Job Description
What if your expertise could prevent serious incidents before they happen? As our High Risk Work Program Lead, you combine safety leadership, digital innovation and cross-departmental collaboration to create a safer work environment and shape the future of High Risk Work at the Haarlem Campus. We are looking for a:
High Risk Work Program Lead
Welcome to our team
You will join a small and engaged team of safety professionals with diverse backgrounds, areas of expertise and experiences. It is precisely this diversity that enables us to approach safety challenges from different perspectives and together arrive at practical, widely supported solutions. Within the team we work closely together, actively share knowledge and support each other where needed. Lines of communication are short, there is plenty of room for own initiative, and your expertise will have a direct, visible impact on the safety and continuity of our Haarlem Campus. At the same time, you will work intensively with colleagues from Operations, Engineering, Facilities Management, Quality and Procurement, among others.
About the role
As High Risk Work Program Lead, you are responsible for the implementation, governance, compliance and continuous improvement of High Risk Work (HRW) programs at the Haarlem Campus. You are the primary point of contact for critical safety programs, including work at height, confined spaces, lifting and hoisting operations, excavation work and hot work.
Responsibilities
- Lead the implementation, governance and compliance of High Risk Work programs and safety standards.
- Translate company standards and legal requirements into effective local procedures, training programs, competency frameworks, KPIs, SOPs and compliance reporting mechanisms.
- Process owner of the Permit-to-Work process and the digital work permit system.
- Lead initiatives in safety, compliance, digitalization and process optimization by analyzing incidents, trends and performance indicators to reduce risks and drive continuous improvement.
- Conduct audits, assessments and gap analyses and ensure effective follow-up of improvement actions.
- Advise site leadership and stakeholders on governance, compliance, risk control and operational effectiveness within High Risk Work.
Your profile
For this role we are looking for a safety professional who combines substantive expertise with ownership, persuasiveness and a practical approach. You are able to translate complex requirements into workable solutions and know how to bring various stakeholders along with change.
- A completed MVK or HVK training (Dutch occupational safety qualifications), supplemented by HBO (university of applied sciences) level work and thinking.
- Proven experience in safety, EHS or High Risk Work in a complex operational or technical environment.
- Preferably experience in the pharmaceutical industry or another strictly regulated environment.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and regulations, safety standards and risk control; familiarity with GMP guidelines is an advantage.
- Experience with Permit-to-Work processes, audits, incident investigation and implementing or improving safety programs.
- Strong analytical and organizational skills and the ability to set priorities independently and deliver improvements.
- You are a connecting conversation partner who can advise, influence and collaborate at different levels.
- Excellent communication skills in Dutch and English, both verbal and written.
What we offer
Working at our organization means collaborating on health in an international work environment with dedicated colleagues. You will have every opportunity to develop yourself and show who you are. In addition, you can count on attractive employment conditions, including:
- A competitive salary
- 35.5 vacation days
- 8% holiday allowance and 3% year-end bonus
- Excellent pension
- A high-quality company restaurant with fresh and healthy options every day.
- On-site sports facilities with classes in boxing, Zumba and Pilates.
- Excellent coffee prepared by a professional barista.
- Game room with a pool table and a ping-pong table.
- Mental wellbeing support via Lyra Health for you and your family members.
- Access to a separate prayer/meditation room
Do you have questions about this vacancy?
Send your question, including the vacancy number and vacancy title, to the following email address: [email protected]
Applications can only be submitted via our careers site
Additional location(s) Compensation Information:
Required Skills:
Adaptability, Chemical Safety, Data Analysis, EHS Compliance, Emergency Response Preparedness, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Management, Environmental Regulatory Compliance, Industrial Hygiene, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Process Safety, Project Management, Regulatory Compliance, Safety Inspections, Training and Development, Waste Management
Preferred Skills:
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Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.
Employee Status:
Project Temps (Fixed Term)
Relocation:
VISA Sponsorship:
Travel Requirements:
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Hybrid
Shift:
Valid Driving License:
Hazardous Material(s):
Job Posting End Date:
11/13/2026
*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.