Job Purpose

Partner with plant management to ensure compliance with safety and environmental procedures. Provide safety and environmental leadership by ensuring plant systems are implemented, communicated, and sustained. Verify effectiveness of these programs by performing regular audits and communicating results to plant leadership teams.

Essential Functions

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve safety and environmental programs, policies, and procedures to ensure effectiveness and compliance with local, state, and federal rules and regulations

• Provide direction, training, education, and technical support to ensure effective deployment of safety and environmental policies and procedures

• Partner with plant management for successful completion of regulatory audits

• Ensure the design, development, and implementation of hazardous waste management plans at the facility

• Measure and monitor the overall safety and environmental performance of the facility and identify opportunities for improvement including tools, training, and processes

• Understand federal and state occupational safety and health regulations and monitor for regulatory changes

• Provide safety technical support and information to all departments to eliminate potential injury or exposure

• Partner with facility to develop an emergency response team and ensure appropriate training in emergency response, spill response, disaster preparedness, and crisis management; ensure drills and equipment are in a ready state

• Work with plant leadership teams to develop plant safety goals; create and implement plans to achieve goals and KPIs

• Drive and promote zero incident culture and employee engagement throughout the facility

• Direct accident investigation programs, identify accident trends, and develop programs for improving performance; partner with plant leadership teams to conduct incident investigations, complete necessary reports, make recommendations, and follow through with corrective actions to mitigate further risk

• Ensure complete and effective incident, near miss, and first aid reporting; ensure root cause analysis of incidents and injuries; determine specific actions needed to prevent recurrence

• Develop and maintain safety and environmental data processes to manage and report data such as injuries and illnesses, environmental metrics, risk assessments, action items, and other pertinent information; analyze safety data to lead and coordinate the safety effort for continual improvement

• Ensure internal facility safety audits are completed regularly to detect existing or potential risks and hazards; work with facility management to ensure recommended corrective actions are completed in a timely manner

• Complete risk assessment and recommend control measures for all potential areas of concern; evaluate nonstandard tasks to uncover risks and identify corrective actions

• Ensure contractors have effective safety processes in place by implementing contractor pre-qualifications and monitoring/auditing work in progress

• Partner with HR on workers’ compensation programs including managing and supporting transitional duty and return to work programs, staff training, and development

• Foster a sense of team responsibility for achieving goals

• Support food safety program, quality standards, and legality of manufactured products through adherence to plant GMPs

• Perform other job-related duties as assigned

Qualifications (Education, Experience, Competencies)

• Bachelor’s degree in Safety Management or equivalent work experience

• OSHA certification preferred

• Familiarity with state environmental regulations preferred

• Minimum 3 years of experience in implementing and sustaining safety programs

• Knowledge of food manufacturing facilities

• Extensive working knowledge of regulatory requirements for federal and state programs, processes, and program implementation strategies

• Proficient in Microsoft Office and computer-based applications

• Ability to develop, conduct, and maintain training programs using lecture, PowerPoint, or practical methods

• Strong leadership, team-building, and coaching skills with an intense desire to drive positive change, develop interdepartmental relationships, and deliver results

• Strong verbal and written communication skills

• Strong decision-making skills with the ability to think critically and solve complex problems

• Ability to organize, manage multiple priorities, and maintain high attention to detail in a fast-paced environment