We are seeking a
Director of Environmental, Health, Safety & Security to join our Manufacturing Operations team in
Duncan, SC. The Director, EHSS - Manufacturing leads environmental, health, safety, and security strategy and execution across AFL's global manufacturing operations. The role is the senior EHSS advisor to manufacturing leadership and is responsible for helping the business recognize risk early, strengthen critical controls, maintain regulatory and management-system discipline, and build EHSS capability at every level. The Director leads and develops the manufacturing EHSS team and integrates EHSS into business planning, operational execution, capital projects, and continuous improvement.
Success in this role means that leaders and employees actively identify and manage risk, corrective actions are effective and sustained, manufacturing sites apply consistent standards while addressing local requirements, and EHSS contributes to safe, predictable operations and business performance.
Key Accountabilities:
Functional Leadership & Business Partnership- Lead the EHSS function for the global manufacturing organization and serve as the trusted EHSS advisor to the senior manufacturing leader and leadership team.
- Translate enterprise EHSS strategy into practical manufacturing priorities, annual plans, standards, and measurable objectives.
- Understand each site's operations, business goals, growth plans, and risk profile; align EHSS support with those realities.
- Maintain a visible presence in manufacturing operations and engage directly with leaders, supervisors, employees, and contractors where risk exists.
- Provide clear, fact-based insight into operational risk, regulatory exposure, and the tradeoffs among risk, schedule, cost, and execution.
- Influence action across a matrixed organization without relying solely on positional authority.
People Leadership & Capability Building- Lead, coach, and develop manufacturing EHSS professionals; establish clear expectations, accountability, and development plans.
- Build a cohesive EHSS network across sites and promote consistent practices, knowledge sharing, and peer learning.
- Strengthen line-leader and supervisor capability in hazard recognition, control selection, field verification, incident learning, and regulatory responsibility.
Risk Management & Operational Integration- Lead the identification, assessment, prioritization, and mitigation of EHSS risks across manufacturing operations.
- Establish and sustain risk-register, task-risk-assessment, pre-job planning, and critical-control-verification processes with line leadership.
- Focus resources on high-consequence exposures and Significant Injury and Fatality potential, while maintaining disciplined management of routine risks.
- Integrate EHSS requirements into operational changes, new equipment, capital projects, facility modifications, contractor work, and acquisition or expansion activity.
- Use operational and EHSS data to identify trends, test assumptions, prioritize action, and verify whether controls are working.
Compliance, Environmental Stewardship & Management Systems- Provide governance and assurance for compliance with applicable environmental, occupational health, safety, and security requirements across manufacturing locations.
- Guide sites in applying OSHA, EPA, NFPA, NIOSH, and other applicable regulatory or consensus standards, as well as company requirements.
- Lead the design, implementation, and continual improvement of EHSS management systems, including ISO certification where appropriate.
- Oversee environmental compliance and risk management related to permits, waste, air, water, chemical management, and spill prevention as applicable to site operations.
- Coordinate with Legal, Human Resources, Operations, Engineering, Facilities, Security, and other functions on significant EHSS matters.
Incident Management, Learning & Corrective Action- Provide leadership and governance for reporting and investigating incidents, near misses, high-potential events, hazards, and employee concerns.
- Promote learning-focused investigations that identify system factors, failed or missing controls, and practical actions rather than assigning blame.
- Verify corrective actions are completed, effective, and sustained; escalate overdue or ineffective actions when needed.
- Identify cross-site trends and share lessons in a form that manufacturing leaders and employees can apply.
Assurance, Auditing & Performance- Develop and maintain a risk-based audit and assurance program that tests regulatory compliance, management-system health, and field execution.
- Create and monitor a balanced EHSS scorecard that includes leading indicators, control effectiveness, learning, compliance, and outcome measures.
- Provide concise performance and risk reporting to manufacturing and enterprise EHSS leadership, including material gaps, decisions needed, and recommended actions.
- Partner with sites to close audit findings and verify that improvements address the underlying risk.
Culture, Engagement & Stakeholder Collaboration- Advance a culture in which employees and leaders are expected and encouraged to identify risk, raise concerns, stop work when needed, and participate in problem solving.
- Improve the quality of safety conversations, hazard reporting, employee engagement, and learning from everyday work.
- Collaborate with customers, regulators, insurers, contractors, auditors, and other external stakeholders as required.
- Represent manufacturing on enterprise EHSS forums and lead deployment of company-wide EHSS initiatives across the manufacturing system.
Emergency Preparedness & Security- Provide governance for site emergency preparedness, business-relevant response plans, drills, and improvement actions.
- Partner with site and corporate stakeholders to identify and manage physical security risks affecting employees, facilities, operations, and continuity.
Other Responsibilities- Lead special projects and perform other duties consistent with the scope and level of the role.
QualificationsRequired- Bachelor's degree in environmental health and safety, environmental science, engineering, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- At least 10 years of progressive EHSS experience, including leadership responsibility for a large manufacturing site or a multi-site manufacturing organization.
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing EHSS professionals in a complex, matrixed organization.
- Strong working knowledge of occupational safety, environmental compliance, industrial hygiene, emergency preparedness, and security principles relevant to manufacturing.
- Experience designing, implementing, or improving EHSS management systems, audit programs, risk assessments, and performance measures.
- Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders, communicate with executive presence, and convert technical requirements into practical operating expectations.
- Experience leading serious-incident or high-potential-event investigations and verifying corrective-action effectiveness.
- Ability to work effectively across cultures, functions, and manufacturing locations.
Preferred- Professional certification such as CSP, CIH, CHMM, PE, or equivalent.
- Experience with ISO 14001, ISO 45001, or comparable management systems.
- Experience supporting manufacturing growth, major capital projects, acquisitions, or operational transformation.
- Experience working with contractors and construction activities within active manufacturing environments.
Core Leadership Competencies- Know the business and connect EHSS priorities to operating objectives.
- Recognize risk early and focus attention on the controls that matter most.
- Build trust through field presence, sound judgment, candor, and follow-through.
- Influence across boundaries and create shared ownership for EHSS performance.
- Develop people through clear expectations, coaching, feedback, and accountability.
- Solve complex problems collaboratively and communicate in concise, practical terms.
Working Conditions- Work is performed in office and active manufacturing environments, with regular exposure to production operations.
- Travel is expected to support manufacturing sites and business needs; anticipated travel is generally less than 15%.
- Personal protective equipment and compliance with site access requirements may be required.
