Safety/Training Specialist

Join our Team! At Johnson Outdoors, home to some of the world's most innovative and best-known outdoor recreation brands, we create amazing outdoor experiences- for adventurers, by adventurers. Old Town Watercraft brings over 100 years of passion and authentic understanding in kayaks, canoes and the new EPDL-power assist pedal kayaks to drive the next generation innovation on the water. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Safety Program Development & Regulatory Compliance

• Implements and maintains safety programs, policies, and procedures in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
• Conducts audits, inspections, and risk assessments using recognized methodologies. Identifies hazards and drives corrective and preventive actions.
• Promotes a proactive safety culture through employee engagement and continuous improvement initiatives.

Training & Workforce Development:

• Delivers competency-based safety training programs using blended learning methods, and adult learning principles.
• Creates instructional content, job aids, and microlearning modules in collaboration with technical experts and leadership.
• Evaluates training effectiveness using data analytics and KPI’s.

Incident Management:

• Investigates incidents, near misses, and environmental events using root cause analysis,
• Supports the development and implementation of preventive strategies, and communicates lessons learned.

Environmental Oversight

• Monitors environmental compliance including waste management, air/water permits, and sustainability initiatives aligned with ISO 14001 standards.
• Supports environmental risk mitigation and continuous improvement opportunities.

Ergonomics

• Conducts ergonomic assessments of workstations and production lines to identify risks. Recommends engineering and administrative controls to reduce strain and injury.
• Partners with engineering teams to integrate ergonomic principles into equipment and process design.

 Manufacturing Engineering Support

• Collaborates with manufacturing engineering to analyze workflows and processes, identify safety and efficiency opportunities, and implement safety-integrated process improvements.
• Influences line balancing and labor standards development to optimize productivity without compromising safety compliance.

Continuous Improvement

• Use safety and productivity/performance metrics and trend analysis to identify systemic risks, and opportunities for improvement.

Documentation & Reporting

• Maintains OSHA logs, environmental records, and regulatory documentation with precision and timeliness.
• Prepares and presents detailed performance reports for leadership, highlighting compliance status and improvement opportunities.
• Supports HR and Risk Management with workers’ compensation and insurance reporting requirements.

Other

• Participates in safety committees and coordinates cross-functional teams for audits and corrective actions.
• Represents the safety function in enterprise-wide projects and regulatory audits.
• Performs other related responsibilities as assigned.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

Education:      Typically requires a bachelor’s degree in occupational safety, environmental health, training or equivalent.       

Experience:    Typically requires a minimum of 2 years of experience in safety program management, adult learning principles, and training development.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge and understanding of OSHA, EPA, and other regulatory compliance standards, with the ability to interpret and apply requirements.
• Ability to guide cross-functional project teams, and drive engagement in safety initiatives.
• Exposure to instructional design principles, learning theories, and blended learning strategies.
• Knowledge of environmental health and safety (EHS) frameworks, including ISO 14001 and ergonomic assessment tools (REBA, RULA).
• Knowledge of incident investigation methodologies and root cause analysis techniques.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills to assess safety issues. Understanding of data analytics for training effectiveness and safety performance metrics.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to and participate in project teams to improve safety initiatives.
• Good written and verbal communication/interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and ability to quickly learn and apply new technologies and software platforms.