Occupational Safety Lead (St. Thomas)

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We love our cars, but it’s the people behind them who make them what they are. To market, sell, and service great cars, we need great people. That’s why at Volkswagen Group Canada, we are passionate about our cars and our brand and foster this same passion and drive in our people. We know that the right people in the right positions can do incredible things, and we love making that happen.

We are currently looking for an Occupational Safety Lead based out of St. Thomas, ON

Our mission has started. Volkswagen Group’s largest cell factory in St. Thomas will carry processes raw materials to developing a unified Volkswagen battery for use in the automotive sector. Headquartered in Salzgitter, Germany, we are experiencing the transformation of mobility up close. Our goal is to contribute a positive impact to our global society, the environment and the economy. To reach these goals we need your POWER!

As the Occupational Safety Lead you will report directly to the Head of Heath and Safety and will be responsible for managing a team of occupational safety specialist to support the design, construction and operation of the Gigafactory in St. Thomas. This includes demonstrating compliance will all local, federal legislation as well as PowerCo requirements. You will be responsible for the development and implementation of the health and safety elements of the site HSEMS system, as well as the accreditation of the site and the systems to ISO 45001. You will need to directly support the construction phase of the site, ensuring compliance with all Ontario regulations as well as the PowerCo Safety Standards as well as support the design phase of the equipment, FAT, SAT and commissioning activities and risk assessments

This is a temporary flex hybrid model, requiring 2 days in office. Once the Battery Plant is built and functional, this role will be fully onsite.

Primary Responsibilities

• Supporting the HSE Manager in the operation of the St. Thomas site.
• Development, implementation and management of the Occupational Safety Team covering both the construction, installation, commissioning and operation of the Gigafactory.
• Compliance with all statutory Health, Safety and Environmental requirements and liaison with statutory regulators, including internal and external reporting.
• Direct support to the equipment planners and process safety experts during the design of the process equipment and building services
• Recruitment, management and supervision of the Occupational Safety Team
• Development, implementation and management of the local ISO 45001 and the health and safety aspects of the HSEMS systems
• Development, implementation and management of a risk management process for all local site activities, substances and hazards, including accident, incident and near miss investigations along with all statutory and internal reporting requirements.
• Provision of expert advice on HSE issues including radiation protection
• Supporting the construction safety concept with our project management consultants and the implementation and audit of the concept throughout all construction phases.
• Supporting the emergency response plan for the St. Thomas site, in association with local responders along with undertaking regular evaluation and precautionary exercises.
• Set-up and coordination of all relevant HSE committees.
• Investigation of Health, Safety, Environmental, incidents including statutory reporting and generation of improvement plans.
• Development and implementation of a positive safety culture within the PowerCo SE St. Thomas facility.
• Supporting the Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) process as required
  
  

Desired Skills

• Post-Secondary Education in Occupational Health & Safety or a related field
• Minimum of 3 years of HSE experience in leading a team, ideally within the lithium-ion battery manufacturing sector
• Minimum of 1 years’ experience of working in large-scale construction process and implementation of construction best practices such as Construction Design Management.
• Development, implementation and management of a workplace risk management process including accident and incident investigations, interventions and improvement plans.
• Development, implementation and management of HSEMS systems and 45001 accreditation
• Proven skills in crisis management and fostering a positive security culture
• Preparation, audit and submission of statutory reports
• Postgraduate degree or diploma in a technical area relating to HSE provision
• Qualification in Leadership from an internationally recognized organization e.g. Institute of Leadership
• Experience in coaching an mentoring a multi-disciplinary team
• Past experience of working in a high hazard manufacturing environment
• Solutions-driven, customer-centric approach with exemplary project management skills
• Proficiency in recognizing customer expectations
• Advanced communication and persuasion capabilities.
• Fast decision making in case of accidents, fire and in Emergency situations
  
  

What You’ll Get In Return

• A flexible and collaborative team dynamic
• Opportunities for development
• Opportunities to participate in exciting company events that give back to the community.
• Competitive employer paid benefits and overall compensation package
• And much more!
• Please note that we appreciate the interest of all candidates, however only those under consideration will be contacted.
  
  

Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, family status, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, or local laws.

Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities including during the application process. If you require an accommodation because of a disability, we will work with you to determine what reasonable accommodation may be available to meet your needs whether it be as an applicant or an employee. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance. If you are selected for an interview and require an accommodation, you are encouraged to advise the Recruiter who will consult with you to determine an appropriate and reasonable accommodation.