Subsidiary: Colas Canada Inc.
Colas is a Canadian leader in transportation infrastructure - materials, construction, and maintenance. From roads to rail, airports to ports, we build some of the most important projects that connect our communities.
Backed by our network of Colas companies across Canada and the Colas Group worldwide, Colas offers a wide range of innovative and sustainable solutions for the construction and maintenance of transportation infrastructure.
Join the largest transportation infrastructure group in the world and help connect Canada.
Role Summary
The Director of Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) will play a pivotal role in shaping our organization’s commitment to the well-being of our people, the environment, and our communities. The role will lead the strategic vision for HSE across our subsidiaries by reporting directly to the President of Colas Canada and collaborating closely with Executive Committee (EXCO) members and HSE professionals in the Canadian Colas companies (subsidiaries).
Main Responsibilities
- Collaborate with internal partners across various functions (Equipment, Industry, Accounting, Legal, HR, Insurance) to define and implement robust HSE policies aligned with the Colas Group’s commitments.
- Monitor and assess compliance with HSE policies, ensuring alignment with external standards and internal expectations.
- Champion audits, action plans, and objectives that prioritize safety, well-being, and environmental stewardship.
Health & Safety
- Work closely with the legal team in case of fines or notifications of violations related to applicable regulations.
- Lead the matrix teams in health, safety, and environment alongside the direct manager at Colas Canada subsidiaries to focus on: skills development, career management, regular meetings, etc.
- Set and effectively managing a comprehensive HSE budget, action plans, and functional long-term priorities with quantified objectives aligned with the Health, Safety, and Environment policy, compliance assessments, and internal and external audit outputs.
- Maintain a detailed Health, Safety, and Environment performance dashboard at the Canadian level to generate an annual summary report (executive meeting, management review, etc.).
- Coordinate with local experts to ensure that safety measures are implemented to provide a safe and healthy working environment.
Environment Responsibilities
- Contribute actively to measures aimed at minimizing our activities’ environmental footprint.
- Create guidelines and policies to address Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and biodiversity concerns.
- Advocate for sustainable practices that respect the delicate balance of our ecosystems.
- Oversee carbon accounting in collaboration with the Finance, Procurement, and operational functions.
- Leverage subject matter expertise to advise on environmental legislation and regulations.
- Ensure that operating permits comply with current legislation for existing, future, and closing facilities.
- Implement an action plan to eliminate non-compliance situations with environmental regulations.
- Supervise annual environmental self-assessment and audits of all stationary installations covered by Colas environmental checklists (for existing, new, and future sites).
- Set up a robust monitoring system for incidents (water or air emissions, environmental accidents) in coordination with local task forces to focus on immediate action for impact management.
- Support the subsidiaries in conducting root cause analyses and corrective and preventive actions promptly.
- Implement the corporate biodiversity and low-carbon strategy, fostering a harmonious balance between business and nature by collaborating with local teams, Equipment & Industry, Procurement, Accounting, and Technical functions.
- Report environmental assessment data, best practices, incidents, and accidents to head office.
- Take part in environmental information meetings, working groups, and work sessions on priority topics.
- Contribute to environmental awareness materials (environmental risks, carbon, biodiversity, waste management, etc.), then promote and monitor their deployment (e-learning, Environment Day, etc.).
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or environmental science or a related field.
- Preferably having credentials as a Certified Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) or equivalent HSE certifications.
- A minimum of 10 years of leadership experience in medium to large-sized manufacturing and/or construction environments with multiple operational entities.
- Proven understanding of a wide range of health, safety, environmental, and social issues, such as climate change, sustainable development, pollution prevention, air quality/noise, water, and energy efficiency.
- Experience leading matrix organizational structures or cross-functional project teams.
- Possess a strong knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act code and legislation.
What you bring:
- Negotiation, networking, and relationship-building skills,
- Experience working with and implementing HSE tools,
- Executive presence and the maturity to lead effectively at all levels of the organization.
- Results-driven mindset with a sense of urgency in execution,
- Excellent communication skills and sound decision-making capabilities,
- Time management, organizational, and presentation skills,
- Problem-solving skills with the ability to lead, interact with, and coach individuals in a high-performing culture.
Travel: 35%
- This role requires extensive traveling, drawing insights from collaborating with diverse operations across various regions.
- Travel to local subsidiaries and U.S. and international Colas business units.
DIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT TO US
At Colas, we believe our workforce should reflect the diversity of the communities we connect. By living our core values of Caring, Sharing, and Daring, we welcome all those who help create the links that bring us together. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of age, ethnicity, national origin, religious beliefs, disability, marital or family status, gender, gender identity or expression.
