Safety Director

Herc Rentals

Toronto

Hybrid

CAD 180,000 - 200,000

Full time

4 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Life and disability insurance

Pension plan (company matched)

Employee stock purchase program

RRSP

Paid vacation time off (3+ weeks)

Paid sick days

EAP

Tuition reimbursement

Life insurance

Disability insurance

AD&D insurance

Job summary

Herc Rentals seeks a Regional Safety Director to lead health and safety programs across Canada, developing policies and ensuring regulatory compliance. You will partner with regional leadership to drive a safety-first culture, oversee HSMS implementation, and mentor safety teams across locations, products, and processes.

Responsibilities include audits with authorities, incident investigations, data analysis, and safety program improvements, with up to 50% travel and a competitive compensation

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in safety or a related field is required.
Formal Root Cause Analysis training is required.
Professional level credential (e.g., BCSP/IHMM/ABIH) is required.

Responsibilities

Lead safety policy development and administration regionally and at branch level.
Collaborate with authorities and internal teams to drive compliance and audits.
Develop and grow safety culture, track metrics, and influence leadership.
Manage and develop safety personnel across geography and projects.
Analyze data, investigate incidents, and lead safety improvement initiatives.

Skills

Safety regulations

Process improvement

Business acumen

Project management

Collaboration

Company values

Problem solving

Communication skills

Training & coaching

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in safety or related field

Root Cause Analysis training

Professional certification (BCSP/IHMM/ABIH)

Tools

ISNetworld

Avetta

Veriforce

Job description

Founded in 1965, Herc Rentals is one of the leading equipment rental suppliers in North America with 2025 total revenues reaching approximately $4.4 billion. Herc Rentals’ parent company, known as Herc Holdings Inc., listed on the New York Stock Exchange on July 1, 2016, under the symbol “HRI.” Herc Rentals serves customers through approximately 609 locations and has about 9,700 employees in North America as of March 31, 2026.

In Canada, Herc Rentals has a significant presence with multiple locations across the country. The company provides a wide range of equipment rental services to various industries, including construction, industrial, and government sectors. Herc Rentals is committed to supporting Canadian businesses by offering high-quality equipment and exceptional customer service. The company also focuses on safety and sustainability, ensuring that its operations comply with Canadian regulations and standards.

Job Purpose

The Regional Safety Director is responsible for developing, implementing, and administering health and safety policies and procedures at a regional, district, and branch level. An effective Safety Director utilizes their expertise in federal, state, provincial and local safety regulations to build and grow a safety-first culture at Herc Rentals and instill this mindset in their area of responsibility. In this role, you will be responsible for overseeing health and safety protocols for the company and ensuring management and employees alike are informed and up to date on emergency preparedness, use of personal protective equipment, and all company Health and Safety procedures and protocols. Providing safety as a service, the Regional Safety Director will build a co-dependent relationship with Regional Vice Presidents and District management to help foster and influence a proactive safety approach focused on prevention to all company locations, products, services, and processes.

What you will do...

Overall

Directly influence the alignment of overall company strategy at the regional level by

creating and presenting policies, procedures, and metrics to regional and district leadership to support dissemination of information to the branch and employee level.

Be a resource for regional leadership regarding effective application of the Health and Safety Management System (HSMS) and regulatory compliance.

External Authorities

Actively collaborate with internal departments and/or external authorities (e.g., OSHA, MOL, EPA, State, Provincial, Local Regulatory Agencies, etc.) to aid in formal audits and remedial actions.
Support the operation in assigned geography to include compliance counseling, local strategy development, participation in the assessment of site health and safety management, compliance, and injury reduction programs, and best practice sharing.

Team Management

Demonstrate sound, effective, and influential leadership for all safety team members within geographic area of responsibility related to safety topics.
Develop capabilities of your direct team members to enhance knowledge, skills, and communication abilities via setting clear quantitative goals and standards to be met and reviewed annually.
Develops personal and professional skills of team members through ongoing training, such as meetings, conferences, and seminars as determined by safety department senior leadership.

Industrial Partner Collaboration and Relationship Management

Serve as a trusted safety advisor to refinery, petrochemical, power generation, and heavy industrial clients.
Establish collaborative safety relationships with customers.
Assist with contractor pre-qualification through platforms such as ISNetworld, Avetta, and Veriforce, and participate in customer safety meetings, toolbox talks, and joint incident investigations.
Represent Herc Rentals at industry forums (e.g., AFPM, AIChE, GCCA) and support Sales and Operations during proposals, RFP responses, and contract negotiations.
Collaborate with other Regional Safety Directors to create, refine, and educate employees within their area of responsibility on Herc Rentals policies and procedures, including the HSMS by engaging with Operations.
Lead special projects to implement new initiatives in collaboration with team members (e.g., Safety Managers, Safety Champions, Branch Managers, District Managers, etc.).

Data

Perform data analysis to track, report, benchmark, and trend safety performance, conduct root cause analysis, establish metrics and report results to management on a regular basis to illicit and provide feedback and results to senior leadership.
Analyze similarities, differences, trends, culture, and business drivers to identify and eliminate factors that negatively influence safety.

Violations/Workers Comp

Drive collaboration with Human Resources, Operations and other stakeholders to provide guidance on safety related behaviors and recommend corrective actions.
Maintain direct involvement with Workers’ Compensation cases in assigned area, to include attending claims reviews.

Litigation

Participate in incident investigations in region, including the Incident Review Board (IRB) process.
Serve as subject matter expert to assist Legal Team in potential and ongoing litigation.

Skills

Extensive knowledge of safety, environmental and transportation laws, regulations, and procedures.
Process Improvement methodologies, including training and application (e.g., Six Sigma, etc.) preferred.
Business acumen- understanding of financial terms, logistics management, etc.
Project Management- possess the ability to lead projects utilizing formal project management methodologies and concepts.
A strong collaborator and experienced with high-performing teams.
Commitment to company values.
Demonstrated problem-solving and negotiation skills.
Excellent interpersonal and communication (IPC) skills.
Training and development of assigned personnel including goal creation, monitoring and coaching.
Works and communicates effectively with all levels of the company.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required. Bachelor’s degree in occupational safety or a related field preferred.
Formal Root Cause Analysis training.
Professional level credential required from a recognized certifying agency (e.g., BCSP, IHMM, ABIH, etc.).
Fifteen years’ experience in a Safety role (primary); 5 years’ experience will be at a management level.
Ability to travel up to 50% across Canada
Valid driver’s license and a clean abstract will be required.

Type: Headcount Increase

Pay Range:$180,000 - $200,000 per year plus bonus

Please be advised that the actual salary offered for any position is subject to the company's sole discretion and may be influenced by various factors, including but not limited to the candidate's qualifications, experience, location, and overall fit for the role.

Herc Rentals values its employees and provides excellent compensation and benefits packages which are not limited to the following.

Keeping you healthy