Senior Director - Health and Safety

Packaging Corporation of America•Lake Forest, IL

About The Position

The Senior Director, Health & Safety is responsible for directing the development, implementation, maintenance, and strategic oversight of comprehensive health and safety programs for PCA’s Corrugated Products Division, as well as managing corporate health and safety systems and functions. The role leads two Corporate Health and Safety Managers for Corrugated Products, Regional Health and Safety Managers, and corporate staff. It also drives and sustains a vision and culture focused on zero significant incidents, full employee engagement, reduced business risk, protection of fixed assets, regulatory compliance, and lower workers’ compensation costs.

Requirements

10+ years of experience managing occupational safety and health programs.
Comprehensive management of OSHA regulatory requirements, such as occupational safety, industrial hygiene, safety management, chemical process safety, fire prevention, emergency response, contractor and subcontractor safety administration, and risk analysis.
Experience participating in integrated health and safety audits.
Working knowledge of hazardous materials transportation requirements (DOT).
Detailed regulatory expertise.
Board-Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and/or Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) credential.
Complex problem-solving skills.
Incident investigation and root cause analysis skills.
Adaptability.
Desire and ability to lead change.
Ability to communicate training topics to employees at all levels of the organization.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Strong interpersonal skills.
Strong analytical ability for interpreting statistical data.
Ability to communicate quickly and effectively across organizational boundaries in an industrial manufacturing environment.
Ability to lead work groups in delivering improved processes, systems, and programs.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree in a related field.
Additional certifications, such as Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), first aid, and CPR.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership and direction for the development, administration, maintenance, and strategic advancement of health and safety, compliance, and continuous improvement programs.
Serve as a liaison with applicable regulatory agencies and coordinate any necessary follow up on health and safety audits to ensure satisfactory compliance.
Ensure all required internal and external reports are completed and submitted on time.
Provide the leadership, direction, and support necessary to ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and standards, and to meet or exceed relevant internal and external safety requirements in a manner consistent with sound business practices.
Facilitate compliance with facility, regional, corporate, and regulatory safety standards and guidelines through audits, inspections, recordkeeping, and data documentation.
Assist management with investigations, recommend corrective and preventive measures, and ensure accurate injury and illness records are maintained.
Develop and maintain effective relationships at all levels of the organization, including corporate, regional, and plant management.
Demonstrate the ability to manage personnel and budgets effectively to achieve targeted objectives.
Maintain current knowledge of health and safety regulations and laws in order to provide expert guidance on assessments, capital projects, work orders, and general health and safety problem-solving at the site, regional, and corporate levels, as needed.
Monitor workers’ compensation and risk management programs in conjunction with the Workers’ Compensation Manager and Risk Manager to reduce costs and risks associated with injuries, illnesses, and property loss.
Assist in coordinating risk management and loss prevention activities across corrugated plants.
Direct and coordinate all health and safety leadership training for the Corrugated Group.
Support staff development through goal alignment, work prioritization, and coaching to drive effective performance.
Serve as a leader, mentor, and manager to Corporate Safety Managers, Regional Health and Safety Managers, and corporate staff.
Define and lead the strategic health and safety plan for the Corrugated Division, including the identification and management of key performance indicators (KPIs) to achieve the division’s health and safety vision. This includes a balanced approach that addresses both low-severity, high-frequency incidents and low-frequency, high-severity potential events, while applying the hierarchy of controls to enhance the resiliency of our systems.
Develop and administer key elements of PCA’s health and safety management system to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and company policies.
Develop and implement policies and regulatory guidance needed to maintain compliance with applicable requirements.
Use electronic systems and tools to manage health and safety statistics, perform analysis and benchmarking, and provide standardized reports to communicate health and safety information to internal and external stakeholders, including regulatory agencies.
Represent PCA in safety and health matters with industry trade groups and regulatory agencies, including federal and state EPA and OSHA.
Track, monitor, analyze, and communicate workers’ compensation claims cost data to ensure timely reporting and effective cost-control measures, such as return-to-work case management initiatives, in coordination with PCA’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance Manager.
Provide leadership to facilities in fostering a culture of zero significant incidents across the workforce.
Support facilities in responding to regulatory agency inquiries, citations, proposed penalties, required responses, and informal conferences as needed.
Keep management informed of current and emerging occupational safety and health regulatory and legislative initiatives that may impact operations.
Assess training needs and develop the training materials and tools necessary, in coordination with facility EH&S contacts, to support training for employees at all levels.
Serve as an expert regulatory resource on interpretive issues related to OSHA requirements, including 1910, 1926, 1904, OSHA recordkeeping, and SDS management.
Participate in health and safety audits across PCA operations and facilitate the sharing of best practices among facilities and divisions.
Provide routine expert analysis of facility safety, health, and workers’ compensation injury statistics and trends.
Provide leadership and accountability in the incident investigation process, including tracking and execution of corrective actions focused on preventing reoccurrence.
Participate in engineering development projects and project start-up activities to help ensure safe work design, engineering job safety analyses, identification of required personal protective equipment, and effective operating procedures and practices.