MANAGER, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTAL

JOB TITLE: MANAGER, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL

LOCATION: OPERATIONS CENTER/HAMPDEN

REPORTS TO: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PEOPLE & SAFETY

POSITION STATUS: EXEMPT, NON-BARGAINING UNIT

Be a part of the team that is transforming the power industry of northern and eastern Maine.

Versant Power is building on our 100-year history of delivering efficient, safe and reliable electricity service to customers in northern and eastern Maine. We never lose sight of safety, quality, integrity and innovation.

We are committed to our dedicated people, who inspire us every day to deliver something more powerful than power alone.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Safety & Environmental (S&E) Manager is a key member of the management team responsible for leading Versant Power's safety and environmental programs and supporting the Company's commitment to safety excellence, environmental stewardship, and regulatory compliance. In partnership with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), operational leaders, and the Employee Safety Team (EST), the S&E Manager advances the Company's safety culture and supports the implementation of its Safety Strategy and Five-Year Safety Plan.

The S&E Manager provides leadership, direction, and technical expertise across the organization to identify and mitigate safety and environmental risks, strengthen operational performance, and ensure compliance with applicable regulations and industry standards. Through leadership of the Safety and Environmental teams, the position oversees the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Company's Safety and Environmental Management Systems while fostering a culture of accountability, learning, and continuous improvement.

The incumbent works closely with employees and leaders at all levels of the organization to promote safe and environmentally responsible work practices that protect employees, contractors, customers, the public, and the environment.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• In collaboration with the EST, SLT, and operational leadership, establish, implement, monitor, and continuously improve the Versant Power Safety Strategy and Five-Year Safety Plan.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and technical expertise for the Company's safety, environmental, occupational health, loss control, and contractor safety programs, supporting operational and business objectives.
• Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of the Company's Safety Management System, Environmental Management System, safety standards, safe work practices, procedures, personal protective equipment requirements, auditing processes, and corrective action programs.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local safety, environmental, and transportation regulations, including OSHA, NESC, NFPA, FMCSA/DOT, DEP, MPUC, and other applicable reporting requirements.
• Support the development and implementation of initiatives that strengthen the Company's safety culture, employee engagement, organizational learning, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Partner with Operations and employees to identify workplace hazards, emerging risks, and opportunities to strengthen controls that reduce injuries, environmental incidents, and operational risk.
• Establish and maintain effective incident, near-miss, and hazard reporting processes, including investigations, root cause analysis, corrective action tracking, and communication of lessons learned.
• Monitor, analyze, and communicate safety and environmental performance metrics, trends, risks, and progress toward Company objectives to operational and senior leadership.
• Maintain a visible field presence and work closely with employees and operational leaders to understand work as performed, identify improvement opportunities, and ensure safety programs are practical and effective.
• Lead the development and implementation of annual safety, environmental, occupational health, and regulatory training programs, including Safety Training Days, safety meetings, targeted training, exposure monitoring, and employee qualification requirements.
• Provide leadership and oversight for contractor safety programs, including safety expectations, performance monitoring, incident review, and continuous improvement efforts.
• In collaboration with Human Resources, provide guidance and support for Workers' Compensation and Injury Management programs, including injury prevention, case management, and return-to-work practices.
• Provide oversight and subject matter expertise for environmental programs including oil, PCB, SF6, asbestos, hazardous materials and waste, chemical and solid waste management, and land and water management.
• Promote continuous improvement through audits, field observations, employee feedback, performance trend analysis, corrective action reviews, and adoption of industry best practices.
• Support emergency preparedness, response planning, and public safety initiatives, as applicable, to reduce risk to employees, contractors, customers, and the public.

REQUIRED EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Science, Safety Management, or a related technical field required. A combination of relevant education, industry experience, and demonstrated leadership capability may be considered in lieu of a bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of five years of experience in occupational health, safety, and environmental compliance, including progressively increasing leadership responsibilities.
• Minimum of three years of direct people leadership experience, including responsibility for employee performance management, coaching, development, and leading teams through direct reports and/or subordinate supervisors.
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple functional priorities, resources, and work plans in a complex operational environment.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including presentation, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively lead, influence, and build alignment across all levels of the organization, including situations where direct authority does not exist.
• Strong change management, organizational development, and continuous improvement capabilities.
• Knowledge of and experience applying OSHA regulations and other applicable safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
• Knowledge of and experience administering Workers’ Compensation, injury management, and return-to-work programs preferred.
• Experience developing, implementing, and evaluating safety, environmental, occupational health, or regulatory training programs required.
• Experience working in a unionized environment preferred.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing business needs.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to effectively communicate with regulatory agencies, external stakeholders, community groups, and media representatives, as required.
• Position requires identity verification and seven-year criminal background check with update at least every seven years pursuant to NERC standards.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Position requires sitting, standing, walking and driving.
• Position requires concentration and strong organizational skills
• Position requires excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Position requires significant interaction with employees at all levels, as well as with external agencies.
• Valid Maine driver’s license required.
• Irregular hours required.
• Position may require work in inclement weather and ability to travel locally
• Versant Power is a tobacco free,drug free and fragrance-free workplace.

WORK HOURS:

Working between 40-50 hours is experienced. Off-hour monitoring of emergencies is anticipated.

RATE OF PAY:

Salary Level is commensurate with experience and qualifications.

IMPORTANT APPLICATION INFORMATION:

Non-Bargaining Unit, Regular and Term employees who have at least six (6) months satisfactory job performance and attendance records in their current job are eligible to apply for posted openings.