Director of HSES

Kuehne Chemical Company, Inc•Kearny, NJ

1d•$170,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Health, Safety, Environmental, and Security (HSES) provides strategic leadership, direction, and oversight for all health, safety, environmental, and security programs across the organization. This position is responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations while fostering a proactive culture of safety, environmental stewardship, security awareness, and continuous improvement. The Director develops and implements enterprise-wide HSES strategies, drives risk reduction initiatives, and partners with leadership to support operational excellence and organizational goals.

Requirements

Proven experience working with and negotiating with government agencies and regulatory authorities.
Strong working knowledge of production processes.
Thorough knowledge of OSHA, EPA, DOT, and other applicable regulatory requirements.
Proven ability to lead change and motivate employees at all levels of the organization.
Experience developing and sustaining a strong safety culture within a multi-site organization.
Ability to efficiently manage multiple projects and initiatives within budget and established timelines.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and risk assessment skills.
Experience conducting hazard analyses and implementing risk mitigation strategies.
Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills.
Strong interpersonal, leadership, and relationship-building abilities.
Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
Ability to effectively communicate with executive leadership, regulators, employees, customers, and external stakeholders.
Frequent travel between Company locations, with an expectation of visiting at least two locations each week and all locations on a monthly basis.
Occasional travel to vendors, customers, conferences, and seminars.
Demonstrate accuracy, attention to detail, and the ability to work effectively in a team environment.
Must be able to pass a 10-panel controlled substance testing and random testing after that.
Must be able to pass a background investigation check and maintain in good standing order, as per TSA’s TWIC criteria.
Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related field required.
10+ years of progressive health, safety, and environmental leadership and compliance experience in a manufacturing environment, with a proven track record of applying Lean thinking, problem-solving methodologies, and continuous improvement principles.

Nice To Haves

Maintain Method 9 Stack Test Reader certification as required.

Responsibilities

Recruit, interview, hire, and train new staff.
Lead, coach, and develop a team of HSES professionals across multiple locations.
Establish departmental goals, priorities, and performance expectations aligned with organizational objectives.
Develop depth of knowledge within the department through cross-training.
Oversee the daily workflow of the department while collaborating with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Transportation, and other functional leaders.
Conduct performance evaluations and provide ongoing feedback to team members.
Handle employee disciplinary actions and terminations in accordance with company policies and procedures.
Develop, implement, and continuously improve the Company's Health, Safety, Environmental, and Security (HSES) strategy, programs, policies, and management systems across all locations.
Supervise, lead, and direct plant and transportation HSES managers, ensuring consistent execution of HSES initiatives and compliance requirements.
Establish and maintain the Company's HSES strategic plan by setting objectives, measuring performance, documenting accomplishments, and driving continuous improvement initiatives.
Serve as the Company's subject matter expert and primary advisor on health, safety, environmental, and security matters.
Evaluate organizational HSES performance and safety culture, identifying opportunities to strengthen employee engagement, accountability, and risk awareness.
Promote a proactive safety culture through leadership, employee involvement, behavior-based safety principles, and continuous improvement methodologies.
Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, permits, and company standards, including OSHA, EPA, DOT, DHS, and other relevant regulatory requirements.
Lead regulatory inspections, audits, and interactions with governmental agencies, ensuring timely and effective responses to findings and corrective actions.
Oversee and continuously improve the Company's incident reporting, investigation, and root cause analysis processes.
Ensure thorough investigations are conducted for all injuries, environmental releases, security incidents, accidents, and near misses, utilizing structured methodologies such as 5 Why Analysis and Root Cause Analysis.
Ensure effective corrective and preventive actions are developed, implemented, and monitored for sustainability across all company locations.
Lead enterprise-wide safety performance reviews and coordinate safety surveillance, trend analysis, and risk assessment activities.
Develop and communicate risk management strategies that proactively identify, assess, mitigate, and monitor operational risks.
Provide leadership in hazard identification, risk assessment, and risk reduction initiatives throughout the organization.
Oversee the Company's FIFRA compliance program, including federal EPA registrations, state pesticide registrations, labeling requirements, regulatory submissions, and associated stakeholder training initiatives.
Maintain ultimate responsibility for regulatory reporting requirements, including OSHA 300 Logs, OSHA 300A Summaries, environmental reporting, and other required submissions.
Partner with operations, maintenance, engineering, transportation, and leadership teams to identify improvement opportunities, implement best practices, and strengthen compliance programs.
Participate in various departmental meetings including daily production meetings.
Conduct frequent walkthroughs of all departments, especially during maintenance repairs and special projects, to ensure HSES compliance.
Monitor and support the management of workers' compensation claims and return-to-work programs in collaboration with departmental leadership and medical providers.
Ensure the development, implementation, and effectiveness of HSES training programs for new hires, annual compliance requirements, leadership development, and ongoing employee education.
Oversee Safety Committee activities across all locations and promote active employee participation and engagement.
Lead and coordinate HSES requirements and documentation associated with Responsible Care® RC14001 initiatives, certifications, audits, and continuous improvement activities.
Lead the development and implementation of emergency response programs, preparedness activities, drills, and crisis management initiatives.
Support corporate sustainability, environmental stewardship, and operational excellence initiatives.
Develop, monitor, and report key HSES performance metrics and KPIs to executive leadership.
Conduct periodic audits and assessments of HSES programs, management systems, and operational practices.
Ensure corrective action plans resulting from audits, inspections, and assessments are effectively implemented and sustained.
Establish and improve standard work, management systems, and critical business processes related to HSES performance.
Identify and implement industry best practices and standardize successful programs across all company locations.
Serve as a change leader by challenging existing processes, utilizing data-driven decision-making, and driving continuous improvement initiatives.
Identify organizational training needs and provide coaching, mentoring, and development opportunities to improve HSES knowledge and effectiveness.
Maintain Method 9 Stack Test Reader certification as required.
Participate in industry organizations, including Chlorine Institute HSES Task Groups, and remain informed of emerging regulations, industry trends, and best practices.
Travel regularly between company locations to support HSES initiatives, conduct audits, engage employees, and ensure consistent program implementation.
Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.