GFL

North American waste collection, disposal, recycling

National Director, Health & Safety

Environmental Health & SafetyConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-time

About the Job

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in Environmental Sciences, Engineering, or Occupational Safety is required.
10–15 years of relevant experience in a senior Environment, Health & Safety leadership role is required.
Multidisciplinary experience across operations, hazardous waste management, environmental management or consulting, emergency response, engineering, and Process Safety Management is required.
Expert knowledge of enterprise Environment, Health & Safety management system architectures and the development of corporate policies, manuals, and standard operating procedures is required.
Extensive expertise in North American environmental protection legislation, federal, provincial, and state occupational health and safety regulations, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, and municipal environmental bylaws is required.
Deep technical understanding of Process Safety Management, pressure systems safety engineering, Lockout/Tagout standardization, and hazard identification across complex industrial services, hazardous waste processing facilities, used oil and glycol refineries, and resource-sector sites is required.
Functional implementation experience with digital Environment, Health & Safety management platforms and data visualization platforms is required.
A technical background in environmental earth sciences, Phase I/II/III environmental site assessments, Decommissioning & Reclamation Plans, spill contingency planning, and regulatory reporting for emissions, effluent, and water monitoring is required.
Ability to influence, align, and direct senior operations executives, regional directors, and frontline teams toward a unified vision is required.
Skill in evaluating complex operational data and incident trends to formulate proactive mitigation strategies is required.
A proven track record of integrating Environment, Health & Safety into Human Resources, Legal, Claims, Information Technology, and Finance workflows is required.
Verbal and written presentation skills for board-level reporting, regulatory negotiations, and company-wide safety messaging are required.

Responsibilities

Formulate, govern, and continuously enhance the enterprise-wide Health and Safety management system framework, including key performance indicators, Environment, Health & Safety management systems, corporate safety standards, policies, and standard operating procedures.
Drive executive-led safety initiatives, continuous training programs, proactive risk mitigation, standardization of safe operating practices, hazardous task controls, and engineering risk mitigations.
Establish senior leadership oversight and executive reporting protocols for critical incidents to ensure transparency, accountability, and organizational learning.
Align Environment, Health & Safety stewardship goals with business objectives, operational sustainability, compliance, and long-term organizational success.
Provide strategic direction and executive oversight for risk management across operations and client industrial sites.
Oversee onboarding and integrate acquired business units, personnel, and infrastructure into corporate Environment, Health & Safety management systems and safety cultures.
Oversee environmental compliance, facility monitoring, site remediation, and land-stewardship strategies.
Direct the resolution of regulatory inquiries, permitting requirements, and third-party compliance verification systems, including ISNetworld and Avetta.
Provide senior oversight for environmental emergency responses, including internal facility emergencies and third-party technical consultants.
Direct root-cause investigation methodologies, including SCAT and root-cause analysis, for critical events; identify systemic trends and execute corrective and preventive action frameworks.
Partner with Human Resources on employee retention, safety leadership training, and Workers' Compensation Board disability claims management.
Collaborate with Fleet Compliance on driver safety, National Safety Code alignment, and fleet technology integration.
Coordinate with Risk and Insurance on certificates of insurance, asset and vehicle coverage, and enterprise risk management.
Provide Environment, Health & Safety oversight and technical reviews for commercial proposals, requests for proposals, requests for quotations, and client pre-qualification submissions.
Oversee and drive functional design, optimization, and rollout of digital management software, including Enablon, SEMS, and GFL Learning Hub.
Use Environment, Health & Safety dashboards to track real-time key performance indicators, audit findings, KPI logs, and critical incident trends across business units.
Work in corporate and regional offices, operational yards, waste processing facilities, and refinery sites under a hybrid work setup.
Travel approximately 25% across North American operations to support Environment, Health & Safety team members, complete site inspections, participate in senior leadership initiatives, and provide frontline leadership engagement.

Ready to elevate your career? GESI is expanding! We are officially hunting for our next National Director, Health & Safety in USA—someone ready to bring fresh ideas and grow alongside a dynamic team.

About Us
GFL Environmental Services Inc. ("GESI") is a high-growth environmental services company recently carved out of GFL Environmental Inc. Backed by leading private equity firms, GESI delivers liquid waste, industrial cleaning, and soil remediation services across North America through a vertically integrated platform of over 230 sites and a fleet of 1,800+ vehicles. Our employees, collectively known as 'Team Green,' enjoy numerous benefits: career advancement opportunities, competitive benefits, job stability within an essential services company, and the chance to make a positive impact every day for our customers and communities, Green for Life!

The Role
The National Director, Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) - USA provides strategic, executive, and operational leadership over all EH&S programs across national operations, high-hazard facilities, field sites, and refinery operations. This role transforms regional EH&S achievements into national standards, establishing continuous improvement frameworks, driving a culture of safety excellence, and ensuring operational alignment with complex federal, provincial, and local regulatory requirements across USA and North America.

The National Director bridges enterprise strategy with operational reality: developing digital EH&S platforms, overseeing high-severity risk mitigation, leading incident management governance, and directing cross-functional teams to achieve an industry leading operating model.

Key Responsibilities:

Formulate, govern, and continuously enhance the enterprise wide HS management system framework (KPIs, EH&SMS, Corporate Safety Standards, policies, and SOPs), establishing consistent safety standards.
Foster a company-wide culture of safety excellence by driving executive-led safety initiatives, continuous training programs, and proactive risk mitigation strategies. Drive the standardization of safe operating practices, hazardous task controls, and engineering risk mitigations to protect personnel, assets, and operational continuity.
Establish senior leadership oversight and executive reporting protocols for critical incidents, ensuring operational transparency, accountability, and continuous organizational learning.
Align EH&S stewardship goals with business objectives to support overall operational sustainability, compliance, and long-term organizational success.
Provide strategic direction and executive oversight for risk management across all operations and diverse client industrial sites
Oversee HS onboarding, integrating acquired business units, personnel, and infrastructure into corporate EH&S management systems and safety cultures.

