Director of Safety

SUMMARY:

The Director of Safety is responsible for designing, implementing, and leading comprehensive, company-wide safety This role serves as the senior safety authority for the organization and is accountable for building scalable safety systems, mitigating risk, ensuring regulatory compliance, and fostering a proactive safety culture.

The position requires a highly self-directed, hands-on leader capable of operating independently within a lean environment. The Director will build safety structure, systems, and processes from the ground up, partnering with Operations, HR, Training, and other functional leaders to embed safety into daily practices.

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

Safety Strategy, Program Design & Implementation

• Develop and execute a comprehensive enterprise-wide safety strategy, annual safety plan, and associated policies for 1000+ locations.
• Build and implement scalable safety programs, processes, templates, audits, and reporting tools where none currently exist.
• Design and maintain systems for hazard identification, incident reporting, corrective action management, and compliance tracking.
• Establish safety standards aligned with federal, state, and local regulatory requirements and industry best practices.

Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management

• Serve as the organizational expert on OSHA regulations and state/local safety requirements.
• Oversee regulatory reporting, OSHA logs, and compliance audits across all locations.
• Partner with HR on workers’ compensation reporting, investigations, and claims coordination.
• Lead and document incident investigations, root-cause analyses, and timely corrective action implementation.

Site Audits, Inspections & Field Engagement

• Conduct regular site visits to diverse locations, including culinary facilities, distribution operations, and customer accounts.
• Partner with site managers to strengthen safety ownership, remediate hazards, and embed safe work practices.
• Ensure consistent execution of safety procedures and standards across all divisions.

Training & Safety Communication

• Develop and deliver engaging, practical safety training for managers and front-line employees across varied operational settings.
• Create training materials, safety alerts, best-practice guides, and communication plans to reinforce safety culture.
• Partner with Training & Development to integrate safety content into onboarding and ongoing learning programs.

Data Analysis, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Develop and track key safety KPIs; identify trends and implement data-driven improvements.
• Present safety performance, findings, and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Benchmark performance against industry standards and propose long-term improvements.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying systemic issues and implementing sustainable solutions.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, develop, and mentor the Safety team; assess future staffing needs as the safety function expands.
• Provide coaching and guidance to operational and functional leaders to strengthen safety accountability.
• Promote a collaborative, proactive safety culture that prioritizes prevention, engagement, and shared responsibility. 

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Collaborate with Operations, HR, Training, Legal, and other departments to integrate safety into business processes.
• Support new initiatives, customer requirements, and operational changes with safety expertise and guidance.
• Contribute to enterprise risk assessments and strategic planning efforts.

Special Projects:

• Adapt to evolving organizational priorities by taking on special assignments and interim responsibilities as requested.
• Contribute to cross-departmental initiatives to improve processes, systems, and reporting accuracy.

This role offers a salary range of $150,000– $170,000 annually, based on skills, experience, an