Director of Safety

Director of Safety - Must come from Food or Beverage manufacturing

Location: Chicago, IL

Pay: $175K-$200K

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO, 401K

Travel Requirements: 50% to 70% travel to production facilities or office locations. A very strong presence is required at the manufacturing plants.

Requirement: 15 years of diversified safety experience in the food, beverage, and dairy manufacturing industry preferred. Will consider pharma or chemical manufacturing.

The Senior Director of Safety will engage, motivate, influence, and align the organization at all levels to implement a strategy to drive compliance and build a culture committed to preventing all injuries from Farm to Shelf. This role requires close collaboration with various functional areas including operations, engineering, quality, human resources, facilities management, logistics, and legal. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in leading large manufacturing and supply chain organizations to outstanding safety performance and continuous improvement in operations and manufacturing plant design and construction. The Senior Director will oversee the development and execution of safety management systems to achieve globally recognized standards such as ISO 14000 and 45001.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a companywide safety strategy and report progress against milestones.
• Establish programs to continuously identify and fill safety gaps.
• Establish and report against key performance indicators, continuously improving actual vs. target safety performance.
• Achieve compliance with local OSHA and Company standards.
• Support the CTO and Engineering Business Unit in developing technical safety standards for all equipment and processes and ensure they are embedded in current and future operations.
• Conduct monthly reporting meetings internally and externally.
• Utilize robust methods for incident reporting, cause analysis, and corrective actions across all sites.
• Develop a uniform action tracking mechanism for key safety deliverables related to audits, corrective actions, or regulatory initiatives.
• Coordinate internal audits, recommend corrective actions, and facilitate closure of open items.
• Develop, manage, and mentor site safety professionals through active support, coaching, and feedback.
• Represent the company in regulatory or other legal matters.
• Establish strong relationships with key stakeholders internally and externally.

Skills/Qualifications Required:

• 15 years of diversified safety experience, preferably in the food manufacturing industry. Dairy processing industry experience is a plus.
• Experience in implementing comprehensive safety programs that reduce injury risk and ensure compliance in areas such as behavioral-based safety, fall prevention, ergonomics, chemical management, equipment selection, process design, LOTO, traffic management, and construction/contractor safety management.
• Technical expert in risks, regulations, and industry standards.
• Advanced knowledge of safety regulatory requirements, including strategies for achieving compliance in a cost-effective manner.
• Sound business acumen as it pertains to safety needs in an organization.
• Excellent public speaking and written communication skills.
• Experience with EHS safety management software for multiple locations.
• Certifications in Safety (CSP) and Industrial Hygiene (CIH) highly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree related to environmental, health, and safety.
• Ability to handle ambiguity and work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information