Vice President of Environment, Health, Safety & Security (EHSS)

Colonial Group•Savannah, GA

31d

About The Position

The Vice President of Environment, Health, Safety & Security (EHSS) reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and provides enterprise-wide leadership for the organization’s environmental sustainability, occupational health, workplace safety, and security strategy. This executive role is responsible for setting vision, ensuring regulatory compliance, reducing risk, embedding a strong safety culture, and advancing continuous improvement across all operations. The VP of EHSS serves as a trusted advisor to the executive leadership team, balancing regulatory, operational, and business objectives while protecting employees, communities, and the environment.

Requirements

Proven executive or senior-director-level leadership experience.
Demonstrated success leading large-scale, multidisciplinary and values-based EHS organizations.
Experience working directly with executive leadership.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive EHSS strategy aligned with corporate objectives and regulatory requirements.
Serve as the senior EHSS subject-matter expert and advisor to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), executive leadership team, and Board of Directors.
Establish enterprise EHSS policies, standards, and governance models applicable across all sites and regions.
Drive a proactive, values-based safety culture with shared accountability at all leadership levels.
Collaborates with Continuous Improvement and Learning & Development teams to meet corporate objectives.
Ensure full compliance with applicable federal, state, local, and international EHSS regulations (e.g., OSHA, EPA, DOT, ISO, FRA, USCG, state and local environmental authorities, etc.).
Oversee audits, inspections, and regulatory interactions; where appropriate, serve as primary executive contact for regulatory agencies.
Lead enterprise risk assessments, incident investigations, root-cause analysis, and corrective action planning.
Anticipate regulatory changes and assess business impact.
Establish and monitor EHSS KPIs, dashboards, and performance metrics; report trends and risks to senior leadership.
Reduce workplace injuries, illnesses, incidents, and environmental releases by creating an environment that supports the development of prevention programs, continuous improvement processes, and focused operational discipline.
Oversee emergency preparedness, crisis management, and business continuity planning related to EHSS risks.
Champion continuous improvement initiatives using leading and lagging indicators.
Lead environmental stewardship programs to ensure regulatory compliance and consistency with company values.
Partner with Operations teams to support environmental reporting, disclosures, and long-term stewardship goals.
Ensure accurate data collection and reporting for internal and external stakeholders.
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing, high trust EHSS organization.
Define organizational structure, succession plans, and capability development for EHSS professionals.
Coach senior leaders and site managers on EHSS leadership and accountability.
Foster collaboration across Operations, Legal, and HR.
Communicate EHSS strategy, performance, and risks clearly to executive leadership, employees, and external stakeholders.
Represent the company in industry forums, benchmarking groups, and professional associations.
Support due diligence efforts for M&A, divestitures, and major capitol projects.