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Volta Executive

Client case · occupational health and safety

A health and safety manager for 11,000 sites

IDEX Energies entrusts Volta Executive, under a confidential and exclusive assignment, with the health and safety policy for a nationwide scope: commercial buildings, district heating and cooling networks, prison services, work in private homes.

The case in 30 seconds

  • 11 000

    sites covered

  • D+5

    candidate identified

  • D+8

    presented to the manager

  • D+34

    offer accepted

01 · The case in 30 seconds

The assignment brief

A cross-functional role,a nationwide scope

A cross-functional role over high-risk industrial sites: an operator's field credibility and the ability to run a national policy.

Assignment briefIDEX Energies × Volta Executive
Client
IDEX Energies, IEB division and district heating and cooling networks
Role
Health and safety manager, nationwide scope, permanent managerial contract
Location
Boulogne-Billancourt (92), remote three days a week, travel several times a month
Scope
Around 11,000 sites, four activities · anchor points in Rueil-Malmaison, Nancy, Rouen, Lyon, Nantes and the French West Indies
Reporting line
IEB Operations Director and group performance, direct access to general management
Method
Confidential direct search, exclusive assignment

From assignment to accepted offer, day by day

  1. D+5Candidate identifiedApproached by email, replied the same day
  2. D+8Introduced to the manager
  3. Day 14 and day 32Two client interviews, in the middle of summer
  4. D+34Offer acceptedThe deputy head of health and safety France at an industrial packaging group

Timeline taken from our candidate tracking software. Day 0 is the day the assignment opens.

02 · The challenge

The challenge

Reversing the curveof workplace accidents

After a benchmark year in 2025, 2026 marks a setback on workplace accidents. The objective set for the role: to return to the 2025 levels of excellence, on both the curative and the preventive side.

  1. An energy services group

    Idex, an independent French group in energy services and decarbonisation: district heating and cooling, multi-technical services, energy-from-waste, building energy performance.

  2. A scattered ecosystem

    Around 11,000 sites: offices, schools, hospitals, district heating networks that look like industrial sites, a prison services activity involving around a thousand people, work in private homes.

  3. Four indicators to turn around

    Accidents with and without lost time and frequency rate, safety visits, reports of dangerous situations, PPE provision.

  4. A shifting balance

    Compared with the predecessor: less pure fieldwork, more coordination and a functional dimension, with a functional team of about eight people. Head office leads the regional relays.

Lockout padlock and safety helmet on an electrical cabinet
Lockout before intervention · illustrative photo

03 · The assignment

The role

Define, steerand embody prevention

A cross-functional, national role: leading a national SQEE network, a regular field presence, direct dialogue with general management.

  1. Health and safety manager, nationwide scope

    IDEX Energies · Boulogne-Billancourt (92)

    Filled · offer accepted on day 34

    The scope

    • Define and roll out on the ground the group's health and safety directives and standards
    • Regulatory watch: Labour Code, environment, industrial risks
    • HSE indicators and reviews: frequency rate, severity rate, near misses
    • Audits, behavioural safety visits and site inspections: heating plants, networks, factories
    • Supporting operational managers, designing and delivering training
    • Accident analysis using the causal tree method, corrective and preventive actions
    • Point of contact for CARSAT, the labour inspectorate and occupational health services, contributing to the CSSCT and the CSE

    The profile

    Master's-level (Bac+5) in QHSE or industrial risk management, at least seven years in a similar role, in a multi-technical or industrial environment. Electrical risk, working at height, confined spaces, co-activity and subcontracting, chemical and thermal risks. Criterion no. 1: knowing how to bring people on board, beyond regulatory compliance alone.

    QHSE · Causal tree · VCS · CSSCT · National mobility

    Permanent managerial contract · Boulogne-Billancourt (92) · remote three days a week

The stance soughtLeadership and ease with executives, running a network, rigour and pragmatism, national mobility. An industrial background is a real plus.

04 · The result

The result

A shortlist delivered,an offer accepted on day 34

Shortlist delivered within 10 days. The extra two weeks were lost between the two interview rounds: that is why the 48-hour rule is now set at scoping.

  • 201

    profiles on file

  • 88

    inbound applications

  • 1

    hired, sourced through direct search

The hire

Deputy head of health and safety France at an industrial packaging group.

Win people over first, rigour always

Criterion no. 1 was the ability to instil a health and safety culture, beyond regulatory compliance alone, and to talk directly with general management.

A confidential search

Exclusive assignment, direct search: the hire did not come from inbound applications. Approached by email, he replied the same day.

05 · The method

The Volta Executive method

Four stages,kept on a national role

A 1-hour scoping session and a scorecard, the mapping of the search ecosystem, a shortlist within 10 days, a hire within 3 weeks. The 3 weeks run from scoping to the chosen candidate with the offer accepted, when the five key success factors are in place. The candidate’s notice period, often three months for a manager in post, comes on top.

  1. Day 1

    A 1-hour scoping session and a scorecard

    One hour with the future manager, not just HR. We come out with the three results expected at twelve months, the real budget including variable pay, and a scorecard ranking each skill: essential, necessary, useful, bonus.

  2. Days 1 to 3

    Map the search ecosystem

    The companies, sites and roles where the profile really exists: competitors, suppliers, customers, neighbouring sectors doing the same job under another name. We know how many people fit the scorecard before writing the first message.

  3. Within 10 days

    A shortlist within 10 days

    Three to five candidates approached directly, met, assessed against the scorecard by an engineer, presented with their motivations and real salary expectations. Not a pile of CVs.

  4. Within 3 weeks

    A hire within 3 weeks by direct search

    Two interview rounds at most, with the direct manager. The package and the counter-offer are prepared before the final interview: the offer goes out within 24 hours and the chosen candidate says yes.

First confidential conversation

A health and safety roleor QHSE role to fill?

Health and safety managers, QHSE for industry and energy: confidential direct search, on an exclusive basis. Thirty minutes to scope the role, no commitment.

Our full track record

Reply within 48 hours · shortlist within 10 days · hire within 3 weeks

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