Director Health, Safety & Security Retail Operations

Build Your Career with Ashley Furniture- Where Innovation Meets Comfort

Who We Are:

At Ashley, inspiring the love of home is at the heart of everything we do. As the world’s largest manufacturer of home furnishings, we’re more than a business — we’re a family driven by innovation, competitiveness, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. We persevere through challenges, push beyond the status quo, and constantly seek better ways to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Our solutions-first mindset and dedication to growth are why Ashley remains #1 in our industry.

If you’re ready to grow, you’ve come to the right place. With a true “Growth Mindset,” Ashley Furniture invests in developing future leaders and helps every team member learn from the best in the business.

If you are a current Ashley employee : Please login to your UKG account and apply using the internal job board.

Director, Health & Safety – Retail Operations

Summary

The Director of Health & Safety is responsible for developing and executing health, safety, and security strategies across distribution centers and retail store locations. This leader partners with operational teams to create a culture of safety, ensure regulatory compliance, reduce workplace injuries, and drive continuous improvement initiatives that protect employees, contractors, vendors, and company assets. The role provides strategic leadership while supporting business objectives through proactive risk management and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of health, safety, and security strategies that support company goals and operational objectives.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to improve safety and security performance and reduce workplace injuries, illnesses, and risk exposure, including physical security risk.
• Partner with distribution and retail leadership teams to drive accountability for safety and security compliance and performance.
• Lead incident investigations, root cause analysis efforts, and corrective action programs to prevent recurrence.
• Conduct and oversee safety and security audits, inspections, and compliance reviews across multiple locations.
• Develop and deliver safety and security programs, policies, and training initiatives to ensure employee understanding and adherence to safety standards.
• Collaborate with Risk Management and operational leaders to analyze injury trends, workers' compensation claims, and loss prevention/asset protection opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations and all applicable local, state, and federal safety requirements, including fire/life safety regulations.
• Build strong partnerships with facility leadership to identify and address safety and security concerns while supporting operational goals.
• Lead, coach, and develop safety team members while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
• Oversee employee performance management, talent development, staffing recommendations, and team effectiveness.
• Provide recommendations regarding safety-related budgets, training investments, and compliance initiatives.
• Support continuous improvement efforts through Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies.
• Travel regularly to support safety initiatives, audits, leadership engagement, and operational assessments.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety, Industrial Safety, Environmental Health & Safety, or a related field required.
• Professional safety certifications such as CSP, CPP, or similar credentials preferred.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive safety and security leadership experience within distribution, warehousing, logistics, transportation, manufacturing, or retail environments.
• Experience supporting multi-site operations within a corporate or regional leadership capacity.
• Proven success developing and implementing safety programs that reduce incidents and strengthen organizational safety culture.
• Experience leading teams, developing safety professionals, and influencing leaders across multiple functions.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA regulations, workers' compensation programs, return-to-work processes, industrial ergonomics, fire protection systems, fall protection programs, and construction safety principles.
• Experience conducting incident investigations, root cause analysis, and implementing corrective and preventive action plans.
• Working knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, or other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Excellent communication, leadership, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and drive results in a fast-paced, multi-site environment.
• Willingness to travel frequently with occasional international travel opportunities.

Work Environment:

This position is located in a climate-controlled office environment with standard lighting and moderate noise levels typical of professional workspace settings. The role primarily involves sitting at a desk for extended periods while working with computers, phones, and other office equipment. The collaborative environment includes interaction with team members and may require attendance at meetings, conference calls, and cross-departmental communications during regular business hours.

Benefits We Offer:

• Health, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off; increases with years of service
• Generous Employee Discount on home furnishings
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Tuition Assistance
• Ashley Wellness Centers (location specific)
• 401(k) and Profit Sharing
• Life Insurance

Our Core Values:

• Honesty & Integrity:  Acts with transparency, discretion, and ethical judgment. Trusted to handle sensitive information and provide accurate, unbiased insights. 

• (Dirty Fingernail:  Takes full accountability for outcomes, not just tasks. Inspects details, ensures data accuracy, and follows through to completion. 

• Continuous Improvement:  Actively seeks better ways to improve templates, tools, and processes. Learns from prior initiatives and embeds lessons into standard work. 

• Growth & Results Focus:  Understands how transformation initiatives drive growth, cost reduction, and profitability. Keeps work aligned to enterprise priorities. 

• Culture of Leadership : Leads through influence, reliability, and example. Builds trust across functions and supports leaders at every level. 

• Customer-Centric & Boundaryless:  Works across silos for the greater good of the organization. Ensures outputs meet the needs of executives, initiative owners, and teams. 

• Operational Excellence:  Demonstrates strong organizational discipline, attention to detail, and the ability to translate ambiguity into clear, executable tools. 

Interested in learning more about Ashley Furniture’s Community Engagement programs, Environmental Stewardship, or our Core Values, click the links below:

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and provide a drug-free working environment. While Ashley appreciates the interest of all candidates only those meeting specific position requirements may be contacted. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment. The company reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

Notice to Search Firms: We are not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms. We will not pay any placement, referral or other fees to any search firms unless we have agreed otherwise in a valid, written agreement for the specific position posted and signed by an authorized representative of Ashley Furniture Industries.

* Please note this position is not eligible for current or future employment sponsorship. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or at any time in the future.