Director, Health & Safety

American Water Co.; Camden (NJ); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading utility company is seeking a Director of Health & Safety to provide strategic leadership and oversight of health and safety programs across multiple states. The role demands a strong focus on compliance, program development, and collaboration with state leadership to ensure a culture of safety and continuous improvement. Candidates should have extensive experience in safety management and a proven track record in leading teams. This position offers opportunities for significant impact in promoting safety and health across the organization.

Benefits

Health benefits package

Opportunities for career growth

Qualifications

• 15+ years’ experience in safety management, utility, or industrial setting.
• 5 years’ experience in a leadership position managing senior Health & Safety professionals.

Responsibilities

• Drive and improve safety culture towards zero injuries.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA and local regulations.
• Develop and execute health and safety strategic plans.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Project Management

Analytical Skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in safety management

Job description

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Company: American Water Works Company Inc

Requisition ID: 108145

Share Our Purpose. Be Yourself. Feel Valued.

People are the heart of our business. As an American Water employee, you will be offered a competitive salary and health benefits package, along with opportunities to develop, grow, and evolve your career. Our benefits packages focus on key areas such as health & wellness, emotional & well-being, and savings for current & future goals.

We are Beautifully Different . We strongly believe having diversity across our company makes us more successful and helps us provide essential services to our customers. We are stronger because we embrace different ideas, viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. American Water is the best choice for your next role! Click here for more information on our inclusion, diversity, and equity journey.

About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people across 14 regulated jurisdictions and 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

As one of the fastest growing utilities in the U.S., American Water expects to invest $40 to $42 billion in infrastructure repairs and replacement, system resiliency and regulated acquisitions over the next 10 years. The company has a long-standing history of executing its core operations, aligned with sustainable best practices, through its commitments to safety, affordability, customer service, protecting the environment, an inclusive workforce and strengthening communities.

American Water has been recognized on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year, ranked 18thon Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies 2023 List, earned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Excellence Award, among additional state, local and national recognitions.

For more information,visitamwater.com and joinAmerican Water onLinkedIn ,Facebook ,Twitter andInstagram .

American Water is currently seeking a Director, Health & Safety. This role will provide technical and strategic leadership, aligned with company strategies and goals.

Note: this role can sit anywhere in the AW footprint

Primary Role

The Director, Health & Safety provides technical and strategic leadership, aligned with Company strategies and goals, to continuously drive and improve safety culture on the journey to zero injuries. This role will have functional oversight of the Health & Safety programs for multiple states as designated and will be responsible for governance and consistency of approach across American Water footprint. This role will collaborate and work closely with State leadership, VP’s of Operations and Operational Excellence leadership to ensure policies and effective programs are designed, developed, communicated, implemented and supported throughout a designated region comprising of multiple states and operational units.

Key Accountabilities

• Responsible for design, development, implementation, execution and maintenance of enterprise health and safety policies, practices, manuals and programs including Contractor Safety Management Program
• Ensure compliance with Occupational Health and Safety (OSHA) regulations, State OSHA regulations, as applicable and local regulations when they apply
• Develop, communicate and execute health and safety strategic plans to achieve Company’s safety goals
• Lead the Corporate Health & Safety Center of Expertise (COE) serving as a strategic lead and technical resource, providing guidance and direction to the business units on health and safety matters
• Manage direct and skip level reports within a strong matrixed organization structure with oversight and accountability for Functional as well as Operational objectives
• Co-lead and support the corporate safety council in implementation of strategies, programs, and activities
• Lead and provide guidance on investigation of complex incidents using recognized root cause analysis and 5 why methodology
• Track, validate and summarize enterprise health and safety performance statistics (leading and lagging metrics) and analyze results against company goals and targets, recommending modifications or changes as warranted. Maintain records and associated metrics for safety performance as required by regulation or AW
• Working with State and Functional groups, develop targeted strategies and solutions that address leading injury causes (actual and potential) at both the enterprise and state/ business function level. Direct or conduct assessments or audits to determine effectiveness of program implementation within business units

Key Accountabilities Cont'd

• Direct or conduct assessments / audits in State Operations for Multiple states
• Stay abreast of regulatory changes, evaluate impact to the business and develop action plans to address in a timely manner
• Provide industrial hygiene guidance and direction to minimize chemical, physical orbiological exposures in the workplace
• Provide support to the business on any health and safety related regulatory inspections or actions
• Actively participate in outside industry organizations that are involved in or promote health and safety for the water and wastewater sector
• Direct health and safety professionals in their duties which include training, auditing, accident investigations, database management and recordkeeping
• Closely interfaces with the Human Resources function and the Operational Risk Management group
• Ensures that claims and accidents are investigated in a timely manner and necessary reports are submitted to assure compliance
• Prepare and submit required annual reports per regulatory requirements

Knowledge/Skills

• Knowledge of OSHA, Federal, State and Local regulations as applicable utilities, construction, and related industries
• Knowledge of and familiarity with health and safety program management and OSHA regulatory requirements for construction and general industry with increased opportunities to apply expertise across disciplines or organizational areas
• Knowledge of water utility industry strongly preferred
• Environmental Regulations
• Department of Transportation regulations
• Strong process, project, and program management skills
• Proven ability to lead through influence and deliver results through others
• Ability to be both visionary and strategic in thinking, as well as tactical in executing training strategies while anticipating and considering how the business may be impacted by training initiatives
• Strong quantitative skills (e.g., analytical, technical, problem solving)
• Effective people management skills (e.g., planning, organizing, recruiting, controlling, and leading individual staff and teams)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (e.g., fluency in report writing and presentations)
• Effective interpersonal skills (e.g., persuasion, negotiation, listening, cooperation, tact, diplomacy, problem solving, internal consulting)
• Leadership presence (e.g., ability to deal effectively and maintain collaborative relationships with Company senior management and other key stakeholders)

Experience/Education

• Bachelor's degree in safety management, safety engineering, industrial hygiene, occupational environment health and safety, or a related field
• Equivalent role related work experience in lieu of a degree will be considered
• 15 plus years’ experience in safety management, utility, construction, or industrial setting that provides the knowledge and exposure to the fundamentals, principles and concepts of the Health & Safety function
• 5 years’ experience in a leadership position managing senior Health & Safety professionals in a matrix organization and driving programs of large scope and complexity
• Demonstrated experience in development, management and delivery of Health & Safety programs

Certifications/Licenses

CSP (Certified Safety Professional)

Valid Driver’s License

• In addition to regular office environment, will occasionally have to work in construction environments, near moving mechanical parts and in outside weather conditions
• May include a n environment where possible exposure to physical hazards, weather extremes, wet and/or humid conditions, and chemicals

Travel Requirements

Up to 30% travel over a broad regional geographic area with overnights

Prioritizes & Role Models Safety

Develops Talent

Plans, Aligns, & Directs

Drives Engagement

Decision Quality

Join American Water... We Keep Life Flowing

American Water is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based on his or her age, race, color, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, citizenship, or because they arean individual with a disability, protected veteran or other status protected by federal, state, and local laws.