Part-time, permanent vacancy: Safety and Facilities Co-ordinator
Working pattern: 24 hours per week
Salary: £18,610.20 (FTE £29,078.44)
Line manager: Operations Director
Location: Onsite at our Salamander Yards office & warehouse, and our Albert Road warehouse, both in Leith area
About Bookspeed
At Bookspeed, we’re on a mission to put more books into the world, and we’re looking for a Safety and Facilities Co-ordinator to help us do just that.
We are a fun, creative, and customer-focused book wholesaler, curating and supplying beautiful book ranges to a diverse mix of retailers. Our customers include quirky independent boutiques and well-known brands like Oliver Bonas and Moonpig, as well as farm shops, garden centres, and many of the UK’s leading heritage sites and attractions, such as the National Trust and the Natural History Museum.
We also strive to make Bookspeed a great place to work, with a strong focus on wellbeing, inclusion, flexible working, and fun.
About the Role
It’s an exciting time to join Bookspeed. With a strong foundation and ambitious growth plans, we are welcoming a new Safety and Facilities Co-ordinator to continue driving our H&S culture forward. This role sits within the Operations Team, reporting to the Operations Director and working closely with the Office Manager to deliver safety and facilities functions.
You will be the driving force behind a proactive and engaged H&S culture, ensuring that safety is more than just compliance—it’s a natural part of how we work every day. You’ll support the H&S needs of our team (currently 60–70 people, including site-based and hybrid workers) and oversee H&S in our office and two warehouses. The role also includes responsibility for facilities and contractor management.
Health & Safety Responsibilities
– Lead by example in regular H&S walkarounds—engaging directly with teams, listening to concerns, and making safety a shared responsibility across all levels of the business.
– Deliver engaging H&S training that goes beyond ‘box-ticking’—empowering staff to take ownership of safety in their day-to-day roles. Use a mix of e-learning, hands-on workshops, and informal coaching to reinforce a shared safety-first mindset.
– Be the go-to person for all things H&S—building trust across the company so that staff feel comfortable raising concerns, asking questions, and actively contributing to a safer workplace.
– Lead H&S staff committees (First Aid, Fire Marshal, H&S Management) by setting agendas, chairing meetings, and overseeing initiatives.
– Conduct and maintain internal risk assessments, including those for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH).
– Coordinate external risk assessments and audits with suppliers, ensuring the implementation of necessary actions.
– Manage H&S inductions for new employees and provide ongoing support to managers in implementing team-specific safety measures.
– Drive H&S improvement projects, continually optimising processes in collaboration with the Operations Director.
– Ensure H&S policies are not just up to date but actively understood and embraced by staff. Make safety guidance practical, accessible, and relevant to everyday work.
– Seek guidance from our H&S advisory service to understand and act on changes in H&S legislation.
– Coordinate audits as needed and ensure recommended actions are implemented within agreed timeframes.
– Ensure company-wide awareness of H&S policies through clear communication, training, and ongoing reinforcement.
Compliance and Facilities Management
– Review contractor reports and take responsibility for implementing recommended actions.
– Negotiate supplier contracts and collaborate with the Financial Controller on cost control and record-keeping.
– Build and maintain positive relationships with suppliers, acting as the escalation point for any service issues, and promoting H&S as key to productivity and wellbeing.
– Oversee price comparisons and renewals for utilities, ensuring appropriate reporting and coordination with Financial Controller.
– Manage the annual insurance renewal process with support from the Operations Director.
About You
– Experience in a Health & Safety (H&S) role is essential, ideally in a warehouse, logistics, or another operational setting. However, candidates with transferable H&S experience from other sectors are welcome to apply.
– A natural communicator who can inspire a positive safety culture—building trust with colleagues at all levels while confidently ensuring that H&S policies are actively followed.
– While some familiarity with H&S law is beneficial, full knowledge is not required. You will have access to our external H&S advisory service and must be able to listen to and act on their guidance.
– A recognised H&S qualification (e.g., NEBOSH General Certificate, IOSH Managing Safely) and/or experience in warehouse Health & Safety is desirable.
– Willing to undertake H&S training courses as required, such as fire marshal, first aid, or managing H&S.
– Maintain high standards for H&S, with strong attention to detail, thorough reporting, and the ability to meet deadlines.
– Confident in negotiating and fostering strong relationships with contractors.
– Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage a diverse workload effectively.
– Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and confidence in using digital tools for record-keeping and training management. A willingness to learn new systems as needed.
– Willing to undertake any other reasonable duties required by the company.
Terms and Conditions
Bookspeed is an equal opportunities employer. This role is fully on-site at either of our locations. It is a part-time position, working 24 hours per week. Hours are Monday to Friday, with flexibility between 8am and 6pm, to be agreed with the line manager. Full-time staff receive two paid 15-minute breaks and a 30-minute unpaid lunch break. Holiday entitlement is 32 days per year, pro-rata for part-time.
How to Apply
If you’re passionate about building a positive safety culture and making a real impact, we’d love to hear from you! Apply with your CV and cover letter via Indeed or email recruitment@bookspeed.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an initial interview, with the possibility of a second round. If you do not hear from us within three weeks of the closing date, please assume your application was unsuccessful.
We believe diverse teams create successful workplaces. Research shows that some people from underrepresented backgrounds hesitate to apply if they don’t meet every requirement. If that sounds like you but you’re keen to work with us, we encourage you to apply.
We aim to make our application process accessible to all. If you need support completing your application, please email recruitment@bookspeed.com with your request.
Application Deadline: Thursday 20/02/2025
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