Established in ****, College Group (College Proteins) is a prominent Irish leader in bio-waste management and renewable energy production, focused on "closing the bio-waste circle" by converting animal by-products and food waste into sustainable resources.
Headquartered in Nobber, Co.
Meath, the group has grown to operate across three main sites (Nobber, Co. Meath; Monnery, Co. Cavan; and Mayobridge, Co. Down) with a workforce of over 170 employees.
The Nobber site hosts one of Ireland's largest solar installations-a 3 MW array with 6,700 panels that generates approximately 2.8 million kWh annually, powering a significant portion of its operations Core Operations Facilities Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Plant (Nobber, Co. Meath): A recently constructed, state-of-the-art facility utilising advanced microbial technology to convert organic material into renewable energy (biogas).
Rendering Plants: Nobber, Co.
Meath: A Category 1 facility processing high-risk material into sustainable products like tallow.
Monnery, Co.
Cavan (Farragh Proteins): A Category 3 facility focused on processing lower-risk animal by-products for the feed industry.
Biofuel Plant (Nobber, Co. Meath): A €10 million facility utilising fractional distillation to produce high-quality biofuel from used cooking oil and animal fats.
SoilWorx (Mayobridge, Co. Down): A major producer of natural, organic fertilisers derived from free-range poultry manure and seaweed.
The Role We are currently seeking to recruit a Health and Safety Manager to join our expanding team.
The H S Manager will be is responsible for managing high-risk operational environments across the group; involving waste processing, biodiesel and biogas production, and industrial machinery.
The role focuses on ensuring compliance with environmental and safety regulations, developing risk assessments, implementing safe systems of work (SSOW), and fostering a strong safety culture to mitigate risks like fire, explosion, and toxic gas exposure.
Key Responsibilities Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring compliance with HSA (Health and Safety Authority), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations, Health and Safety at Work legislation, and handling specific requirements for odour control (e.g., managing VOCs, ammonia, and hydrogen sulphide).
Risk Management: Developing and implementing Risk Assessments (RA) and Method Statements (RAMS) for hazardous activities, including confined space entry, working at heights, and maintenance of pressure vessels.
Process Safety Management (PSM): Overseeing DSEAR (Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations) compliance to prevent fires and explosions from methane, and managing toxic gas monitoring.
Operational Safety: Implementing Permit to Work (PTW) systems, including Lock-Out-Tag-Out (LOTO) for isolating machinery.
Staff Training and Culture: Training staff on safety protocols, emergency response procedures, and behavioural safety to ensure a proactive rather than reactive safety culture.
Monitoring and Auditing: Conducting regular site inspections, monitoring, and reporting on KPIs to identify and mitigate potential hazards.
Required Skills and Experience Experience: Typically 5-10+ years of experience in EHS (Environment, Health, and Safety) within a highly regulated industrial, manufacturing, or waste-processing environment.
Education: A degree or equivalent qualification in Environmental Health and Safety, Engineering, or a science-related discipline.
Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of ATEX/DSEAR, CoSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health), and environmental regulations.
Leadership: Strong leadership skills to manage EHS teams and influence safety behaviours across the site.