Director Combustible Dust Safety Management & EHS Live Operations

Perdue Foods has a goal of becoming the most trusted name in premium proteins by creating products for consumers and for retail and foodservice customers around the globe while changing the way animals are raised for food. It is part of Perdue Farms, a fourth-generation, family-owned food and agricultural business deeply rooted in tradition yet with a forward-thinking mindset. We believe that success starts with our people, and our culture is built on a foundation of teamwork, integrity, and respect, where every voice matters and everyone is encouraged to contribute to our shared goals. We are dedicated to creating a supportive, inclusive environment where associates feel valued and inspired to make an impact, both within the company and in the communities we serve. From promoting growth and development to prioritizing work-life balance, we’re committed to helping our team members thrive. That's Perdue.

Summary

Lead the strategy that keeps our people, operations, and communities safe. As the Director of Environmental Health and Safety – Live Operations, you will champion a world-class environmental, health, and safety program across one of the most dynamic areas of our business. You will shape safety strategy, strengthen compliance, and drive continuous improvement while partnering with senior operations leaders to embed a proactive safety culture into every aspect of our live operations.

In this highly visible leadership role, you will develop and implement best-in-class Environmental Health and Safety programs, risk mitigation strategies, and compliance initiatives that protect employees, contractors, communities, and company assets while ensuring adherence to corporate standards and regulatory requirements. This role is ideal for a collaborative, strategic leader who is passionate about operational excellence, thrives in fast-paced environments, and is committed to creating a culture where safety is a shared value and business continuity is always top of mind.

The salary range for this position is $146,000 - $220,000 per year, based on experience and qualifications with annual bonus available (variable depending on performance).

In addition to the base salary, Perdue offers a competitive benefits package, including medical/Rx, 401(k) with employer match after 1 year, critical illness, accident insurance, dental, vision, life insurance, optional group life insurance, short-term and long-term disability protection, flexible spending accounts and paid time off.

Principal Essential Duties & Responsibilities

·       Develop and implement a comprehensive Environmental Health and Safety strategy aligned with business objectives for live operations to reduce SIF incidents, reduce high hazard (combustible dust) exposures, and environmental impacts.

·       Serve as a key advisor to executive leadership on Environmental Health and Safety risks, compliance, and performance.

·       Establish and maintain Environmental Health and Safety governance frameworks, policies, and standards.

·       Lead cultural transformation initiatives to embed safety and environmental stewardship across all operational levels.

·       Partner with engineering and operations to develop and execute a prioritized capital improvement plan to minimize risk.

·       Oversee Environmental Health and Safety programs across all live operations sites, ensuring consistent execution and accountability.

·       Partner with operations teams to integrate safety and environmental compliance into planning, scheduling, and execution of live activities.

·       Provide NFPA 660 and related combustible dust expertise to operations and engineering partners.

·       Monitor real-time operational risks and implement mitigation strategies.

·       Ensure effective incident prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery protocols.

·       Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal environmental, health, and safety regulations (e.g., OSHA, EPA).

·       Maintain up-to-date knowledge of regulatory changes affecting live operations.

·       Lead regulatory inspections, audits, and reporting requirements.

·       Manage relationships with regulatory agencies and external stakeholders.

·       Identify, assess, and mitigate workplace hazards and environmental risks.

·       Lead root cause analysis of incidents and near misses.

·       Develop corrective and preventive action plans to reduce risk and build resilience.

·       Track and analyze leading and lagging indicators to drive continuous improvement.

·       Design and implement Environmental Health and Safety training programs tailored to live operations environments.

·       Promote a strong safety and environmental compliance culture through engagement, communication, and leadership visibility.

·       Ensure competency development for leaders, supervisors, and frontline employees.

·       Champion human operational performance initiatives and employee involvement programs.

·       Oversee environmental compliance, including waste management, emissions, and resource utilization.

·       Drive sustainability and compliance initiatives within live operations to reduce environmental impact.

·       Monitor and report on environmental performance metrics.

·       Lead, mentor, and develop Environmental Health and Safety managers and site-level safety personnel.

·       Build a high-performing, engaged Environmental Health and Safety team aligned with company goals.

·       Allocate resources effectively across multiple operational locations.

·       Establish KPIs and metrics to track Environmental Health and Safety performance across live operations.

·       Deliver regular reports to executive leadership on safety and environmental performance.

·       Leverage data analytics to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.

Minimum Education and Experience

·       Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science, Occupational Health & Safety, Engineering, or related field required.

·       12+ years of progressive Environmental Health and Safety experience, including leadership roles.

·       Experience supporting live operations, real-time production, or high-risk operational environments (e.g., manufacturing, energy, logistics, events, agriculture, or similar).

·       Proven track record of implementing Environmental Health and Safety programs at scale.

·       Strong experience with regulatory compliance (OSHA, EPA, etc.).

·       Strong knowledge of NFPA 660.

·       Certified Safety Professional (CSP).

·       Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH).

·       ISO 14001 / ISO 45001 Lead Auditor or similar credentials.

Preferred Education and Experience

·       Master’s Degree.

·       Certified Safety Professional (CSP).

·       Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH).

·       ISO 14001 / ISO 45001 Lead Auditor or similar credentials.

Success Metrics

·       Successful application of leading indicators (action closure rate, observations, associate involvement, training, etc).

·       Reduction in Significant Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs), Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), and other safety metrics.

·       Regulatory compliance and audit performance.

·       Improvement in safety culture and employee engagement scores.

·       Effectiveness of incident prevention and corrective actions.

·       Environmental performance and sustainability outcomes.

Physical Requirements and Environmental Factors

·       Frequent travel to operational sites, ability to access top levels of feed mills and work on elevated working surfaces.

·       Exposure to active operational environments (may include outdoor or industrial settings).

·       Ability to respond to incidents outside of normal working hours as needed.

Perdue Farms Inc. is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.