Vice President, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS)
Location: Downey, California
Compensation: $240,000 – $275,000 annually
A rapidly growing infrastructure and utility services organization is seeking an experienced Vice President of Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) to lead enterprise-wide safety strategy and operational risk management initiatives.
The company provides construction, engineering, and infrastructure solutions supporting utility, transportation, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure projects throughout the Western United States. With a large and diverse workforce operating across multiple business units, the organization is committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety, compliance, operational excellence, and environmental stewardship.
Position Summary
The Vice President of Environmental Health & Safety will provide executive leadership for all corporate EHS programs and initiatives across multiple operating divisions. This role will be responsible for driving a proactive safety culture, ensuring regulatory compliance, reducing organizational risk exposure, and implementing continuous improvement strategies that support operational performance and workforce safety.
The ideal candidate will bring extensive leadership experience within utility construction, infrastructure, heavy civil, engineering, or related industrial environments and possess a demonstrated ability to influence safety culture at all levels of an organization.
Key Responsibilities
Executive & Strategic Leadership
- Develop and implement enterprise-wide EHS strategies, goals, and performance initiatives aligned with corporate objectives.
- Provide executive-level leadership and direction for all environmental, health, safety, and risk management programs.
- Partner closely with operational leadership teams to integrate safety initiatives into day-to-day business operations.
- Establish long-term safety improvement plans and drive continuous enhancement of company-wide EHS performance.
Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations including OSHA, DOT, environmental, and industry-specific standards.
- Lead organizational risk assessments and implement proactive mitigation strategies to minimize exposure and operational risk.
- Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and safety management systems supporting field operations and corporate compliance.
- Oversee audits, inspections, and regulatory interactions as needed.
Incident Response & Investigations
- Lead high-level incident investigations involving serious injuries, environmental events, vehicle incidents, or operational catastrophes.
- Coordinate with legal counsel, insurance representatives, regulatory agencies, and internal stakeholders regarding incident response and corrective actions.
- Ensure timely reporting, root cause analysis, and implementation of preventative measures across the organization.
Performance Metrics & Reporting
- Establish and monitor EHS performance metrics, scorecards, and KPI reporting systems.
- Analyze incident trends, leading indicators, and operational data to identify opportunities for improvement.
- Prepare and present executive-level safety reports, dashboards, and recommendations to senior leadership.
Safety Culture & Training
- Champion a company-wide “safety-first” culture across all business units and operational teams.
- Promote employee engagement, accountability, and continuous safety awareness initiatives.
- Support the development and implementation of training programs, leadership coaching, and field engagement strategies.
- Drive adoption of industry best practices and continuous improvement methodologies.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health & Safety, Occupational Safety, Engineering, Risk Management, or a related field required.
- Master’s degree preferred.
- Minimum of 15 years of progressive EHS leadership experience within utility construction, infrastructure, heavy civil, engineering, energy, industrial, or related industries.
- Strong working knowledge of OSHA, DOT, environmental compliance standards, and regulatory requirements.
- Demonstrated experience leading complex incident investigations and enterprise-wide safety initiatives.
- Proven ability to influence executive leadership, operations teams, and field personnel across a large organization.
- Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Professional certifications such as CSP, CIH, REM, CESCO, or equivalent credentials strongly preferred.
- Experience supporting multi-site operations and large-scale field construction activities.
- Background in utility, transportation, telecommunications, or infrastructure construction environments highly desirable.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The company is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace where employees are empowered to succeed. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable federal, state, or local laws.
