Director, Health, Safety and Environment

MacEwan International; Edmonton; On-site; CAD 118,000 - 159,000; Full time

Job summary

MacEwan University invites applications for the role of Director, Health, Safety and Environment in Edmonton. The position leads a multidisciplinary HSE team and shapes institutional health, safety, environmental and biosafety programs, reporting to the Senior Director, Campus Safety and Security.

The role emphasizes governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management across the university, with a focus on proactive risk-informed decision-making and external stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Degree in occupational or environmental health and safety.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible health, safety and environment experience.
• 5+ years of health and safety leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for HSE programs aligning with university priorities.
• Embed HSE principles across academic, research, administrative, and operations activities.
• Establish governance, policies, controls, and performance measures for HSE.
• Advise senior leadership on emerging risks, regulatory developments, and opportunities.
• Oversee compliance with federal and provincial legislation, licenses, permits and reporting.
• Lead identification, assessment, mitigation, and reporting of HSE risks.

Skills

Leadership

Risk assessment

Regulatory compliance

Project management

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in occupational or environmental health and safety

Job description

Director, Health, Safety and Environment

Health Safety and Environment

Competition No. 26.10.242

Competition No. 26.10.242 Posting Date October 6, 2026

Category

Closing Date

Full-Time Continuing (35 hours per week) $117,979 to $159,492 per annum October 25, 2026

About Us

MacEwan University is where caring faculty help people connect their passions to their future paths. Located in the heart of Edmonton's diverse and dynamic downtown community, and on the traditional lands of Treaty 6 First Nations and homelands of the Métis people, MacEwan is known for exceptional undergraduate learning. With its dedication to teaching excellence, informed by scholarly research, innovation, and creative activity, MacEwan provides an exceptional collaborative and supportive learning environment with a commitment to human rights, environmental sustainability, and opportunities for community engagement. We are committed to creating an equitable, diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community for all peoples, cultures, and identities.
Our comprehensive undergraduate university offers 55 programs to more than 21,000 full- and part-time students in business, communications, community and human services, design, fine and performing arts, health, humanities, natural science, nursing, public safety, and social science. Through a wide array of experiential learning opportunities, and strategic relationships in the community, we partner with others to produce graduates of stature. Along with a robust grounding in their chosen disciplines, MacEwan students are given durable life skills that prepare them to take on the world.

MacEwan University is seeking a Director, Health, Safety and Environment for a full-time continuing opportunity with our Health, Safety and Environment department.

Are you a visionary health, safety, and environmental leader who is passionate about building a culture where people can learn, work, and thrive safely? We are seeking a strategic and collaborative Director, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) to provide institution-wide leadership for health, safety, environmental, and biosafety programs.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Campus Safety and Security, you will shape and advance the University's vision for health, safety, and environmental stewardship by strengthening governance, accountability, compliance, and risk management frameworks across a diverse and dynamic academic environment. You will serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, guiding the institution through emerging risks, regulatory requirements, and opportunities to enhance organizational performance and sustainability.

In this influential role, you will lead a multidisciplinary HSE team and drive initiatives that foster shared responsibility, leadership accountability, and the integration of HSE principles into strategic planning, operations, research, and decision-making. Through strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, you will champion a proactive, risk-informed approach that supports the University's commitment to safe, healthy, compliant, and sustainable learning and working environments.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing strategic leadership for the University's health, safety, environmental, and biosafety (HSE) programs, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities, divisional goals, and the University's strategic direction;
• Championing a culture of health, safety, environmental stewardship, and shared accountability by embedding HSE principles into academic, research, administrative, and operational activities across the University;
• Establishing and maintaining governance frameworks, policies, standards, controls, and performance measures that promote accountability, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and continuous improvement;
• Providing expert strategic advice and recommendations to senior leadership on emerging risks, legislative and regulatory developments, institutional priorities, and opportunities to strengthen HSE performance and risk management practices;
• Overseeing institutional compliance with applicable federal and provincial legislation, regulations, permits, licenses, standards, and reporting requirements, ensuring effective systems, processes, controls, and assurance mechanisms are in place;
• Serving as the University's designated authority for regulated biosafety and pathogen-related activities, ensuring compliance with applicable legislation, permits, licenses, and regulatory reporting requirements;
• Leading the identification, assessment, mitigation, monitoring, and reporting of health, safety, environmental, and biosafety risks to protect people, property, research activities, and the environment;
• Overseeing significant incidents, investigations, inspections, audits, regulatory matters, and corrective action programs, ensuring root causes are addressed and organizational learning is achieved;
• Monitoring HSE performance by analyzing key performance indicators, incident trends, audit findings, compliance outcomes, stakeholder feedback, organizational risk data, and other relevant insights;
• Leveraging data, technology, and continuous improvement methodologies to strengthen HSE programs, optimize service delivery, enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of HSE services, and drive strategic improvements;
• Representing the University with regulatory agencies, government bodies, auditors, professional associations, and external stakeholders, fostering positive relationships and supporting organizational credibility and compliance;
• Overseeing institutional HSE communications and engagement strategies to ensure messaging is clear, consistent, timely, and aligned with regulatory requirements and organizational priorities;
• Providing regular reports and strategic recommendations to senior leadership regarding HSE risks, compliance status, program effectiveness, and progress toward departmental and institutional objectives; and
• Exercising delegated authority to address serious or imminent HSE risks, including directing corrective actions, restricting activities, or recommending the suspension of work to protect the health and safety of the University community and the environment.

