Senior Safety Officer
Application Deadline: 24 October 2025
Department: Health and Safety
Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time
Location: Silverstone
Reporting To: Head of Safety
Description
Safety Team
At Silverstone, the heartbeat of British motorsport, safety is at the core of everything we do. Our Safety Department is not just about rules and regulations—it’s about protecting people, enabling world-class events, and ensuring that every guest, driver, team, and colleague experiences Silverstone at its very best.
We’re a diverse, fast-moving, and highly skilled team that thrives under pressure and delivers excellence on a global stage. Working here means being part of the action, where every decision you make can have a real impact.
Our department brings together four critical teams, each with their own expertise, but united by a shared mission: keepingSilverstone safe, secure, and world-class.
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Health & Safety – Driving the highest standards across the venue, ensuring our staff, contractors, and visitors are safe behind the scenes as well as in the spotlight. We set the bar for compliance, risk management, and innovation.
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Circuit Safety – At the very heart of race day operations, this team keeps the track safe and ready for everything from grassroots racing to the Formula 1 British Grand Prix. Marshals, rescue crews, and trackside specialists are the unsung heroes who ensure the racing never stops.
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Medical Services – World-class motorsport demands world-class medical support. Our highly trained professionals are on hand for drivers, teams, and spectators, providing rapid response and expert care in high-pressure situations.
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Public Safety – With hundreds of thousands of fans flooding through our gates each year, this team makes sure every visitor has a safe, secure, and enjoyable experience. From crowd management to emergency planning, they are the guardians of Silverstone’s legendary atmosphere.
Joining the Silverstone Safety Department means being part of a dynamic, passionate team that thrives on challenge, precision, and teamwork. Every day brings something new, whether it’s preparing for the biggest motorsport events on the planet or ensuring smooth operations behind the scenes.
Job Purpose
Working within the wider Safety Team, you will provide the strategic lead on the planning, implementation, and delivery of public safety and crowd management at Silverstone Circuits.
The Senior Safety Officer (SSO) monitors compliance with the Safety Certificate and Premises Licence whilst aligning industry best practice to ensure the safety, security and welfare of all staff, contractors, spectators and others at events. As Senior Safety Officer you will develop, review and implement relevant policies and procedures linked to public safety.
Acting as the lead Safety Officer for major events, the post-holder provides senior command-level leadership, including overseeing the Duty Safety Officers deployed to the event. The SSO will manage complex crowd dynamics, underpinning the safety of those attending events, ensuring that Silverstone maintains its reputation for event safety in the global arena.
Silverstone is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk and expects all team members and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and DBS checks at the appropriate level will be obtained prior to employment commencing.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop, review and implement relevant policies and procedures for Public Safety at events.
- Act as Duty Safety Officer for designated events, overseeing safety operations for crowds in excess of 150,000.
- Lead the design, review and delivery of crowd management strategies.
- Ensure compliance with the Safety Certificate, Premise Licence, national best practice guidance (e.g. Green Guide / Purple Guide).
- Manage and direct Command & Control operations through clear communications, effective decision-making and accurate incident logging.
- Oversee and audit the briefing, deployment and performance of stewarding providers ensuring KPI’s and service delivery to the highest standards
- Lead the development, testing and exercising of contingency and serious incident plans, including table-top and live exercises.
- Embed innovative approaches to safety, security and crowd management, adopting a forward-thinking approach considering new technologies and data-driven solutions.
Team Responsibilities
- Provide leadership, mentoring, and professional development for Duty Managers, stewards and volunteers, building competence in crowd and public safety.
- Contribute to a multi-disciplinary operations team (Medical, Health & Safety, Security, Facilities, Public Events), ensuring joined-up delivery of safety related outcomes.
- Support the Public Events team in Event based risk assessments, Event Management Plans and stewarding/security schedules.
- Foster a culture of accountability, learning, and continuous improvement within the safety and security workforce.
Performance Responsibilities
- Deliver events that are fully compliant with the Safety Certificate and Premises Licence.
- Ensure crowd management plans are measured, tested, and continually improved
- Lead effective debriefs following major events, producing actionable insights and implementing improvements.
- Maintain up-to-date training records to ensure Silverstone meets or exceeds vocational standards for spectator safety.
- Monitor and report against key performance indicators for safety, compliance, and operational resilience.
Key Relationships
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Internal: Chief Operating Officer (Designated Safety Officer), Head of Safety, Head of Security, Public Events Team, Venue Operation Teams and Medical.
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External: Local Authorities, Safety Advisory Group (SAG), emergency services (Police, Fire, Ambulance), governing bodies (FIA, FIM, Motorsport UK), industry forums (SGSA, MEOA).
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Strategic: Act as Silverstone’s representative on event public safety, building credibility and influence at both national and international level.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Essential
- Level IV NVQ Diploma in Spectator Safety Officer.
- IOSH/NEBOSH (minimum) or equivalent Health & Safety qualification.
- Extensive experience as a Safety Officer at major sporting, stadia, or large-scale entertainment events.
- Proven expertise in strategic crowd management and live event safety.
- Command-level experience in event control and multi-agency environments.
- Operational knowledge of CCTV, incident management, and safety technology systems.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and influencing skills.
- Current valid driving licence (manual).
Desirable
- Level 5 or above in Crowd Management
- A1 Assessor in Spectator Safety.
- Level 3 Award in Education & Training (or PTLLS) or equivalent
- First Aid at Work (or equivalent).
- Experience within the motorsport sector.
