Position Summary:The Corporate Director of Health and Safety provides enterprise-wide leadership and strategic direction for the health and safety function across multiple companies, locations, service operations, fabrication facilities, and construction projects. This position leads and develops the Health and Safety Department and its team, establishes consistent corporate standards, and ensures compliance with applicable occupational health, workplace safety, regulatory, and client requirements. As a key partner to executive leadership, Operations, Human Resources, project teams, and field leadership, the Corporate Director of Health and Safety identifies and manages organizational risk, drives continuous improvement, and builds a culture of prevention and accountability. This position has the authority to address unsafe conditions and stop work when an imminent danger exists.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:- Develop, implement, communicate, and continuously improve an enterprise-wide health and safety strategy supporting all companies, locations, departments, and project types.
- Provide leadership and direction for the Health and Safety Department, including establishing the team's structure, priorities, responsibilities, performance expectations, and service standards.
- Lead, coach, develop, and evaluate health and safety managers, safety professionals, coordinators, and other assigned team members across company locations and operations.
- Establish consistent corporate health and safety policies, procedures, standards, and minimum expectations while accounting for location-specific, project-specific, client-specific, and operational requirements.
- Ensure compliance with applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and other federal, state, and local occupational health and workplace safety requirements.
- Advise executive leadership regarding material health and safety risks, regulatory exposure, emerging trends, resource needs, organizational performance, and recommended corrective actions.
- Create an effective health and safety governance and accountability structure that defines responsibilities for corporate leaders, operational management, supervisors, employees, and the Health and Safety team.
- Maintain visibility across company locations and active jobsites to assess conditions, engage employees and leaders, reinforce expectations, and verify the effectiveness of health and safety programs and team support.
- Direct the company's health and safety audit and inspection program for jobsites, facilities, vehicles, shops, and operations; ensure findings are documented, assigned, tracked, and resolved.
- Partner with Operations, Project Managers, Superintendents, Foremen, and Service Managers to integrate health and safety planning into preconstruction, mobilization, scheduling, procurement, and daily work execution.
- Oversee job hazard analyses, pre-task plans, site-specific safety plans, emergency action plans, and other required health and safety documentation.
- Provide strategic oversight of programs addressing fall protection, electrical safety, lockout/tagout, confined spaces, excavation and trenching, hot work, material handling, cranes and rigging, fleet safety, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, and personal protective equipment.
- Develop and oversee occupational health programs addressing employee exposure to heat, noise, respiratory hazards, chemicals, ergonomic risks, and other workplace health hazards, including required monitoring, medical evaluations, and protective measures.
- Direct standardized employee orientation, toolbox talk, competent-person, leadership, and refresher-training programs; ensure training is appropriate to assigned roles and work activities.
- Lead or oversee investigations of injuries, occupational illnesses, near misses, property damage, and significant health and safety concerns using root-cause methods; ensure effective corrective and preventive actions are implemented.
- Oversee health and safety recordkeeping, regulatory reporting, inspection documentation, and required postings; coordinate OSHA logs and other employee-related reporting with Human Resources and responsible departments.
- Establish key performance indicators and reporting systems; analyze leading and lagging indicators and present trends, priorities, and action plans to executive and operational leadership.
- Oversee workers' compensation and claims-management activities in partnership with Human Resources, insurance representatives, and operational leaders; drive claim resolution and initiatives that positively affect the Experience Modification Rate (EMR).
- Serve as the primary corporate health and safety representative with regulatory agencies, insurance partners, clients, general contractors, industry organizations, and third-party consultants, as appropriate.
- Evaluate customer, general-contractor, and subcontractor health and safety requirements and performance; resolve conflicts, address deficiencies, and escalate significant concerns to leadership.
- Develop and administer the Health and Safety Department budget and recommend investments in personnel, training, technology, equipment, and protective systems based on organizational risk and business needs.
- Promote a culture in which employees and leaders actively participate in health and safety, report hazards and near misses without fear of retaliation, and take ownership of corrective actions.
- Provide leadership during serious incidents, regulatory inspections, and other health and safety emergencies, including outside normal business hours, as business needs require.
Required Attributes:- Advanced knowledge of construction health and safety principles, OSHA construction standards, occupational health practices, incident investigation methods, and risk-control measures.
- Working knowledge of health and safety requirements associated with commercial electrical, HVAC, plumbing, mechanical, fabrication, and service work.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, organize, and develop a geographically dispersed health and safety team while establishing consistent expectations and accountability.
- Executive presence and the ability to translate complex health and safety risks into clear business priorities, recommendations, and decisions.
- Strong leadership and influencing skills with the ability to build trust and drive accountability at all organizational levels.
- Sound judgment and the confidence to intervene, stop unsafe work, and communicate difficult decisions professionally.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to evaluate trends, identify root causes, prioritize risk, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
- Clear and effective written and verbal communication skills, including experience delivering training and presenting health and safety information to employees, clients, and senior leadership.
- Strong planning, organization, delegation, documentation, and follow-through skills in a fast-paced, multi-company environment.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive employee, incident, medical, and business information with professionalism and discretion.
- Ability to regularly visit active construction sites, service locations, shops, warehouses, offices, rooftops, and other work areas with varying conditions.
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods; climb stairs and ladders; bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, navigate uneven terrain, lift and carry up to 40 pounds, and wear required personal protective equipment, with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Ability to work in environments involving weather, temperature extremes, noise, dust, moving equipment, energized systems, elevated work areas, and other conditions typical of construction and service operations.
- Ability to travel frequently among company locations and jobsites, including occasional overnight travel; proficiency with Microsoft Office and health and safety management, training, and reporting systems.
Education & Experience:- Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety and Health, Safety Management, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field is preferred; an equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant experience may be considered.
- Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible health and safety experience, preferably within commercial construction, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fabrication, or service operations.
- Minimum of 5 years of senior health and safety leadership experience with responsibility for leading a team and supporting multiple companies, locations, projects, or business units is preferred.
- Demonstrated experience developing and implementing enterprise-wide health and safety programs, managing organizational change, leading serious-incident investigations, and presenting results to executive leadership.
- Experience with regulatory interaction, workers' compensation, insurance loss-control initiatives, and EMR improvement is strongly preferred.
- OSHA 30-Hour Construction certification is required.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or an equivalent professional certification is preferred.
- OSHA 500 or OSHA 510, First Aid/CPR/AED instructor credentials, and specialized competent-person credentials are preferred; a valid driver's license and acceptable driving record are required.
Note: Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
