Dir, Health & Safety - American Water Works Company : Job Details

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 include:

• 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.

Skills required include:

• 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).

Knowledge required includes:

• 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.

Experience and education required:

• 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+ 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.

Travel requirements include up to 30% travel over a broad regional geographic area with overnights.

Certifications and licenses preferred include CSP (Certified Safety Professional) or Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and a valid Driver's License.

Work environment includes regular office environment, occasional construction environments, near moving mechanical parts and in outside weather conditions. May include an environment where possible exposure to physical hazards, weather extremes, wet and/or humid conditions, and chemicals.

Other includes managing 3 to 4 State Health & Safety leads (People Leaders) plus 1 to 2 corporate SME'S within a strong matrixed organization and key relationships with State Health and Safety Leads, VP Health and Safety, Operational Excellence Functional Leads, State Presidents, VP's of Operations, Directors of T&D and Operations, Human Resources, Learning and Development, Union Leadership.