Director, Safety Center of Excellence

Role Summary

The Safety Centre of Excellence (S-CoE) is a team of technical subject matter experts, whose role is to develop, deliver and oversee innovative, best-in-class, and risk-based solutions to minimize risk, reduce complexity, ensure compliance, and drive bench-mark performance and cultural improvement in Safety across the global BMS organization (incl' research, commercial, manufacturing & capital projects).

Responsibilities

• Global Safety Strategy: Support the development and execution of the company's global safety strategy, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Safety Programs & Initiatives: Lead and/or support the development, implementation and continuous improvement of comprehensive, risk-based, enterprise-wide safety programs and standards. Own the technical safety content of specific company standards and guidance. Take ownership for specific programs such as Process Safety, Occupational Safety, Safety Culture, etc.
• Leadership and Guidance: Provide expert knowledge, leadership, advice and guidance on specific safety risks across the corporation and support appropriate assessment, governance and escalation processes to ensure leadership, sites and the BMS wider organization are focused on appropriate priorities. Drive accountability across all functions to eliminate accidents and injuries, managing programs to achieve high engagement and ownership at the employee level.
• Risk Management: With the S-CoE and leadership, identify, assess, and mitigate safety risks across the global organization, ensuring proactive measures are taken to prevent incidents.
• Incident Investigation & Reporting: Support/Lead the investigation of significant safety incidents or accidents, providing root cause analysis, corrective actions, and preventive measures.
• Safety Culture Development: Engage and influence colleagues at all levels, to promote a proactive safety culture across the organization, fostering awareness, training, and engagement. Lead safety training and communication efforts, where required, to ensure employees are equipped with the knowledge and skills to work safely.
• Collaboration & Leadership: Work closely with S-CoE colleagues, senior leadership, global/site EHS teams and operational departments to ensure the highest standards of safety and compliance and the effective implementation of safety initiatives. Support advocacy work with key stakeholder groups and facilitate benchmarking to ensure programs remain contemporary and effective.
• Continuous Improvement: Support the S-CoE and the Global EHS organization in identifying opportunities for continuous improvement in safety performance and practices. Utilize data-driven insights and feedback to refine programs and achieve safety goals.
• Safety Audits & Assessments: Support the Global EHS internal audit and assurance program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental Health, Engineering, or a related field. Master's degree is preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in safety management, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing global or multi-regional safety programs, preferably in the pharma, biotech or life-science sectors.
• Proven experience in leading safety in a large, complex organization with multiple regions and diverse operations.
• Strong knowledge of global safety regulations, standards (e.g., OSHA, ISO, etc.), and industry best practices.
• Demonstrated success in implementing safety programs that reduce incidents and improve safety performance.

Skills

• Leadership & Influence: Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to influence and inspire others at all levels.
• Strategic Thinking: Strong capability to support the development of long-term safety strategies while maintaining focus on day-to-day operations.
• Innovation: Proven track record of developing and implementing innovative, best-in-class and scalable safety solutions.
• Technical Expertise: Expert knowledge and experience in key safety topics.
• Risk Management: Expertise in identifying and managing risks across various sectors and operational environments.
• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent interpersonal skills, collaboration across geographies, and ability to interact effectively with senior leadership, external partners, and regulators.
• Problem Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to drive data-driven safety improvements.
• Agility: Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, managing multiple priorities and stakeholders.
• Continuous Improvement: A passion for safety innovation and continuous improvement, with a focus on outcomes and results.
• Travel: Willingness to travel globally, as needed (up to 30% of time).