable Portfolio, Workplaces collaborate with an extensive network of internal / external stakeholders and industry experts to provide value-added service.

The Manager Health & Safety will be responsible to manage and enforce company safety policies and ensure compliance with all applicable global, regional and local regulations. The incumbent will develop and implement health and safety initiatives and protocols in accordance with adidas values, to analyse, evaluate, present and manage safety risk and provide confidence to all interested parties that adidas are responsible and effectively protecting brand value.

As the H&S lead for India, this role supports the Market Lead/General Manager in fulfilling market reponsibilities while operating within the Emerging Markets Regional and Global HSEE governance framework. The role serves as the primary subject matter expert for H&S matters in India, ensuring effective risk management, governance, regulatory compliance and stakeholder engagement across all applicable operations.

A successful incumbent demonstrates the ability to build trust and confidence, inspire change through comprehensive risk assessments and data-driven decision making, and influence stakeholders across all levels of the organisation to drive a positive HSEE culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement written health and safety programs in the workplace ensuring safe working conditions for all employees and compliance to global company policies and all laws and regulations.
• Implement the health and safety risk strategies incorporating: Safety Standards, Policies, Environmental, Ergonomics, People Risk, Governance, Crisis Management, Event Risk, Incident Investigation & Management, Risk Assessment and Covid Measures.
• Conduct risk assessments on the workplace organization, employee behaviours, and standard operating procedures to minimize and mitigate risks.
• Accountable for ensuring appropriate H&S controls are determined and a harmonised implementation approach adopted with key stakeholders, other technical teams and internal business units, to deliver appropriate safety services and measures.
• Act as representative for global H&S programs and initiatives as well as towards, state and regional health and safety agencies.
• Maintain all records and documentation in compliance with local and ISO standards.
• Captures, analyses, and reacts to safety metrics and reviews weekly and monthly incident trends to discover patterns on areas where the safety risk is highest.
• Develop incident investigation/near-miss process and train business functions staff on the procedure. Support business functions with root cause analysis and review corrective actions to ensure proper mitigation plans are being implemented. Ensure incidents are recorded on Quentic/Aspen and review/closed out accordingly.
• Maintain risk registers and coordinate the identification, assessment, prioritisation and mitigation of H&S risks across the market.
• Develop and monitor annual H&S priorities and improvement plans aligned to market risks, legal requirements and global objectives.
• Provide regular HSEE updates to market leadership on compliance performance, key risks, incidents, audit outcomes, emerging regulatory matters and mitigation actions.
• Ensure significant incidents, material risks, regulatory concerns, audit findings and compliance gaps are escalated in a timely manner to the appropriate India Market, EM Regional and Global HSEE stakeholders in accordance with established governance requirements.
• Establish effective upward, downward and cross-functional HSEE communication and reporting mechanisms across the market.
• Ensure adidas’ responsibility and obligations regarding occupational health and safety for the locations, in accordance with applicable laws and guidelines.
• Support all required training materials (i.e., new hire, annual training, toolbox talks, etc.) related to health and safety. Collaborates with business functions and Training departments to ensure all employees receive the necessary training.
• Identify and manage relationships with key stakeholders and build a broader network map, incorporating relevant departments within Workplaces and adidas to deliver and embed a positive health and safety culture.
• Inform business functions of new and developing health and safety regulations.
• Support business functions with performing root cause analysis and corrective actions as a result of injury and near misses. Train business functions supervisors to conduct thorough investigations.
• Advising and supporting adidas employees on aspects of health and safety based on the local regulations.
• Ensures vendors, contractors and third-party employees are compliant to Company H&S standards.
• Lead the emergency response plan and ensure team participates in evacuation drills.
• Introduce and ensure a leadership culture based on adidas principles within the entire department and across all hierarchical levels.
• Other duties and tasks as assigned to support health and safety for the organization.
• Lead Quarterly H +S committee meetings with key stakeholders.

Key Relationships

• adidas employees
• Senior Leadership Team India
• Market Lead/General Manager
• HR
• Finance
• Procurement
• Workplaces regional and global teams
• HSEE regional and global teams
• Market retail teams
• Respective business functions
• External suppliers and service providers
• External authorities and regulatory agencies where required

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong Health, Safety, Environment and Energy (HSEE) knowledge and experience within a complex organisation
• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance, risk management and HSEE management systems
• Proven ability to identify, assess and mitigate operational and compliance risks
• Strong incident investigation, root cause analysis and corrective action management capabilities
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills across multiple functions and seniority levels
• Ability to effectively engage and advise senior business leaders on risks, compliance obligations and mitigation strategies
• Strong governance mindset with experience maintaining risk registers, action plans and compliance programmes
• Sound judgement regarding escalation of material risks, incidents and regulatory matters
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Ability to build a positive safety culture through engagement, coaching and education
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret HSEE performance data and identify trends
• Experience working within regional and global frameworks while adapting solutions to local legal and business requirements
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Very good English skills
• Ability to travel as required

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Engineering, Environmental Management or a related discipline, OR
• NEBOSH General Certificate or equivalent professional health and safety qualification
• Minimum 5 years' experience in Health, Safety, Environment and Energy, Occupational Health & Safety or a related field
• Demonstrated experience implementing H&S management systems and regulatory compliance programmes
• Experience conducting risk assessments, incident investigations and corrective action management
• Experience managing audits, inspections and compliance reporting requirements
• Experience working with senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams
• ISO Management Systems experience preferred (ISO 45001, ISO 14001 and/or ISO 50001)

Team - Yes (externals)

Reporting to - Sr. Manager HSSE EM

Indirect Reporting to - Sr. Director HR India 

Base Location - Gurgaon