Safety Program Manager, Principal
About The Position
The Principal Safety Program Manager serves as the organization's senior strategic leader responsible for shaping, governing, and advancing enterprise-wide safety programs and culture. This role provides thought leadership, develops long-term safety strategies, and drives transformational initiatives that reduce risk, improve operational performance, and strengthen organizational resilience. As a recognized subject matter expert, the Principal Safety Program Manager partners with executive leadership, business leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders to establish safety governance, influence enterprise decision-making, and ensure alignment between safety performance, regulatory compliance, and business objectives.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Health, Engineering, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Public Administration, or related field.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in safety, risk management, operational excellence, compliance, or program management.
- 4+ years leading enterprise-level safety programs, governance frameworks, or transformational initiatives.
- Demonstrated experience influencing executive leadership and organizational strategy.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams within complex, highly regulated environments.
- Proven success building enterprise governance structures and driving measurable safety improvements.
Nice To Haves
- Master's degree preferred
- Proficiency with Excel and Power BI
- 8+ years leading enterprise-level safety programs, governance frameworks, or transformational initiatives.
- 12+ years of progressive experience in safety, risk management, operational excellence, compliance, or program management.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP)
- Associate Safety Professional (ASP)
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
- Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM)
Responsibilities
- Lead enterprise safety strategy, culture, and transformation initiatives.
- Advise executives on safety performance, risks, and emerging trends.
- Align safety programs with business objectives and risk priorities.
- Establish safety governance, councils, and review forums.
- Monitor performance, manage risk escalation, and drive accountability.
- Provide executive reporting and strategic recommendations.
- Lead enterprise risk assessment and mitigation efforts.
- Ensure regulatory compliance and audit readiness.
- Oversee corrective action and compliance programs.
- Oversee serious incident investigations and executive reviews.
- Drive root cause analysis, organizational learning, and corrective actions.
- Monitor trends and systemic risks to prevent recurrence.
- Lead enterprise safety programs and strategic initiatives.
- Establish governance, metrics, and performance measures.
- Manage resources and ensure measurable outcomes.
- Define safety KPIs, metrics, and benchmarking standards.
- Leverage analytics to identify risks and improvement opportunities.
- Deliver executive dashboards and performance insights.
- Lead Lean, Six Sigma, and operational excellence initiatives.
- Standardize best practices and governance processes.
- Drive sustainable safety and operational improvements.
- Partner with executives, regulators, labor, and business leaders.
- Influence strategic decisions and drive cross-functional alignment.
- Represent the organization in industry forums and benchmarking activities.
- Provide strategic direction to safety teams and stakeholders.
- Build organizational capability in safety, governance, and risk management.
- Develop talent and foster a high-performance culture.
Benefits
- discretionary incentive compensation programs
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
