Director Environment, Health & Safety(EHS)

Ascend Wellness Holdings•Morristown, NJ

About The Position

The Director, EHS & Compliance Operations reports to the SVP, Compliance and serves as the enterprise leader for Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) across Ascend Wellness Holdings' multi-state operations. This role has primary responsibility for building, managing, and continuously improving a comprehensive EHS program aligned with OSHA standards, state-specific requirements, and AWH's operational risk tolerance. The Director will directly oversee Regional EHS Directors covering Midwest and East Coast markets, ensuring consistent program execution, regulatory compliance, and a strong safety culture across all retail, wholesale, and cultivation facilities. In addition to the primary EHS focus, this role provides compliance operations support as needed, leveraging expertise in multi-state cannabis regulatory environments to assist the broader compliance team with operational alignment, audit readiness, and cross-functional initiatives. The ideal candidate brings deep experience in OSHA compliance, workplace safety program design, incident management, and regulatory affairs within a multi-state, multi-site organization.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Science, Business, Legal Studies, Compliance, Public Policy, or a related field required; advanced degree or relevant certification (CSP, CHMM, CHC, or similar) preferred.
5+ years of experience in EHS program management, with at least 2 years in a leadership role overseeing multi-site or regional EHS operations.
Deep working knowledge of OSHA standards (General Industry and Construction), federal and state environmental regulations, and workplace safety compliance requirements.
Experience in the cannabis industry or another highly regulated field (e.g., pharmaceuticals, healthcare, food and beverage, or manufacturing) strongly preferred.
Demonstrated ability to design and implement scalable EHS programs, including safety training, incident management, OSHA documentation, and workers' compensation oversight.
Proven experience managing direct reports and leading distributed, regional teams in a multi-state environment.
Strong knowledge of corrective action plan (CAPA) frameworks, audit methodologies, and regulatory inspection management.
Proven ability to build collaborative relationships with operational teams, senior leadership, external regulators, and government agencies.
Exceptional project management, organizational, and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple competing priorities.
Superb written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex regulatory language into clear operational guidance.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint); experience with LMS/ETS platforms, audit management tools, and compliance tracking systems preferred.
High attention to detail with strong critical thinking and analytical skills.
Ability to work independently and cross-functionally in a remote, multi-state environment.
Ability and willingness to travel frequently (approximately 25%) to support EHS and compliance needs across AWH's multi-state footprint.
Must be 21 years of age or older.
Must be able to obtain and maintain any required cannabis agent or registered agent badge based on applicable state regulations.
Must pass all pre-employment background checks and screenings.

Responsibilities

Serve as the enterprise EHS leader, owning the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of AWH's Health & Safety and OSHA compliance program across all licensed facilities - retail, wholesale, and cultivation.
Directly manage and provide strategic direction to Regional EHS Directors for the Midwest and East Coast, including task delegation, performance management, workflow prioritization, and ongoing mentorship.
Develop, maintain, and standardize EHS policies, procedures, training programs, and documentation in alignment with federal OSHA standards, state-specific requirements, and AWH's enterprise compliance framework.
Implement and administer an enterprise Learning Management System (LMS) platform for standardized EHS and safety training, tracking completions, and ensuring audit-ready records across all operating entities.
Develop and maintain OSHA documentation including Health & Safety Manuals, OSHA Toolkits, and site-level binders, ensuring alignment with federal, state, and local requirements across all jurisdictions.
Lead physical site risk assessments across licensed facilities, identifying infrastructure, procedural, and safety gaps; design and implement corrective action plans to mitigate regulatory, operational, and liability exposure.
Oversee internal EHS investigations and incident management, including employee and customer injuries, operational disruptions, and equipment failures; partner with HR and Legal to ensure consistent fact-finding, remediation, and disciplinary outcomes.
Manage the full workers' compensation lifecycle from injury reporting through return-to-work coordination while mitigating liability exposure and maintaining accurate records.
Maintain OSHA logs and filings and lead responses to EHS inspections, audits, and enforcement actions across multiple jurisdictions.
Build and maintain trusted relationships with OSHA officials and state safety regulators, serving as the primary point of contact for inspections, clarifications, and issue resolution.
Develop and maintain an enterprise EHS SOP library for vertically integrated operations, ensuring regulatory alignment, operational consistency, and audit readiness.
Provide executive-level reporting to the SVP, Compliance and General Counsel on EHS posture, emerging risks, regulatory trends, and remediation plans.
Travel regularly to multi-state facilities to conduct site reviews, support regulatory inspections, and directly engage with local teams and Regional EHS Directors.
Provide operational compliance support to retail and wholesale compliance teams as directed by the SVP, Compliance, including audit reviews, inspection preparation, and cross-functional alignment initiatives.
Assist with the development and delivery of compliance-related training content, standard operating procedures, and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) tracking as needed.
Support compliance monitoring activities across multiple states, including reviewing regulatory updates, contributing to compliance dashboards, and helping operationalize new requirements.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Legal, Operations, HR, Facilities, and Quality teams to ensure EHS and compliance initiatives are aligned and effectively executed.
Assist with regulatory submissions, variance requests, and formal agency correspondence as needed in coordination with state-specific compliance leads.
Contribute to the development and maintenance of the enterprise compliance and legal template/SOP library to promote consistency and reduce regulatory risk.
Perform other duties as assigned to support the broader goals of the Compliance department and Ascend Wellness Holdings.