Safety Director

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive safety strategies, trainings, policies, and procedures tailored to a high-volume bakery manufacturing environment (e.g., addressing conveyor safety, heat stress, combustible dust, and ergonomics).


• Develop and maintain comprehensive Emergency Response Plans for all facilities.


• Provide direct leadership and development to a team of Regional Safety Managers / Coordinators and one Injury Counselor.


• Foster a culture of safety accountability by partnering with Operations leadership to integrate safety into daily production goals.

• Oversee the cadence of Plant Manager safety meetings and safety walkthrough audits and other internal and external audits to ensure 100% compliance with internal schedules.


• Ensure timely and regular completion of scheduled trainings and drills ensuring completion and 100% compliance with internal schedules.


• Review audit findings and partner with Plant Managers to develop corrective action plans.


• Track all action items resulting from meetings and walkthroughs, ensuring they are closed out in a timely fashion and verifying the effectiveness of the abatement.


• Analyze safety metrics and leading indicators to identify trends and proactively address areas of concern before incidents occur.

• Serve as the primary liaison for all federal, state, and local regulatory agencies, specifically OSHA.


• Manage all OSHA recordkeeping responsibilities, including the maintenance of OSHA 300 logs and annual reporting.


• Lead the response to any regulatory inspections or inquiries, negotiating on behalf of the company and overseeing the follow-through on all abatement requirements.

• Direct the Injury Counselor in the management of workers' compensation claims, return-to-work programs, and medical case management.


• Develop and implement loss control strategies to reduce the frequency and severity of injuries, directly impacting insurance premiums and operational costs.


• Lead root cause analysis (RCA) investigations for significant incidents and near misses.

• Design and standardize safety training curriculums across all locations.


• Ensure consistency in safety onboarding for new hires and temporary laborers.
  
  
  

  Qualifications

  
  
  
  
  • Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related field required.
  
  
  • Minimum of 7–10 years of progressive safety leadership experience in a manufacturing environment. Experience in Food Manufacturing or Industrial Baking is highly preferred.
  
  
  • Minimum of 3–5 years of experience managing direct reports and remote teams.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • CSP (Certified Safety Professional) designation is highly preferred.
  
  
  • OSHA 30/500 Trainer authorization is a plus.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Deep understanding of OSHA General Industry standards (29 CFR 1910), specifically Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), Machine Guarding, and HazCom.
  
  
  • Ability to bridge the gap between safety requirements and production efficiency.
  
  
  • Strong ability to influence Plant Managers and executive leadership without relying solely on authority.
  
  
  • Ability to write clear, concise policy and regulatory responses.