Senior Director, Environmental Health & Safety

Johnsonville

Senior Director of Environmental Health & Safety leading EHS initiatives for Johnsonville. Focusing on safety, compliance, and cultural transformation in a fast-paced industrial environment.

Posted 5/27/2026full-timeSheboygan Falls • Wisconsin • 🇺🇸 United StatesSeniorWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Make human safety a non-negotiable value; ensure production never outweighs Member well-being
Prevent serious injuries and fatalities related to knife/cut hazards, machine guarding, ergonomics, slips/falls, and chemical exposure
Build programs that empower Members to identify hazards and act in real time
Promote dignity, respect, and psychological safety across a diverse workforce
Strengthen EHS team capabilities and ensure site security protects Members and assets
Design and continuously improve a multi-site Safety Risk Management Program
Maintain environmental systems for compliance and long-term performance
Lead enterprise standards for machine guarding/LOTO, confined space, ammonia refrigeration, contractor safety, ergonomics, training, and environmental controls
Drive disciplined hazard identification, JSAs, and critical control verification
Champion an engineering-first approach that prioritizes hazard elimination
Partner with Operations, Engineering, and CI to design safer lines, improve ergonomics, enhance guarding/interlocks/sensors, and integrate safety into capital projects
Strengthen emergency response readiness and community coordination
Lead cultural change across sites with varied safety maturity
Build behavior-based safety programs that empower Members to stop unsafe work and reinforce safe behaviors under production pressure
Develop plant leaders through presence, coaching, and accountability
Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, USDA, and state regulations
Lead performance during inspections, audits, and enforcement actions
Oversee OSHA PSM and EPA RMP compliance for ammonia systems
Integrate safety and environmental requirements with food safety and FSIS expectations
Lead incident investigations focused on systemic correction
Sustain TRIR < 1.0 with declining severity and strong near-miss reporting
Develop meaningful leading indicators (ergonomic risk reduction, guarding integrity, training effectiveness)
Translate data into actionable insights for plant and executive leadership
Embed safety as a core enabler of operational excellence and Member retention
Build and mentor a high-performing EHS team capable of influencing in demanding protein environments
Align senior leaders, plant teams, HR, maintenance, warehouse, and engineering around shared safety ownership
Serve as a strategic advisor on risk, resilience, and long-term Member sustainability

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in EHS, Engineering, Industrial Hygiene, or related field required
20+ years of EHS leadership in high-speed industrial operations, required
Proven success improving recordable rates in high-hazard, labor-intensive environments, required
Experience in large, multi-site, complex operations, required
Food processing preferred
Strong knowledge of ergonomics, machinery safety, automation, ammonia refrigeration (PSM), and chemical/environmental hazards
Demonstrated ability to lead cultural transformation with frontline teams
Ability to influence from the boardroom to the plant floor
People-centric: Believes all injuries are preventable and every person matters
Operationally credible: Trusted on the plant floor and by production leaders
Engineering-minded: Sees design and automation as essential to prevention
Change leader: Capable of shifting behaviors in fast-paced environments
Resilient and pragmatic: Balances production realities with uncompromising safety standards

Benefits

Comp & perks

affordable medical, dental and vision coverage
flexible spending accounts
disability and life insurance
fertility and adoption assistance
competitive paid time off
paid parental time off
access to the 24/7 onsite fitness center
onsite medical clinic

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

EHS leadershipsafety risk managementhazard identificationincident investigationergonomicsmachine guardingammonia refrigerationchemical hazardstraining effectivenessrecordable rates improvement

Soft Skills

cultural transformationinfluencepeople-centricoperational credibilityengineering-mindedchange leadershipresiliencepragmatismcoachingaccountability

Certifications

Bachelor’s degree in EHSBachelor’s degree in EngineeringBachelor’s degree in Industrial Hygiene