Senior HSE Specialist at J.D. Irving, New Annan, PE

AI Summary

J.D. Irving in New Annan, PE is seeking a Senior Health, Safety and Environment Specialist. This senior role provides technical leadership and support for managing health, safety, and environmental risk across plant operations.

Key duties include overseeing safety systems and critical risk programs, along with coaching HSE staff. Candidates should have post-secondary education, at least five years of experience, and a strong background in health and safety.

About the Senior HSE Specialist Role

As a Senior Health, Safety and Environment Specialist at J.D. Irving in New Annan, PE, this contract position offers a pivotal opportunity to provide senior-level technical authority and leadership. Reporting to the HSE Manager, the specialist will maintain an onsite presence to effectively manage health, safety, and environmental risk across Plant 1, Plant 2, and associated operations. This role is crucial for delivering experienced oversight of safety systems, ensuring regulatory compliance, and managing critical risk programs.

The Senior HSE Specialist acts as a key technical resource, offering support for sound decision-making, consistency, and accountability across the site. This senior position provides independent technical judgment and continuity, especially during periods of increased operational complexity, elevated incident activity, shutdowns, capital work, or regulatory engagement. The specialist will also coach and support HSE staff and site leadership, strengthening the practical application and effectiveness of various health and safety programs.

Key Responsibilities and Qualifications

The core responsibilities for this senior role include providing technical leadership and guidance on complex or high-risk health, safety, and environmental matters. The specialist will serve as a senior resource for workplace incident investigations, offering oversight, technical guidance, and quality assurance to ensure effective root cause analysis and corrective actions. Support and coaching for HSE team members and operational leaders through complex investigations and risk management decisions are also vital. Governance and senior oversight of the site incident management system, including data quality and trend analysis, fall under this role's purview. The Senior HSE Specialist will act as the site’s senior technical authority during regulatory inspections and audits, providing support for corrective action development. Oversight of critical risk programs such as Lockout/Tagout, Confined Space Entry, and Working at Heights is essential, ensuring consistency and effectiveness across both plants. Identifying, assessing, and escalating hazards and emerging risks through workplace inspections and direct engagement with operations is a continuous duty.

Candidates should possess post-secondary education in occupational health, ergonomics, health and safety, environmental studies, or related fields. A minimum of five years of occupational health, safety, environmental, or related experience is preferred, particularly within manufacturing or industrial operations. CRSP, CRST, or CHSC certification is highly preferred, with a commitment to achieving professional certification expected. Demonstrated experience in developing, implementing, and sustaining safety programs and management system elements, alongside a strong health and safety background with hands-on experience in incident investigations, hazard assessments, and developing JSAs, SOPs, and safety training programs, is required. A strong working knowledge of high-risk safety controls and the ability to translate regulatory requirements into practical, site-ready programs are also critical for this senior position.