Oversee comprehensive environmental compliance, facility monitoring, site remediation, and land-stewardship strategies.
Direct the resolution of complex regulatory inquiries, permitting requirements, and third-party compliance verification systems (e.g., ISNetworld, Avetta).
Provide senior oversight for environmental emergency responses including internal facility emergencies, and third-party technical consultants.
Direct root-cause investigation methodologies (SCAT, RCA) for critical events, ensuring thorough analysis, systemic trend identification, and execution of corrective and preventive action (CAPA) frameworks.
Partner closely with Human Resources on employee retention, safety leadership training, and Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) disability claims management.
Collaborate with Fleet Compliance to ensure driver safety, National Safety Code alignment, and fleet technology integration.
Coordinate with Risk & Insurance on certificates of insurance, asset/vehicle coverage, and enterprise risk management (ERM).
Provide EH&S oversight and technical reviews for commercial proposals, RFPs/RFQs, and client pre-qualification submissions.
Oversee and drive functional design, optimization, and rollout for digital management software (Enablon, SEMS, GFL Learning Hub).
Experience with EH&S Dashboards to track real-time KPIs, audit findings, KPI logs, and critical incident trends across all business units.

Knowledge, Skills and Competencies:

Knowledge & Technical Skills:

EH&S Management Systems & Governance: Expert knowledge of enterprise EH&S management system architectures (EH&SMS, GreenBook, Corporate Safety Standards) and the development of corporate policies, manuals, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Policy Development: Extensive expertise in North American environmental protection legislation, federal/provincial/state OHS regulations, Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG), WHMIS, and municipal environmental bylaws.
Process Safety & High-Hazard Operations: Deep technical understanding of Process Safety Management (PSM), pressure systems safety engineering, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) standardization, and hazard identification across complex industrial services, hazardous waste processing facilities, used oil/glycol refineries, and resource sector sites (mining, forestry, oil & gas).
Digital EH&S Systems & Data Analytics: Aptitude and functional implementation experience with digital EH&S management platforms (Enablon, SEMS, WorkHub, GFL Learning Hub) and data visualization platforms.
Environmental Stewardship & Assessment: Technical background in environmental earth sciences, Phase I/II/III environmental site assessments, Decommissioning & Reclamation Plans (DRP), spill contingency planning, and regulatory reporting (NPRI, emissions, effluent/water monitoring).

Behavioral Competencies:

Executive Leadership: Ability to influence, align, and direct senior operations executives, regional directors, and frontline teams toward a unified vision.
Strategic & Analytical Thinking: Skilled at evaluating complex operational data and incident trends to formulate proactive mitigation strategies.
Collaboration & Cross-Functional Partnership: Proven track record of breaking down functional silos and embedding EH&S into HR, Legal, Claims, IT, and Finance workflows.
High-Impact Communication: Exceptional verbal and written presentation skills for board-level reporting, regulatory negotiations, and company-wide safety messaging.

Qualifications and Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree (Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Occupational Safety)
10-15 Year Relevant Experience in Senior EH&S Leadership Role.
Multidisciplinary experience: Operations, Hazardous Waste Management, Environmental Management/Consulting, Emergency Response, Engineering, Process Safety Management.

Working Conditions & Travel:

Work Environment: Hybrid setup involving corporate/regional offices, operational yards, waste processing facilities, and refinery sites.
Travel Requirements: Approximately 25% travel across North American operations to support EH&S team members as required, complete site inspections, participate in Senior Leadership initiatives, and provide frontline leadership engagement.

What We Offer
● Health: 4 medical plan options including a HSA with employer contribution & match program, dental, and vision coverage.

● Wellness: Employee Assistance Program with free counseling services, Paid time off

● Financial: 401(k) with an employer match and competitive wages

● Culture: Growth opportunities and continuous learning opportunities

Join us and become part of "Team Green" at GFL Environmental, where your skills and dedication will be valued and rewarded. Apply now for this exciting opportunity!

#GFLTalent

We thank you for your interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

GFL is committed to equal opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic. If you are interested in applying for employment and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply for a posted position, please contact [email protected]

Please note that GFL does not provide visa sponsorship for this position. Valid work authorization in the country where the job is located is required. Successful candidates will be required to provide valid documentation confirming their eligibility to work in the country where the job is located prior to their start date.

This hiring process may utilize machine-based systems to assist in screening and assessing applicants. Final selection decisions are made by our recruitment team.

About the Company

GFL

North American waste collection, disposal, recycling

GFL Environmental provides North American waste services with a vertically integrated model that collects, hauls, transfers, recycles, and disposes of waste. It owns and operates transfer stations, material recovery facilities, landfills, and liquid-waste treatment plants to manage the full cycle and control costs; revenue comes from municipal contracts, commercial/industrial services, tipping fees, and the sale of recyclables. The company differentiates itself by growing through hundreds of acquisitions to build density and scale across Canada and the U.S., and it divested soil remediation in 2025 to focus on high-margin solid-waste operations. Its goal is to deliver reliable, cost-efficient waste services at scale while reducing debt and expanding its solid-waste footprint.

Company size: 5,001-10,000
Company stage: IPO
Headquarters: Houston, TX
Founded: 2000

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