Director, North America Health and Safety

Position Title: Director, North America Health and Safety

Position Type: Regular - Full-Time

Requisition ID: 41550

In every role, McCainers are ambitious, curious, and passionate about creating exceptional work experiences - together. With a customer-first mindset, we make doing business with McCain easy.

About The Role. This role will be responsible for developing and improving health & safety at McCain, driving strategic plans that are focused on culture and ensuring compliance with all legal and McCain’s broader vision for Health & Safety commitments, goals and approaches. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies, policies, and initiatives to ensure continuous improvement, compliance with regulatory requirements and promote a strong culture across all operations.

What You'll Be Doing. This role will lead the development, implementation, and sustainment of the ISO Management system and continuous improvement (MDI) for North America Health and Safety, and lead the implementation of all company health & safety programs, creating ownership at all levels and accountability according to McCain NA Health & Safety policies.

Furthermore, they will create and manage programs, approaches, and processes to significantly improve health & safety performance. They will use their knowledge of continuous improvement activities and tools to lead, learning and capability building for the function by remaining at the cutting edge of innovative ways to embed H&S into all we do.

Some activities will include creating an audit-ready culture by approaching the work systematically and developing and actioning the loss analysis for North America. Using leading and lagging indicators to understand our losses and a reduction in TRIR, identify significant injury and fatality risk potential (SIFp), eliminate high severity incidents, and eliminate Fryer Fires in our Plants. They will have the ability to develop strong relationships with cross-functional stakeholders, to build engagement and ownership throughout the organization.

• Develop and implement the strategy to implement ISO Management system in North America, to include the sustainment strategy
• Lead the overall Capability strategy for NA including compliance requirements, training matrices. Work closely with learning and development
• Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of our NA Health & Safety program
• Regulatory review and management for all sites in NA to include training on specific programs which affect the field
• Perform regulatory and best practice-driven hazard/risk assessments and develop action plans to drive improvement.
• Develop and present regional training programs aligned with corporate strategy to stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Lead Audit program for North America and develop reports on Health & Safety performance and tactical and strategic improvement planning for the region.
• Support external audits and closure of corrective action compliance.
• Collect, measure, and analyze regional and site Health & Safety metrics and performance indicators to identify trends for continuous improvement and corrective measures. Monitor, interpret, assess existing or emerging laws, regulations, regulatory policies, and industry practices; determine operational and business impacts, and develop, integrate, communicate, and execute strategies throughout the region to effectively manage Safety outcomes.
• Assist in the development of standardized safety systems, policies, training, safety campaigns and programs to reduce corporate and human capital risk, and ensure compliance with federal, provincial, and municipal laws.
• Align with McCain Global Environment, Health & Safety Corporate strategy to implement the corporate Environmental Health & Safety strategy.
• Design health & safety methods to motivate and influence the creation of a world-class safety culture, which engages hearts and minds.
• Design and execute injury prevention programs/initiatives to motivate and influence the creation of a world-class safety culture and minimize injury risk. Create a Loss analysis for the business to use as an input to the strategy.
• Implement standardized and actionable Health and Safety metrics to include leading and lagging in dictators.
• Lead communication protocols to leadership teams to drive continuous health and Safety improvement. Evaluate strategy to reduce loss in workers compensation, recommending and implementing programs for improvement.
• Accountable for the development and overall performance of direct reports.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including operations, supply chain, and human resources, to integrate functional considerations into business processes and decision-making.
• Lead the coaching of incident investigation and root cause analysis efforts to identify trends, mitigate risks, and prevent recurrence of incidents.
• Manage relationships with regulatory agencies and industry organizations to stay abreast of emerging trends, regulations, and best practices.
• Prepare and present reports on performance, initiatives, and metrics to senior management and executive leadership.
• Drive a culture of safety and environmental stewardship by fostering employee engagement, training, and awareness programs.
• Provides technical direction and guidance to various levels in the organization regarding compliance
• Leads cultural change to embrace new and improved health & safety ways of working programs and policies at all levels of the organization
• Identifies, develops and implements economically feasible solutions to issues/problems for the company's facilities
• Participates in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, and site expansions as the SME Advises senior management on the compliance status, costs, and technical improvements needed to achieve compliance
• Contracts with and directs activities of appropriate environmental, health & safety analysts, hygienists, consultants, engineers and suppliers

What You'll Need To Be Successful.

