Safety Manager

Founded over 35 years ago, First Quality is a family-owned company that has grown from a small business in McElhattan, Pennsylvania into a group of companies, employing over 5,000 team members, while maintaining our family values and entrepreneurial spirit. With corporate offices in New York and Pennsylvania and 8 manufacturing campuses across the U.S. and Canada, the companies within the First Quality group produce high-quality personal care and household products for large retailers and healthcare organizations. Our personal care and household product portfolio includes baby diapers, wipes, feminine pads, paper towels, bath tissue, adult incontinence products, laundry detergents, fabric finishers, and dishwash solutions. In addition, we manufacture certain raw materials and components used in the manufacturing of these products, including flexible print and packaging solutions.

Guided by our values of humility, unity, and integrity, we leverage advanced technology and innovation to drive growth and create new opportunities. At First Quality, you’ll find a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning, professional development, and our mission to Make Things Better®.

We are seeking a Safety Manager for the construction, start-up, and future operation of our First Quality Tissue site located in Defiance, OH. If being an Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) leader and partnering with construction and manufacturing operations in the pursuit of Operational Excellence in the safety of design, implementation and utilization of facilities, equipment, work tasks and culture is the career you’ve been looking for, your opportunity has arrived. This position is designed for a creative leader capable of partnering in strategic and tactical comprehensive risk management plans on all occupational health and safety matters. This opportunity is being provided by a company that will support your success.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Lead an action-oriented safety culture embracing safety as a core value.
• Serve as an innovative, flexible subject matter expert supporting all levels of the organization. Partnering in decisions on technical, regulatory, and cultural issues related to safety policy, programs, procedures and related training.
• Lead and champion continuous improvement in health and safety processes.
• Leader and/or independent contributor to the development, scheduling, implementation, auditing for compliance, verification of effectiveness and knowledge sustainment plans for OHS and risk management training for the overall workforce.
• Construction Site OHS Lead during the construction phase and transitioning into the Site manufacturing OHS lead as the manufacturing process starts up.
• Site OHS lead in the development and deployment of a corporate safety management system infrastructure and all OHS related documents ensuring consistent practices across all operating areas.
• Charged with OHS review and approval of all new equipment designs and design modifications to existing equipment/facilities providing technical support ensuring compliance, health and safety standards are met.
• Be present and engaged with the workforce and contractors in their activities to establish and strengthen two-way communication, trust and confidence in your ability to lead them.
• Supporting the workforce in meeting OHS operating procedures ensuring compliance and adherence to all management system requirements.
• Display consistent measure of integrity and company culture in all business-related activities.
• Successful communicator capable of tailoring written and visual materials to any audience in order to be effective in transferring knowledge and ensuring skill development objectives are met.
• Carry out all administrative responsibilities associated with OHS compliance and safety program administration.
• Worker’s Compensation claims administration and coordination of the Return-to-Work program.
• Provides clear and effective direction and support for all direct reports.
• Emergency management and response programs
• Interpretation and application of codes, standards and related professional references relating to OHS risks
• Administration of OHS compliance and risk management programs (including, but not limited to) e.g., confined space entry, control of hazardous energy, hazard communication, machine guarding, robots and conveyors, personal protective equipment, hazard assessments, personal protective equipment selection, crane and rigging safety programs, hearing conservation, blood borne pathogens, powered industrial trucks, electrical safety, contractor safety, fall management, reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing.
• Industrial hygiene sampling strategy design, analysis and interpretation of results, and application of successful control measures
• OSHA recordkeeping rules, Worker’s Compensation and Return to Work processes, ADA and HIPAA rules and regulations.
• Compliance and behavioral auditing and work-place conditions inspection techniques to ensure meeting internal and external standards
• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge in federal, state and local safety and health regulations, and related consensus standards
• Maintaining up-to-date discipline knowledge of OHS engineering trends and technology.
• Use of Management of Change processes for OHS approval of changes

The ideal candidate should possess the following:

• BS Degree programs in Occupational Safety and Health, Industrial Hygiene, Safety Engineering or related field from an accredited college program and/or equivalent experience required
• 5 years of experience in manufacturing sector (or combined manufacturing & construction sectors) in a health and safety position. Previous construction experience a plus.
• Knowledge and understanding of OSHA 1910 General Industry and OSHA 1926 Construction standards
• 1 years of experience managing direct and/or indirect reports
• BCSP Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and/or ACGIH certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) preferred.
• Successful creation, implementation and/or administration of a health and safety management system (BSI 18001 / ISO 45001) preferred.
• Data collection, compilation and statistical analysis
• Organizational / resource planning
• Authoring technical compliance programs, related documents and training
• Experience in teaching audiences with varying levels of learning comprehension and interest of the subject matter and material
• Technology and software packages such as MS Office, Incident Management Systems, Training Design platforms, Internet/Intranet navigation.
• Ensuring legal compliance throughout processes such as: employment screenings for job placement, essential job demand accommodation requests, managing up-to-date essential physical demands, and determining the need for and structure of fit-for-duty exams
• Collaborative leadership, influence and persuasion skills to effectively guide and/or change others understanding, perception and ultimately their actions to drive results in achieving company goals and alignment with culture
• Written and oral communication skills with the ability to interpret and apply OHS regulatory standards to work operations in a format easily understood by the audience
• Critical thinking and project management
• Demonstrate a tenacious drive for results
• Extensive travel to Lock Haven, PA and Anderson, SC required, especially during the construction phase.
• Work in environments with WBGT readings of 105 degrees F or higher and cold environments of 50 degrees F for up to several hours with intermittent breaks; walking over rough, uneven terrain, mud and gravel surfaces in construction and outdoor work areas
• Daily: walking up to 6 miles/day on concrete; use of stairs and/or vertical ladders; lifting and/or carrying up to 50 pounds occasionally; Sitting at a computer workstation; talking on the phone, writing and computer use; physically capable of wearing safety toe footwear, safety glasses, hearing protection, with or without assistive device capable of hearing alarms at 85 decibels through background noise; able to distinguish colors – yellow, red, green, orange, brown, and blue

What We Offer You

We believe that by continuously improving the quality of our benefits, we can help to raise the quality of life for our team members and their families. At First Quality you will receive:

• Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities
• Paid time off (three-week minimum)
• Medical, dental and vision starting day one
• 401(k) with employer match
• Paid parental leave
• Child and family care assistance (dependent care FSA with employer match up to $2500)
• Bundle of joy benefit (year's worth of free diapers to all team members with a new baby)
• Tuition assistance
• Wellness program with savings of up to $4,000 per year on insurance premiums
• ...and more!

First Quality is committed to protecting information under the care of First Quality Enterprises commensurate with leading industry standards and applicable regulations. As such, First Quality provides at least annual training regarding data privacy and security to employees who, as a result of their role specifications, may come in to contact with sensitive data.

First Quality is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification, or protected Veteran status.