CORP - Director of Safety

Founded more than 80 years ago, OK Foods has grown from a livestock and poultry feed manufacturer to join one of the world’s leading chicken producers, Bachoco.

Bachoco OK Foods produces the highest quality chicken products for the U.S. market. Currently, the Bachoco OK Foods family includes more than 4,000 team members who are dedicated to consistently producing high-quality chicken products and nourishing people around the world.

Bachoco OK Foods is seeking a Director of Safety for our Fort Smith, AR location.

Summary: Provide corporate-wide direction to all facilities to promote workplace safety; eliminate/reduce injuries; manage costs associated with care and treatment; develop and implement corporate-wide safety protocols; improve safety performance, ensure all facilities’ safety policies and procedures are aligned with governmental regulations and corporate objectives.

Responsibilities & Duties

• Develop and fully implement corporate safety policies and procedures
• Establish proactive measures at all locations to improve safety indices/metrics
• Ensure compliance with all federal and state statutes and regulations governing workplace safety
• Serve as corporate interface in all matters involving governmental investigations/ activities related to workplace safety, such as investigations/inspections by OSHA or a state’s equivalent agency
• Develop/monitor compliance with corporate safety protocols for the treatment and care of employees who sustain work place injuries/illnesses
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to reduce work process risks, raise safety awareness, and improve safe work practices.
• Coordinate all projects, training, and specific improvement projects for each OKF facility.
• Conduct safety audits and inspect facilities, machinery, and safety equipment to identify and correct potential hazards, and to ensure safety regulation compliance.
• Oversee the investigation of industrial accidents, near-miss incidents, and occupational injuries to identify and reduce/eliminate causes; install preventive measures; and manage return-to-work activities.
• Provide technical advice, coaching, guidance, and mentoring to employees on safety initiatives and necessary changes.
• Lead and develop the individuals reporting directly to this position.
• Develop effective Objectives that will lead to the targeted improvement Goals.
• Oversee and ensure that the individual SIP’s (Safety Improvement Plans) are robust and adhered to.
• Assigned as the Gate Keeper for the Corporate Safety Manual.
• Provide timely and updated reports to executives and senior management
• Coordinate employee safety programs to determine their adequacy including review of short and long term strategic safety planning and development.

Job Requirements

• Degree in safety management or equivalent training and successful experience directing safety in a manufacturing setting
• Bachelor’s Degree
• 5-7 years of progressive manufacturing safety experience involving multiple locations and large workforces
• Ability to build trust and confidence with management, supervisors, and employees at all levels of the organization
• Thorough working knowledge of federal laws/regulations, as well as state laws, regulations, and mandates governing safety in manufacturing settings, including OSHA, ANSI, NFPA
• Strategic thinking and leadership skills
• Ability to communicate with employees at all levels

Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret the most complex documents.  Ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints.  Ability to write speeches and articles using original or innovative techniques or style.  Ability to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentations on controversial or complex topics to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.

Mathematical Skills: Ability to apply advanced mathematical concepts such as exponents, logarithms, quadratic equations, and permutations.  Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory, and factor analysis.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Must have a valid driver's license.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems.  Ability to deal with nonverbal symbolism (formulas, scientific equations, graphs, musical notes, etc.,) in its most difficult phases.  Ability to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables.

Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Database software; Design software; Development software; Internet software; Inventory software; Order processing systems; Project Management software; Spreadsheet software and Word Processing software.

Physical Demands: 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 accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk and sit.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

An Equal Opportunity Employer to include women, minorities, veterans and persons with disabilities.

*Notice to Third Party Recruitment Agencies:

Please note that Bachoco OK Foods and its subsidiaries do not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of an executed Recruitment Services Agreement, there will be no obligation to any referral compensation or recruiter fee.

In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without an agreement, Bachoco OK Foods and its subsidiaries shall explicitly reserve the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, shall be deemed the property of Bachoco OK Foods.