Global Director, EHS

The Gowan Co.

23h

About The Position

The Global EHS Manager is accountable for setting, governing, and enforcing the Environmental, Health & Safety strategy across Gowan globally. This role exists to fundamentally elevate safety culture, leadership accountability, and governance, ensuring that EHS is treated as a core business value and leadership responsibility. The position is Board‑visible, transformation-oriented, and authority-driven. Its primary mandate is to define clear global expectations, assess performance through audits and KPIs, drive corrective action, and ensure consistent application of Life Critical Standards and regulatory compliance across all sites.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive EHS experience in complex, regulated industrial environments (chemical, manufacturing, process industries preferred).
Demonstrated success leading EHS transformation.
Deep knowledge of Life Critical Safety, high‑hazard operations, and operational risk management.

Nice To Haves

Background in global manufacturing environments with diverse regulatory regimes.
Exposure to ISO‑based management systems (e.g., ISO 45001, 14001) as governance tools.

Responsibilities

Global EHS Governance & Authority
Define and maintain a formal global EHS governance model, including clear escalation paths, decision rights, and accountability expectations.
Establish global EHS policies, standards, and Life Critical Standards across all sites.
Ensure EHS risks are explicitly reflected in enterprise risk management and Board reporting.
Serve as the final authority on EHS matters where site, regional, or functional alignment is lacking.
Safety Culture & Leadership Accountability
Drive a behavior‑based safety culture where safe performance is owned by leadership at all levels.
Assess and influence leadership behaviors, decision‑making, and operational discipline related to safety.
Ensure leaders are held accountable for EHS outcomes.
Promote an environment where employees are comfortable escalating safety concerns.
Audits, Assessments & Performance Measurement
Design and lead a global EHS audit and assessment program covering culture, management systems, compliance, and Life Critical Standards.
Define and own global EHS KPIs, balancing leading and lagging indicators (e.g., TRIR, Near Miss, Severe Potential Incidents, audit findings, corrective action closure).
Ensure consistent interpretation of results and decisive follow‑up actions.
Validate the quality and depth of incident investigations, with particular focus on root causes related to systems, culture, and leadership.
Systems & Frameworks
Own the design, deployment, and governance of the global EHS management system and digital tools (e.g., ProSapien software), ensuring they drive behavior and action.
Ensure standardization of key processes such as:
Incident reporting and classification
Risk assessment & hazard controls
Permit‑to‑work systems
Corrective and preventive action tracking
Observations
Regulatory & Compliance Leadership
Ensure global compliance with applicable environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations.
Monitor regulatory changes and assess implications for the business.
Lead responses to regulatory issues, enforcement actions, or high‑risk gaps.
Ensure compliance expectations do not vary by site or region based on local pressure or historical practices.
Organization, Capability & Resourcing
Define the required EHS organizational model, competencies, and resourcing to support global expectations.
Influence hiring, development, and succession planning for EHS roles globally.
Act as coach and mentor to regional and site EHS leaders, while maintaining clear performance expectations.