Director Health Safety and Environment HS&E

Job Description

Job Description

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Competitive salary
• Dental insurance
• Donation matching
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Relocation bonus
• Savings bank
• Stock options plan
• Vision insurance

Reports To: Chief Operating Officer

Position Summary
AMPERA is seeking an experienced Industrial Safety leader to establish and lead the company's industrial safety programs as AMPERA advances from engineering development into equipment testing, pilot manufacturing, and commercial production of advanced supercritical CO₂ (sCO₂) power conversion systems.

The initial priority for this role is developing and implementing the comprehensive safety framework supporting the testing of AMPERA's supercritical CO₂ power conversion equipment. This includes hazard identification, operating procedures, work permits, emergency response planning, personnel training, and safe operation of high-pressure, high-temperature test facilities.

As the company grows, this position will expand responsibility for all manufacturing, laboratory, test, warehouse, and facility safety programs while fostering a proactive safety culture that supports innovation, operational excellence, and regulatory compliance.

The Director Health Safety and Environment (HS&E) will work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Test Operations, Facilities, Quality, and Human Resources and will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer.

Key Responsibilities

Safety Program Development

• Develop and implement AMPERA's industrial safety management system. 
• Establish company-wide safety policies, procedures, and work instructions. 
• Build a practical safety culture appropriate for a rapidly growing technology company. 
• Develop safety metrics, reporting, and performance monitoring systems. 
• Ensure compliance with OSHA and applicable federal, state, and local regulations. 
• Develop contractor safety requirements and oversight processes. 

Test Facility Safety

Serve as the safety authority for AMPERA's supercritical CO₂ test operations.

Responsibilities include:

• Perform Process Hazard Analyses (PHA), Job Hazard Analyses (JHA), and risk assessments. 
• Develop operating safety procedures for high-pressure test systems. 
• Establish Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) programs. 
• Develop confined space, hot work, electrical safety, and pressure system safety requirements. 
• Develop safe startup, shutdown, and maintenance procedures. 
• Review engineering changes for safety impacts. 
• Participate in design reviews to ensure safety is incorporated early in equipment development. 
• Establish emergency shutdown and emergency response procedures. 
• Ensure appropriate pressure relief, isolation, and energy control practices are implemented. 
• Coordinate safety readiness reviews before new testing activities. 

Manufacturing Safety

As manufacturing operations expand:

• Develop manufacturing safety programs. 
• Establish machine guarding requirements. 
• Develop ergonomics and material handling programs. 
• Establish chemical management procedures. 
• Develop hazardous waste handling requirements. 
• Oversee industrial hygiene activities. 
• Develop PPE requirements. 
• Support commissioning of new manufacturing equipment. 
• Ensure safe operation of production processes. 

Risk Management

• Lead incident investigations. 
• Conduct root cause analysis. 
• Develop corrective and preventive actions. 
• Track corrective action completion. 
• Monitor leading and lagging safety indicators. 
• Conduct routine workplace inspections. 
• Perform safety audits. 

Training

Develop and administer training programs including:

• New employee orientation 
• Lockout/Tagout 
• Fall protection 
• Electrical safety 
• Hazard Communication 
• PPE 
• Forklift safety 
• Crane and rigging 
• Emergency response 
• Fire safety 
• Pressure system safety 
• Confined space (as applicable) 

Maintain employee training records and qualification requirements.

Emergency Preparedness

• Develop emergency response plans. 
• Coordinate emergency drills. 
• Manage spill response planning. 
• Coordinate with local emergency responders. 
• Support business continuity planning. 

Regulatory Compliance

Maintain compliance with applicable regulations including:

• OSHA 
• NFPA 
• ANSI 
• EPA 
• Applicable state regulations 

Support inspections by regulatory agencies.

Leadership

• Build AMPERA's industrial safety organization as the company grows. 
• Establish contractor safety expectations. 
• Develop safety committee activities. 
• Coach supervisors and managers in safety leadership. 
• Promote employee engagement and ownership of safety. 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Safety, Engineering, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Health & Safety, or related technical discipline. 
• 10+ years of industrial safety experience. 
• Experience establishing industrial safety programs. 
• Experience supporting manufacturing and/or industrial test facilities. 
• Working knowledge of OSHA regulations. 
• Experience performing hazard analyses and risk assessments. 
• Experience leading incident investigations and root cause analyses. 
• Experience developing written safety procedures. 
• Strong communication and leadership skills. 
• Ability to work effectively with engineering, manufacturing, operations, and executive leadership. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Safety Professional (CSP) 
• Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) 
• Professional Engineer (PE) 
• Experience with high-pressure systems. 
• Experience with rotating machinery. 
• Experience with industrial gas systems. 
• Experience with energy systems, turbomachinery, power generation, or process industries. 
• Experience supporting R&D laboratories or prototype testing. 
• Experience implementing ISO 45001 management systems. 
• Experience in startup or rapidly growing manufacturing organizations. 

Initial Priorities (First 12–18 Months)

The Director Health Safety and Environment (HS&E) will be expected to:

• Develop AMPERA's industrial safety management system. 
• Complete hazard assessments for the supercritical CO₂ test facility. 
• Develop all operating safety procedures for test operations. 
• Establish Lockout/Tagout, energized work, pressure safety, and permit programs. 
• Develop emergency response procedures for high-pressure testing. 
• Implement employee safety training programs. 
• Establish incident reporting and investigation processes. 
• Develop contractor safety requirements. 
• Support commissioning of test equipment. 
• Build the long-term safety roadmap for manufacturing operations. 

Success Profile

The successful candidate combines strong technical safety expertise with practical operational judgment. They are comfortable working alongside engineers and technicians to identify hazards early, implement effective controls, and enable safe execution of complex testing and manufacturing activities.

This individual understands that safety is most effective when integrated into engineering and operations from the beginning—not imposed after the fact. They are equally comfortable developing company-wide safety systems, conducting field observations in a test cell, facilitating hazard reviews with engineers, and coaching employees on safe work practices.

They will play a foundational role in helping AMPERA establish a safety culture that supports innovation while protecting employees, equipment, and the environment as the company scales from prototype development to commercial manufacturing.

**Compensation for this position will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. In addition to a competitive salary, Ampera offers a comprehensive benefits package, participation in the Company's equity program through Incentive Stock Options (ISOs), and relocation assistance for qualified candidates, where applicable.