Director of Safety at Whitsons Culinary Group

Town of Islip, New York, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

17 Mar, 26

Salary

170000.0

Posted On

17 Dec, 25

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Safety Management, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management, Incident Investigation, Training Development, Data Analysis, Communication Skills, Leadership, Team Development, OSHA Regulations, Workers' Compensation, Continuous Improvement, Collaboration, Problem Solving, Hazard Identification, Process Improvement

Industry

Food Production

Description

SUMMARY: The Director of Safety is responsible for designing, implementing, and leading comprehensive, company-wide safety This role serves as the senior safety authority for the organization and is accountable for building scalable safety systems, mitigating risk, ensuring regulatory compliance, and fostering a proactive safety culture. The position requires a highly self-directed, hands-on leader capable of operating independently within a lean environment. The Director will build safety structure, systems, and processes from the ground up, partnering with Operations, HR, Training, and other functional leaders to embed safety into daily practices. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES: Safety Strategy, Program Design & Implementation * Develop and execute a comprehensive enterprise-wide safety strategy, annual safety plan, and associated policies for 1000+ locations. * Build and implement scalable safety programs, processes, templates, audits, and reporting tools where none currently exist. * Design and maintain systems for hazard identification, incident reporting, corrective action management, and compliance tracking. * Establish safety standards aligned with federal, state, and local regulatory requirements and industry best practices. Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management * Serve as the organizational expert on OSHA regulations and state/local safety requirements. * Oversee regulatory reporting, OSHA logs, and compliance audits across all locations. * Partner with HR on workers’ compensation reporting, investigations, and claims coordination. * Lead and document incident investigations, root-cause analyses, and timely corrective action implementation. Site Audits, Inspections & Field Engagement * Conduct regular site visits to diverse locations, including culinary facilities, distribution operations, and customer accounts. * Partner with site managers to strengthen safety ownership, remediate hazards, and embed safe work practices. * Ensure consistent execution of safety procedures and standards across all divisions. Training & Safety Communication * Develop and deliver engaging, practical safety training for managers and front-line employees across varied operational settings. * Create training materials, safety alerts, best-practice guides, and communication plans to reinforce safety culture. * Partner with Training & Development to integrate safety content into onboarding and ongoing learning programs. Data Analysis, Reporting & Continuous Improvement * Develop and track key safety KPIs; identify trends and implement data-driven improvements. * Present safety performance, findings, and recommendations to senior leadership. * Benchmark performance against industry standards and propose long-term improvements. * Drive continuous improvement by identifying systemic issues and implementing sustainable solutions. Leadership & Team Development * Lead, develop, and mentor the Safety team; assess future staffing needs as the safety function expands. * Provide coaching and guidance to operational and functional leaders to strengthen safety accountability. * Promote a collaborative, proactive safety culture that prioritizes prevention, engagement, and shared responsibility. Cross-Functional Partnership * Collaborate with Operations, HR, Training, Legal, and other departments to integrate safety into business processes. * Support new initiatives, customer requirements, and operational changes with safety expertise and guidance. * Contribute to enterprise risk assessments and strategic planning efforts. Special Projects: * Adapt to evolving organizational priorities by taking on special assignments and interim responsibilities as requested. * Contribute to cross-departmental initiatives to improve processes, systems, and reporting accuracy. This role offers a salary range of $150,000– $170,000 annually, based on skills, experience, and location. Employees also receive a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match, generous PTO, and paid holidays. Qualifications REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: Education: Bachelor’s degree in safety management, Environmental Health & Safety, or a related field preferred. Certifications Relevant certifications (CSP, CHST, OSHA 30) a strong plus. EXPERIENCE, OTHER QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES: Experience: 8+ years of progressive safety experience, ideally in food service, hospitality, facilities management, manufacturing, distribution, or other multi-site service industries. Other Qualifications: * Proven success designing and implementing safety programs across a large, distributed workforce * Demonstrated ability to work autonomously in a lean organization, driving results with minimal supervision. * Experience managing direct reports and coaching leaders at all levels. * Strong working knowledge of OSHA regulations and relevant state/local requirements * Experience with incident management systems, OSHA logs, and workers’ compensation processes. * Exceptional communication, presentation, and change-management skills. * Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and recommend practical, scalable solutions. * Ability and willingness to travel regularly to company and customer sites. Computer Skills: * Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 Expected Hours of Work: This is a full-time exempt position. Typical work hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00a. - 5:00 pm with additional hours needed to meet business demands and production schedules. As an exempt position, it is expected that Team Member will devote whatever time necessary to accomplish the goals and responsibilities. This will often require extended work hours, evening, and/or weekend work. Travel Requirements: Travel regularly to company and client sites to conduct audits, support investigations, deliver training, and build field engagement. Physical Demands of the Job: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the team member is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, talk, and hear; use hands and fingers to feel, manage, or operate objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Work Environment: Work is primarily performed in an office environment with moderate noise levels The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work and duties that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duty does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, or a logical assignment to the position, and the Company reserves the right to add additional duties or modify existing duties. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the Company and employee and is subject to change by the Company as the needs of the Company and requirements of the job change. Employee’s signature below constitutes an employee’s understanding of the requirements, essential functions, and duties of the position.

Responsibilities

The Director of Safety is responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive safety strategy across the organization. This includes building safety systems, ensuring regulatory compliance, and fostering a proactive safety culture.