- Location: Brussels office and construction sites in West and East Flanders
- On-site presence: Minimum 2 days per week on-site (Flanders worksites) remainder at Brussels office
- Contract type: Freelance consultancy / Advanced Service – full-time (100%)
- Compensation: Competitive
- Start: ASAP
- Languages: Dutch: fluent (mandatory) | French: fluent (mandatory) | English: good command (mandatory)
- Certification: Valid Level A Safety Coordinator certificate (KB 25-01-2001) – MANDATORY
- Mobility: Driver's licence B + own vehicle required

Context

Belgium's electricity transmission network is undergoing a period of sustained, large-scale infrastructure investment. As the Belgian transmission system operator, the client manages the high-voltage grid across the country and plays a central role in the European energy transition integrating offshore wind capacity, reinforcing grid resilience, and developing cross-border interconnections. The West and East Flanders zones are among the most active in terms of current HV substation and cable infrastructure projects.

The Project Safety Coordinator is embedded within the project organisation and operates across multiple concurrent infrastructure projects in the W-VL and O-VL zones. The role combines two legally distinct functions under Belgian law Design Safety Coordinator and Realization Safety Coordinator alongside broader operational and intrinsic electrical safety prevention responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Design Safety Coordinator (Veiligheidscoördinator Ontwerp)

This function is exercised in accordance with the Belgian Royal Decree of 25 January 2001 on temporary and mobile construction sites. The Safety Coordinator is involved from the definition and design phases of each project through to handover.

- Participate in the definition and design phases of assigned infrastructure projects, contributing safety expertise from the outset
- Perform and validate risk analyses: identify site-specific hazards and risks, define prevention and protection measures, assess coordination requirements and interfaces between the different contractors and parties active on each site
- Evaluate, together with the project team, the construction scenario and work planning phasing, permitted interferences between contractors, and total duration in light of the risks generated
- Identify critical project phases requiring enhanced safety oversight or specific mitigation measures
- Draft and formally approve the Health & Safety Plan (primarily based on the risk analysis) this plan is included in the tender specifications for all contractor procurements and must reflect current project conditions
- Adapt the H&S; Plan throughout the project as conditions, scope, or risks evolve
- Review contractor and tenderer submissions:



advise the project team on the compliance of safety documents (work methods, prevention plans, planning) submitted as part of offers formalise this evaluation for inclusion in the contract award decision
- Open, complete, and maintain the coordination diary and post-intervention file throughout the project lifecycle
- Lead the safety debrief at the site kick-off meeting, addressing all safety aspects with the full project team, contractors, and the Realization Safety Coordinator

Realization Safety Coordinator (Veiligheidscoördinator Verwezenlijking) limited scope

For a defined subset of projects, the Safety Coordinator also covers the realization phase directly:

- Actively participate in site meetings systematically question and challenge the project team and all contractors on safety aspects; do not accept passive compliance
- Conduct regular planned and unplanned site visits; document findings and track corrective actions
- Verify and evaluate risk analyses, work methods, and safety documentation submitted by contractors and subcontractors confirm that risk phases are identified and discussed before work commences, not retroactively
- Actively participate in the analysis of incidents and near-misses
- Organise and chair coordination structures between contractors when required
- Monitor and enforce strict application of Belgian construction safety legislation and internal safety rules
- Participate in the final contractor evaluation at project close-out
- Throughout the full site duration: draft all meeting and visit reports; maintain and update the H&S; Plan, coordination diary, and post-intervention file

Operational and intrinsic electrical safety prevention

- Formulate recommendations and advise the project team on safety and well-being at work in the context of HV infrastructure projects with specific attention to the intrinsic electrical risks inherent to high-voltage installations
- Participate in the review and initial validation of project plans; final approval rests with the client's Prevention Advisor
- Present, explain, and defend safety choices to the project team the Safety Coordinator must be capable of substantiating recommendations under challenge from project managers, contractors, or senior stakeholders
- Conduct site visits including audits of contractor site managers and external Realization Safety Coordinators




- Perform pre-commissioning inspections of electrical installations and issue an advisory opinion as part of the first commissioning authorisation process; final approval rests with the client's Prevention Advisor

Requirements

Certifications – mandatory

- Valid Level A Safety Coordinator certificate (Veiligheidscoördinator niveau A), issued in compliance with the Belgian Royal Decree of 25 January 2001 on temporary and mobile construction sites Level A is required for large and/or complex sites. Level B is insufficient for this role.
- Civil liability insurance (burgerlijke aansprakelijkheidsverzekering) as safety coordinator the freelance consultant must hold their own professional liability coverage. Confirm at screening stage.

Certifications – asset

- Prevention Advisor Level 1 (Preventieadviseur niveau 1) explicitly listed as a strong plus in the brief. A candidate who holds both Level A Safety Coordinator and Level 1 Prevention Advisor certifications is exceptionally well-positioned for HV electrical infrastructure environments.

Education

- Industrial engineer or civil engineer in electromechanics or equivalent demonstrated experience in a comparable technical domain

Experience

- Approximately 5 years of experience in project and site monitoring with safety prevention responsibility in industrial settings ideally with direct exposure to high-voltage electrical installations. Generic construction site safety experience is significantly less relevant than HV-specific experience.
- Demonstrated ability to work autonomously across multiple concurrent projects, managing both design-phase documentation and realization-phase site presence without direct supervision

Languages

- Dutch: fluent mandatory. The West and East Flanders zone operates primarily in Dutch; site meetings, contractor interactions, and internal documentation are in Dutch.
- French: fluent mandatory. The Brussels office and client internal communications require strong French.
- English: good command mandatory. The role is listed as an advanced service; English is required for technical documentation and potentially for non-Belgian contractors.

Profile and practical requirements

- Structured and autonomous: the Safety Coordinator manages multiple projects simultaneously across two Flemish provinces from a Brussels base strong self-organisation and task prioritisation are essential
- Assertive communicator with conviction: the role requires regular challenge of project teams, contractors, and site managers on safety compliance a passive or conflict-averse profile will not function effectively in this environment
- Driver's licence B + own vehicle: mandatory for site visits across the W-VL and O-VL zones
- Non-EU candidates: must hold a valid Belgian work permit and residence permit at the time of engagement

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