• Bachelor’s degree in occupational health & safety, Engineering or related field,
• 10+ years of leadership in the function, driving culture change in large organizations.
• Expertise in change management and organizational structure implementation.
• Thorough knowledge of Occupational Safety Management Systems (e.g., ISO 45001, OHSAS 18001, OSHA's VPP) and their implementation.
• Experience in developing and assessing companies against management systems (e.g., ISO 14001, ISO 45001, OSHA VPP).
• Strong interpersonal skills with a track record of successful cross-functional collaboration. Ability to interpret technical information and regulations, conduct tests, and inspect work areas for compliance.
• Familiarity with Canadian, US, federal, and local safety regulations (CSA, OSHA, DOT, NFPA, ANSI, etc.).
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills for strategic planning.
• Leadership abilities with experience in team management and independent work.
• Proficiency in budget preparation and management.
• Previous experience in leading remote teams.
• Exceptional organizational, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Experience in report creation, updates, and presenting to executive leadership.
• Advanced knowledge in occupational safety programs, preferably in manufacturing, distribution, research and development, or retail.
• Ability to communicate technical safety requirements and execute strategies within a multi-disciplinary team. Multi-location operational management experience.
• Adaptability to dynamic and complex environments.
• Coaching and leadership skills for team development.
• Technical organization and strong follow-up skills.
• Proficiency in project management with attention to detail.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and prioritize tasks effectively.

Ideal Qualifications.

• Designation as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, Certified Safety & Health Manager (CSHM), by the Institute of Safety & Health Management, or possession of other applicable certification or demonstrated work towards professional certification.
• Master Science in Health & Safety, Engineering, Industrial Hygiene an asset
• Six Sigma methodology certification and practice are highly valued. ISO Management System internal auditor

Travel. Travel is required to support the regional safety programs and consistent management of global policies and procedures relating to safety and the environment.

About McCain. Click Here to learn more about McCain and how we provide you with opportunities to make an impact that matters.

Leadership principles. At McCain, our leadership principles guide how we engage with customers, collaborate as a team, and achieve success. We focus on understanding customer needs, driving innovation, empowering people, and taking ownership to clear obstacles and deliver results.

The McCain Experience. We are McCain. This statement is a testament to our collective strength and our individual value. Your contributions play a vital role in our success. Our winning culture is rooted in authenticity and trust, empowering us to bring out the best in one another. Here, you’ll find opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Join us and experience why we’re better together.

Compensation Package : $146,200.00 - $195,000.00 . USD annually + Bonus eligibility + Long-term incentive eligibility The above reflects the target compensation range for the position at the time of posting. Hiring compensation will be determined based on experience, skill set, education and training, and other organizational needs. This posting is for an existing vacancy. Benefits: At McCain, we’re on a mission to create a winning culture that puts employee safety and well-being at the heart of what we do, every day. We understand and appreciate that each person’s needs are unique and ensure our benefits & well-being programs reflect that. Employees are eligible for the following benefits: health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription drug), retirement savings benefits, and leave support including medical, family and bereavement. Well-being programs include vacation and holidays, company-supported volunteering time, and mental health resources. Coverages are aligned with country, provincial and state governing plans and can vary by work level, location and nature of the role. Additional benefit detail available during the application process. Your well-being matters to us, and we’re here to provide you with the necessary resources to support you in being your best self at work — and at home. McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions. Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with McCain’s Global Privacy Policy and Global Employee Privacy Policy, as applicable. McCain leverages AI in the hiring process, though all final decisions are made by humans. You can understand our approach to AI and how your personal information is being handled here. Job Family: Quality & Food Safety

Location(s): US - United States of America : Illinois : Oakbrook Terrace || US - United States of America : Illinois : Chicago

Company: McCain Foods USA, Inc.