Director of Safety

HK Solutions Group is seeking a Director of Safety. The position can be based in either Rogers, MN, Lees Summit, MO, or Des Moines, IA. The Director of Safety will support locations in the Midwest and Florida.

Position Summary

The Director of Safety is a senior leadership position responsible for the strategic development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the company's Occupational Safety and Health program.

This role serves as a strategic partner and internal consultant to executive and operational leadership. The Director will provide the expertise, framework, and coaching necessary to build a world-class safety culture, effectively manage operational risk, and ensure sustainable compliance.

The primary objective of this role is to build and mature a robust safety management system (SMS), integrating OSH into all business functions. This includes defining processes for multi-regulatory compliance and system conformance, to include OSH related training programs and processes. This individual will champion a systems-based approach, fostering visible leadership participation and empowering operational teams to take ownership of safety performance.

Core Strategic Responsibilities

Leadership, Strategy & Planning

• Executive Partnership: Advise the senior leadership team on safety strategy, significant risks, and performance. Translate business objectives into a multi-year, strategic safety plan.
• Leadership Engagement: Partner with Business Unit Directors and Operations Managers to foster visible leadership participation and integrate safety responsibilities directly into their operational roles.
• System Architecture: Design, implement, and manage the formal SMS, ensuring it includes clear, scalable processes that align with business needs and the principles of continual improvement.

Risk Management & Operational Support

• Risk Management Framework: Oversee the company's processes for proactive hazard identification and risk assessment, ensuring effective controls are implemented, particularly for high-risk activities. This includes for field, warehouse, transportation and administrative functions.
• Technical Expertise: Serve as the company's lead subject matter expert (SME) on high-risk operations and compliance. Must provide expert technical guidance on standards including, but not limited to, OSHA Confined Space Entry (1910.146 & 1926 Subpart AA), Fall Protection (1926 Subpart M), and DOT (FMCSA) regulations.
• Contractor Safety: Provide technical OSH input and lead the safety aspects of our vendor management program, ensuring subcontractors are effectively prequalified consistent with company safety standards.
• Learning Management System: Develop and oversee processes for, and delivery of, OSHA, approved State Plan and HK required training.
• Field Presence: This role requires the provision of leadership both in a corporate setting as well as on field projects. The candidate should feel comfortable with both areas of responsibility and be willing and desiring of professional safety interaction with project staff located in multiple states.

Competence, Assurance & Continual Improvement

• Competence & Training: Develop and manage the systems used to identify training needs and facilitate external and internal training delivery in coordination with operational leadership; establish OSH related competence requirements. Maintain processes for verification of same for all teammates and leaders in safety-critical roles.
• Internal Auditing: Lead the internal audit program to verify that SMS processes are healthy, effective, and driving the intended results in the field.
• Incident Learning: Oversee the incident investigation process, ensuring it focuses on identifying systemic and local root causes and implementing effective corrective actions.
• Management Review: Facilitate the formal Safety Management Review process, presenting comprehensive SMS performance data to the executive team to drive strategic decision-making and resource allocation for continual improvement.

Qualifications & Competencies

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety and Health, Industrial Hygiene, Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience: A minimum of 7-10 years of progressive experience in safety management, with at least 3-5 years in a strategic leadership role within a high-risk operational environment (e.g., industrial services, heavy construction, utilities).
• Prior program development in relevant areas is important. Prior experience supervising team members formally and informally is essential. Experience in the development and implementation of Learning Management Systems will be helpful.
• SMS Expertise: Demonstrated, hands-on experience building and managing a formal Safety Management System (SMS) based on a recognized standard (e.g., ANSI Z10, ISO 45001).
• Technical Knowledge: Expert-level, practical knowledge of high-risk regulations, specifically OSHA Confined Space Entry, Fall Protection, Respiratory Protection, and a strong working knowledge of DOT compliance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certification: Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation or the ability to obtain the CSP in the near future is strongly preferred.
• Experience: Experience in continual improvement-based processes helpful.

Key Competencies for Success

• Strategic & Systems Thinker: Ability to identify systemic weaknesses and develop long-term, scalable solutions, moving beyond a "find-and-fix" mentality.
• Influence & Collaboration: A proven ability to achieve results through coaching and partnership with operational leaders. Can build credibility from the C-suite to the frontline.
• Executive Communication: Can clearly and concisely articulate complex risk, safety strategy, and performance data to senior leadership.
• Data-Driven: Skilled in analyzing performance data (leading and lagging) to find practical, effective solutions that support operational goals.
• Flexibility: The organization provides both industrial and field services. Flexibility and creativity for a field-oriented team-based environment are crucial.

Physical Demands

• Must be able to travel to company locations and field sites routinely 30-40% of the time.
• Must be able to conduct field-level audits and observations, which may require traversing uneven terrain, climbing stairs/ladders, and wearing all required personal protective equipment.
• Periodically required to lift/move up to 50 pounds.

Benefits Offered

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• 401k with company match
• Company paid PPE, boots and safety gear

HK Solutions Group is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.