Head of Health and Safety

Description At Knife River, we take care of our teams because we know they are the foundation of our success. We are one of the nation's largest construction materials producers and contractors, and our goal is to build strong teams that, in turn, build strong communities. The Regional Health & Safety Director is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing the comprehensive safety strategies within their designated region and supporting the enterprise Safety Management System across all Knife River business units in collaboration with peer groups and stakeholders. This role focuses on cultivating a culture of safety excellence, guidance, coaching, and risk reduction through continuous improvement, visible leadership, and sound tactical and strategic decision making. This position can be located within our Central Region operations in ND, MN, SD, IA, or TX.
Bachelor's degree in occupational safety, occupational health, engineering, construction, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.

• Progressive safety leadership experience in mining, construction, heavy civil, or manufacturing.
• Working knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements, including MSHA, OSHA, DOT, BATFE, and FRA.
• Experience developing or implementing safety management systems and risk-reduction processes.
• PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS (preferred requirements i.e. certifications, software use, etc.)
• CSP, CMSP, CIH, or another applicable safety certification.
• Experience overseeing an enterprise Safety Management System.
• Knowledge of occupational health and industrial hygiene programs.
• Experience managing department budgets and capital projects.
• Experience with risk compliance, insurance, workers' compensation, and claims management.

Partner with KNF operational leadership both within the region of responsibility and across the company to support alignment of safety principles, functions, and systems.

• Leads, mentors, and coaches safety professionals within the region of responsibility including: team effectiveness, optimal deployment, skills development, and project completion.
• Overall responsibility for overseeing and influencing the KNF Safety Management System, its components and effectiveness.
• Acts as the subject matter expert for H&S and regulatory issues, provides guidance and support to KNF teams.
• Assists with due diligence for acquisitions by reviewing, inspecting, and evaluating past performance, systems, and infrastructure.
• Coaches and mentors safety team to support leadership and organizational succession planning.
• Frequently conducts site audits, inspections, and team member interactions.
• Oversees or supports matters related to workers compensation, auto liability, and general liability claims.
• Frequently liaise with local, State, and Federal inspectors during inspection activities and manage any issued warnings or citations.
• Update and be knowledgeable of regional and company safety statistics and trends, and use available analytics to modify and increase value of safety and compliance initiatives.
• Support the development, implementation, and oversite of regional safety programs including: policies, procedures, risk assessment, audits, training, and other H&S technical operations.
• Communicate routinely and effectively with key stakeholders and KNF leadership regarding challenges, successes, opportunities, and threats related to health and safety goals.
• Keep abreast of agency rule making that may impact KNF operations.
• Ensure DOT, MSHA, OSHA, EPA, DNR, safety and environmental regulation compliance.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and influencing skills.
• Ability to analyze safety data and evaluate program effectiveness.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and related data-analysis and presentation tools.

Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance

• Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts
• Paid Holidays
• Company Paid Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short-term Disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• Voluntary Life Insurance for Employees, Spouses, and Dependents
• Hospital Indemnity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, age, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status or any other protected category under applicable state/federal laws.
ll applications are submitted online. If you are having issues completing the application, please come to the office for assistance.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities