Project EHS Director

Position Description:

Lead, direct, and enforce Environmental, Health & Safety (EH&S) policies and practices, and oversee the project site EH&S team. Primary responsibility is for large-scale, high-risk projects (~$1B or larger). Set EH&S direction and goals in collaboration with project senior leadership and communicate vision and strategic direction to the project team. Lead continuous improvement efforts to build and sustain a best-in-class safety culture.

Essential Duties & Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a visible safety leader on construction project sites, modeling the highest standards of EH&S policies and processes.

• Oversee EH&S performance across the project site; build transparent partnerships with the project team to influence operational safety planning and improve outcomes.

• Engage consistently with frontline workers, create a continuous learning environment, and provide coaching and mentoring to build EH&S competencies.

• Collaborate with project teams, clients, trade partners, and joint venture (JV) partners to establish the required structure, processes, and accountability for safety.

• Ensure standards are aligned with company EH&S programs, project priorities, and client requirements; communicate and reinforce consistency across projects.

• Act as primary liaison with owners and stakeholders on EH&S matters related to daily construction activities.

• Establish project-specific EH&S strategic and operational plans, including risk-based activities, KPIs, and milestones. Monitor execution through Plan-Do-Check-Adjust (PDCA) activities and rapid improvement events.

• Collaborate with business unit EH&S leaders and HR on EH&S recruiting, onboarding, development, career progression, and succession planning.

• Participate in the selection, evaluation, mentoring, and development of EH&S professionals, ensuring staffing pipelines meet project needs.

• Identify, eliminate, and control hazardous conditions that could cause injury or property damage.

• Partner with operations to authorize work order changes, redirect work activities, and allocate resources as needed for safety.

• Implement comprehensive workforce training at all project levels and educate teams and trade partners to strengthen safety acumen.

• Contribute to the development and management of project-specific EH&S budgets.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Occupational Safety & Health, Engineering, or related field.

• Minimum of 1-3 years of construction safety experience, or equivalent combination of education and training.

• Construction Health Safety Technician (CHST) certification required (or within 6 months of appointment).

• Completed OSHA 30-hour training and maintain current First Aid/CPR/BBP and AED certifications.

• Expert knowledge of safety and environmental principles, techniques, and regulations (federal, state, local).

• Extensive experience in incident management, root cause analysis, and response.

• Broad knowledge of construction operations and high-risk activities.

• Strong leadership and management skills, with the ability to mentor, delegate, and direct work.

• Experience managing budgets and resources for EH&S functions.

• Excellent communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills; proven ability to lead cultural change.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and EH&S-related applications.

• Willingness to travel; reliable transportation required.

Physical Demands

• Ability to be mobile and travel long and short distances as needed.

• Frequent on-site presence at construction projects, with exposure to physical activity including climbing, lifting (up to 50 lbs), and working in varied conditions.

• Regular use of computers, including prolonged viewing of monitors and keyboard use.

• Specific vision abilities include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

• Primarily based at construction project sites with exposure to moving machinery, heights, airborne particles, outdoor weather, and electrical hazards.

• Noise levels range from moderate to loud in field environments.

• Occasional work in office settings with quiet to moderate noise levels.

• Required to work in compliance with company safety policies, procedures, and applicable laws.