Skills

You will have:

• Advanced knowledge and expertise in occupational health and safety, environmental, biosafety, fire and life safety programs, including applicable legislation, regulations, standards, and compliance requirements;
• The proven ability to interpret complex regulatory requirements, assess institutional risk, and provide practical, risk-informed advice to senior leaders;
• Strong knowledge of HSE management systems, governance frameworks, incident management, corrective actions, and continuous improvement practices;
• Demonstrated leadership experience building and managing high-performing HSE teams, setting priorities, shared accountability, allocating resources, and delivering service excellence;
• Recognized for developing trusted partnerships across diverse stakeholder groups and positioning HSE as a strategic advisor to the organization;
• Exceptional communication and influencing capabilities, with a talent for translating technical and regulatory information into clear, actionable guidance;
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate trends, compliance data, audits, incidents, and emerging risks to inform decision-making;
• Judicious decision-making and professional credibility in managing sensitive, complex, and high-risk issues with operational, regulatory, and reputational implications;
• The ability to manage competing priorities, respond effectively to emerging challenges, and make timely, risk-based decisions in a dynamic environment;
• Well-developed project and change management skills, including leading organization-wide initiatives, program enhancements, and process improvements;
• Expertise in risk assessment, hazard identification, root cause analysis, program evaluation, compliance monitoring, and corrective action planning; and
• The confidence to represent University before regulators, auditors, professional organizations, and external partners, while maintaining credibility and advancing organizational objectives.

Qualifications

• A minimum of a degree in occupational or environmental health and safety, or a related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in health, safety, and environment, including experience with and responsibility for institutional HSE programs, regulatory compliance, risk management, incident response, and service delivery, ideally within a university, public sector, or similarly complex institution.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in a health and safety leadership role, including responsibility for leading staff, programs, service delivery, and institution-wide HSE initiatives.
• Experience fostering a strong safety culture through education, engagement, accountability, and leadership development.
• Previous experience working in a post-secondary or other public sector environment would be considered a strong asset.
• A relevant professional designation from the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals, Board of Certified Safety Professionals, or Canadian Registration Board of Occupational Hygienists would be considered a strong asset.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

When you become part of the MacEwan University team, you will enjoy a competitive salary. Our total compensation package includes:

This position is included under the Out-of-Scope employee policy (D1015). Applications sourced through this process may be considered for similar opportunities within MacEwan University.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however,Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

MacEwan University is committed to fostering the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion within our community, and we are dedicated to removing barriers that have been historically encountered and are currently experienced by some members of our society. We welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized persons, visible minorities, women, persons with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, and members of all equity-deserving groups. We believe that the diversity of our students, staff, and faculty serves as a strength of our institution and benefit to society. We are committed to ensuring full and inclusive participation for all in our community.

Accessibility Statement

We strive to provide an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, beginning with the hiring process. If you require accommodation, we want to ensure you have the support you need to showcase your abilities. Please contact [e-mail] and we will support you to the best of our ability.

Personal Information Collection Notification
The personal information collected through MacEwan University's application for employment and is used to determine your qualifications for employment. If your application progresses to the next stage of the hiring process, this information may be shared with non-HR members of the hiring committee and interview panel. This collection is authorized by section 4(c) of the Protection of Privacy Act. For questions about the collection of personal information, contact Human Resources at [e-mail] or phone [phone].