Sr. Director, Environmental Health & Safety

Location:

Sheboygan Falls, WI, US, 53085

At Johnsonville, our Members are at the center of everything we do. The Senior Director of Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) will lead our enterprise‑wide commitment to protecting people, communities, and the environment across harvest, processing, cold storage, and distribution operations. This role serves as a key leader across the end‑to‑end supply chain, partnering closely with cross‑functional teams to embed safety and environmental excellence at every stage of operations.

This leader will deliver world‑class safety and environmental performance through engineered risk reduction, disciplined management systems, and cultural transformation. Success includes sustaining a TRIR below 1.0, driving toward Zero environmental impact, and embedding safety into everyday work. The ideal candidate is a people‑centric, operationally credible leader who thrives in complex, high‑hazard environments.

• Human Safety First
  • 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.
• Engineering Controls & Risk Elimination
  • 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.
• Behavioral Transformation & Engagement
  • 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.
• Regulatory & Industry Compliance
  • 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.
• Performance Excellence & Metrics
  • 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.
• Leadership & Organizational Development
  • 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.

• Bachelor’s degree in EHS, Engineering, Industrial Hygiene, or related field required
• CSP, CIH, CHMM, PE, or similar certification preferred

• 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…