An IMS Consultant / Coordinator’s day-to-day activity will vary according to their employer. In a small business or start-up there may not be an existing management system. Or, in a larger organisation there may be a system that no longer delivers against objectives. Alternatively, there may be separate stand-alone systems that would benefit from combining or integrating. In all these examples, the IMS Consultant / Coordinator will be tasked with reviewing practices, potentially introducing new systems and leading change. Communicating about planned changes, potentially training colleagues, and influencing how business leaders operate can all be included in the remit of the role.
Typical duties and responsibilities:
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Conducting a business risk assessment alongside the leadership team
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Identifying opportunities for improvement and developing a programme to implement these
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Writing and circulating policies, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)and work instructions
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Auditing, reviewing, and continually improving the management system
An IMS may be certified to the standards ISO9001 Quality, ISO14001 Environmental, and ISO45001 Health & Safety, usually by the same accredited certification body. An effective IMS reduces by a third the duplication that separate systems create, as IMSs correspond with how businesses operate and how processes are integrated e.g., one set of management system documents, one audit, one management review, etc. The disadvantage of an IMS is that sometimes one of the subjects – health & safety, quality, or environment, can take precedence over another.
Where a person is employed directly, it is good practice to use the role titles of ‘Lead’ or ‘Coordinator’, to indicate that compliance is the responsibility of all employees. Consultancy organisations, which may be small to large in size, employ consultants to work with external clients. Companies may directly employ an individual, or team of individuals, in the role.
Depending on the client / organisation, work can vary in location and involve travel around the UK or internationally. Those working independently or for a consultancy that uses associates rather than employees will find their work can be very flexible.
