Director of EHS Assurance and Risk

Stryker•Portage, MI

4d•$135,600 - $293,700•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, EHS - Assurance and Risk is responsible for providing independent, enterprise-wide oversight of Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) performance across Stryker. This role ensures robust assurance systems, transparent reporting, and effective risk management practices. This leader drives the global EHS assurance strategy across manufacturing, commercial, and distribution operations, ensuring compliance, identifying systemic risks, and strengthening a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in environmental science, Occupational Health & Safety, Engineering, or related field.
10+ years of work experience required.
Deep expertise in EHS auditing, compliance, and risk management systems.
Strong executive presence with experience presenting to senior leadership and/or Board-level audiences.
Experience integrating EHS into enterprise risk management (ERM) frameworks.
Experience in a global, regulated industry (medical device, pharma, or similar).
Deep expertise across multiple EHS disciplines (industrial hygiene, process safety, environmental compliance, radiation safety).
Demonstrated experience leading global standards, systems, and technical programs.
Proven ability to lead a certified and trained internal auditing team.
Strong knowledge of global EHS regulations and management systems.
Experience building or transforming global EHS management systems and capability models.
Executive presence with ability to communicate complex technical topics clearly to senior leadership.

Nice To Haves

7+ years of progressive EHS leadership experience in a global, regulated industry (medical device, pharma, or similar) with multi-site and/or regional accountability.
4+ years of people management experience highly preferred.
Advanced degree (MBA, MS, or similar).
Professional certifications (e.g., CSP, CIH, ISO 14001/45001 Lead Auditor) is preferred.
Practical experience with Lean/Six Sigma business process improvement methodology, belt certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the design and execution of the global EHS assurance and audit program.
Maintain and schedule self-assessments of internal standards.
Oversee internal EHS audits and assurance audits across all regions and business units.
Ensure audits assess both regulatory compliance and management system effectiveness.
Support and drive additional sites to ISO 14001/45001 certification.
Drive standardization of audit methodologies, tools, and auditor capability.
Responsible for inspecting multiple sites as the lead auditor of internal EHS standards.
Establish processes for ongoing compliance verification with global, regional, and local EHS regulations.
Identify compliance gaps and ensure timely escalation and resolution.
Partner with regional/site EHS leaders to strengthen compliance frameworks.
Own and maintain the enterprise EHS risk register.
Identify, assess, and prioritize key EHS risks across manufacturing, commercial, and distribution environments.
Integrate EHS risks into broader enterprise risk management frameworks and communicate with global leadership as required.
Drive proactive risk mitigation strategies and tracking.
Partner with Global leadership team and COE to develop and deliver clear, compliance and assurance data to understand common themes at Stryker sites.
Provide independent insights on trends, risks, and systemic issues.
Elevate transparency and enable informed decision-making at the highest levels.
Establish processes to monitor and verify the effectiveness of corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).
Ensure issues are not only resolved but prevented from recurring.
Drive accountability across sites and leadership teams.
Promote a culture of transparency, and continuous improvement.
Develop an auditors training course and train key leaders on proper self-audit processes and create a certified group of internal auditors that clearly understand Stryker EHS standards.
Benchmark against industry best practices and emerging regulatory expectations.
Build and scale a high-performing global assurance and risk team developing individuals in leadership and technical capability.
Influence without authority across regions and functions.
Partner closely with EHS Operations/Commercial, EHS COE, and leadership/cross-functional teams across the organization to drive an effective assurance program.