HSSE Manager

Ontario Shipyards; St. Catharines; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Ontario Shipyards, Port Weller location, seeks an experienced HSSE Manager to lead and continuously improve health, safety, security, and environmental performance in a shipyard setting regulated under O. Reg. 213/91.

You will drive emergency response planning, incident investigations, and design health programs, while ensuring supervisors understand duties and uphold zero-tolerance controls. Strong leadership and regulatory compliance experience are required.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years HSSE experience in industrial, shipyard, construction, or heavy manufacturing environments.
• Experience leading or supervising teams and coordinating safety programs.
• CRSP or equivalent certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead HSSE programs at Port Weller and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with Ontario regulations including O. Reg. 213/91 and environmental requirements.
• Manage WSIB claims and coordinate return-to-work activities with supervisors and medical providers.
• Lead JHSC and HSSE training initiatives; reinforce critical controls and safe behaviours.

Skills

Leadership

Incident investigations

Regulatory compliance

Risk management

Communication

MS Office

Incident management software

Education

Diploma or degree in OH&S

Environmental Science background

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Incident management software

Job description

About Ontario Shipyards

Ontario Shipyards is a leading provider of ship repair and construction solutions, recognized for innovation, quality craftsmanship, and an unwavering commitment to safety, security, and environmental stewardship. We deliver high-performance marine projects while fostering a safe and sustainable workplace.

Position Summary

Ontario Shipyards is seeking an experienced and field-focused Health, Safety, Security, and Environmental (HSSE) Manager to lead and continuously improve HSSE performance at the Port Weller location. The HSSE Manager is responsible for the day-to-day execution of enterprise HSSE programs within a shipyard environment that is primarily regulated under Ontario’s Construction Projects Regulation (O. Reg. 213/91).

This role is pivotal in strengthening safety culture, enforcing critical controls and zero-tolerance rules, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting supervisors and workers while holding firm on non-negotiable HSSE expectations. The HSSE Manager acts as the site-level execution lead in support of the Director, HSSE, enabling alignment across all Ontario Shipyards locations.

Key Responsibilities

1. HSSE Program Leadership & Compliance Management

• Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of all health, safety, security, environmental, occupational health, and emergency response programs at Port Weller.
• Maintain strong working knowledge of applicable legislation, including the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act, Construction Projects Regulation (O. Reg. 213/91), designated substances regulations, and environmental requirements.
• Apply construction-regulation requirements to shipyard, vessel, dock, and building activities.
• Support supervisors in understanding and fulfilling their legal duties.
• Administer and enforce permit-to-work systems, including lockout/tagout, hot work, confined space entry, and other high-risk activities.
• Exercise stop-work authority where regulatory requirements or critical controls are not met.
• Lead site-level investigations for safety incidents, occupational health exposures, environmental releases, security incidents, and emergency response activations.
• Ensure investigations focus on system and control failures, with practical corrective actions implemented.
• Manage and enhance emergency response preparedness, including medical response, fire response, confined space rescue, spill response, and security incidents.
• Plan and conduct emergency drills reflective of real vessel layouts and yard conditions.
• Monitor incident trends and proactively address emerging risks.

2. Incident Management, Emergency Response & Risk Reduction

• Lead site-level investigations for safety incidents, occupational health exposures, environmental releases, security incidents, and emergency response activations.
• Ensure investigations focus on system and control failures, with practical corrective actions implemented.
• Manage and enhance emergency response preparedness, including medical response, fire response, confined space rescue, spill response, and security incidents.
• Plan and conduct emergency drills reflective of real vessel layouts and yard conditions.
• Monitor incident trends and proactively address emerging risks.

3. Occupational Health & Designated Substances

• Lead the identification, assessment, and control of occupational health hazards, including lead, asbestos, silica, isocyanates, noise, and vibration.
• Ensure compliance with designated substances requirements and coordination of exposure monitoring and medical surveillance.
• Ensure supervisors and workers understand long-term health risks and required controls.

4. Environmental Protection & Security Management

• Ensure compliance with environmental legislation, permits, and company standards.
• Lead spill prevention, preparedness, and response activities.
• Oversee hazardous waste handling and protection of waterways.
• Oversee site-level security controls including access control, visitor management, and response to security incidents.

5. WSIB Claims & Return-to-Work Coordination

• Manage WSIB claims and case files at the Port Weller site.
• Lead early and safe return-to-work activities in collaboration with supervisors and medical providers.
• Provide recommendations based on injury trends and occupational health findings.

6. Training, Supervisor Support & Culture Building

• Develop and deliver HSSE training programs including orientation, refresher, and high-risk task training.
• Coach supervisors to lead safety effectively while holding them accountable for unsafe tolerance.
• Maintain strong field presence to reinforce critical controls and safe behaviours.
• Lead the Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) and ensure effective follow-through.

Qualifications and Requirements

Education

• Diploma or degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, or a related field/equivalent experience.

Certifications

• First Aid & CPR Certification
• Confined Space Entry and Rescue (asset)
• Certified Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) or equivalent (preferred)
• Hazardous Materials Handling Certification (asset)

Experience

• Minimum 5–7 years of progressive HSSE experience within an industrial, shipyard, construction, or heavy manufacturing environment, including 2+ years in a leadership or management capacity.
• Proven track record of managing WSIB claims and leading successful return-to-work programs.
• Strong background in regulatory compliance, risk management, incident investigation, and audit processes.

Skills

• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and influencing skills.
• Analytical and detail-oriented with strong investigative and problem-solving abilities.
• Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and incident management software.
• Able to work effectively under pressure, prioritize multiple tasks, and deliver results within deadlines.

Ontario Shipyards is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible workplace. We prohibit discrimination and are committed to providing equal employment opportunities in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and applicable legislation.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, family status, or any other protected ground under applicable law.Ontario Shipyards will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment and selection process, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code.If you require accommodation during the recruitment process, please notify Human Resources, and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.