Safety Manager

Job Description Job Description Job Title: Safety Manager

Department: EHS

Reports to: General Manager

Location: Sturtevant, WI

Position Summary

The Safety Manager is the single point of accountability for regulatory compliance, injury prevention, and safety culture at the ND Packaging corrugated box plant in Sturtevant, WI. This is a hands-on role in an active operational turnaround - the right candidate will build systems where few exist, establish baselines before setting targets, and work alongside the plant floor team rather than from behind a desk.

The Safety Manager reports to the General Manager and has direct influence across all shifts and departments, including corrugator operations, converting, shipping, maintenance, and the color kitchen.

About Us

ND Paper is a leading manufacturer of high-quality pulp, paper, and packaging products in the United States, generating over half a billion dollars in annual sales. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited - the largest containerboard producer in the world - ND Paper is part of a global network committed to excellence and innovation. With two integrated pulp and paper mills in Rumford, Maine and Biron, Wisconsin, a packaging plant in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, and two sheeting facilities in Langhorne, Pennsylvania and Fairmont, West Virginia, the ND Paper family produces nearly one million tons of products annually. Our 1,100 dedicated employees are the heart of our operations, and we are committed to fostering positive work environments where individuals can advance and thrive. At ND Paper, we are investing in our future, and that starts with our staff.

Key Responsibilities & Expected Results:

- Regulatory Compliance & Recordkeeping

• Demonstrate safety as a core value and establish a safe work environment by actively leading the safe execution of work
• Own OSHA 300/300A log maintenance, posting, and annual summary submission
• Manage all OSHA reporting obligations, including timely submission of serious injuries and fatalities
• Conduct and document internal audits against OSHA General Industry standards (29 CFR 1910) and applicable state regulations
• Maintain current permits, certifications, and required postings (lockout/tagout, hazcom, emergency action plan, etc.)

- Incident Management

• Lead all first-report, investigation, and corrective action processes for near misses, first aid events, recordable injuries, and property damage
• Drive root cause analysis to closure - not just documentation; ensure corrective actions are verified and sustained
• Coordinate workers' compensation intake, modified duty tracking, and return-to-work in partnership with HR

- Hazard Identification & Risk Reduction

• Conduct routine floor walks across all shifts, including nights, to identify at-risk conditions and behaviors
• Own and update the plant hazard assessment and Job Safety Analysis (JSA) library - prioritize high-frequency and high-severity tasks first
• Manage machine guarding, LOTO, confined space, and powered industrial truck (forklift) safety programs
• Oversee chemical safety program including SDS library, secondary container labeling, and hazcom training

- Training & Safety Culture

• Develop and deliver new hire safety orientation; ensure 100% completion before employees work unsupervised
• Build and maintain a training matrix covering all required topics by role - corrugator, converting, color kitchen, maintenance, shipping
• Lead monthly safety committee meetings; maintain attendance records and action item tracking
• Coach supervisors on safety accountability within their departments - the goal is supervisors owning safety, not safety managing around them

- Maintenance & Engineering Interface

• Collaborate with Maintenance Supervisor on machine safety, guarding, and lockout/tagout program integrity
• Participate in equipment change reviews - ensure safety is evaluated before changes go live, not after
• Support the plant's transition from reactive to planned maintenance by ensuring PM tasks include relevant safety verification steps

- Emergency Preparedness

• Maintain and drill the Emergency Action Plan, including fire evacuation, medical emergency, and spill response
• Coordinate with local emergency services and maintain current facility information (chemical inventory, floor plan, emergency contacts)

- Metrics & Reporting

• Track and report key safety KPIs to the General Manager - TRIR, DART rate, near miss frequency, corrective action closure rate
• Apply a 60-90 day baseline period before setting formal targets; do not anchor to industry averages before plant-specific data supports it
• Ensure reason coding on all incidents and near misses; metrics without root cause data are reportable but not actionable

25% of travel involved between ND Packaging sites.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI's)

• TRIR (target 0)
• DART (target 0)
• Lost workdays (target 0)
• Workers' comp cost
• First aid case count
• Near miss reports per month
• Near miss to recordable ratio (target 10:1)
• Corrective action closure rate (target 90%+)
• Training completion rate - % of workforce current on required training by role
• Safety audit/inspection completion - floor walks completed vs. scheduled, findings closed
• Safety committee attendance and action item closure
• % of incidents with completed root cause analysis (not just first reports) - should be100% for recordables
• Average days from incident to investigation closure
• % of downtime events and incidents with reason codes

Education and Experience

• 3+ years of safety management experience in a manufacturing environment - corrugated, paper, printing, or packaging preferred
• Working knowledge of OSHA 29 CFR 1910 General Industry standards
• Demonstrated experience managing OSHA recordkeeping, incident investigations, and corrective action systems
• Ability to work across all shifts; this plant runs around the clock and the Safety Manager is expected to maintain a visible floor presence on days and nights
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for documentation and reporting
• Associate Safety Professional (ASP) or Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification, preferred
• Experience in a plant turnaround or startup context where safety infrastructure was built, not inherited, preferred
• Familiarity with corrugator operations, flexo folder gluers, die cutters, or similar converting equipment, preferred
• Experience implementing or supporting a CMMS (computerized maintenance management system), preferred
• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus given the plant workforce
• Bilingual in Mandarin a plus

Technical Skills

• Thorough knowledge of all applicable OSHA standards and regulatory compliance
• Data driven risk management and analysis
• Safety management systems and KPI tracking
• Safety training programs and development
• LEAN manufacturing safety integration

Core Competencies

• Accountability for results
• Problem solving/root cause analysis
• Strict process discipline
• Data and evidence-based decision making

Success Profile

In the first 60-90 days, the Safety Manager will:

• Complete a full hazard assessment and gap analysis against OSHA requirements
• Establish a functional incident reporting and investigation process that captures near misses, not just recordables
• Build the training matrix and identify the highest-priority training gaps
• Earn credibility with the floor team by showing up, listening, and fixing visible hazards quickly

Beyond 90 days, success is measured by a declining trend in recordable injuries, a growing near-miss reporting culture (indicating trust in the system), and supervisors who own safety in their departments without being pushed.

Working Conditions

This is a plant floor role. The Safety Manager must be able to:

• Stand and walk on a concrete production floor for extended periods
• Work in environments with noise levels requiring hearing protection
• Inspect areas at height, in confined spaces, and around heavy equipment
• Lift up to 40 lbs occasionally
• Work in a facility that operates on rotating shifts, including nights and weekends as required

Attributes for Success

• Hard work - tackle each task with determination, passion and creativity; the willingness to put in whatever effort is required to successfully complete the job at hand.
• Pursuit of Excellence - strive to consistently exceed expectations in our day-to-day work and outperform our competitors in the marketplace, regarding work and company achievements as a collaborative goal with the desire to go above and beyond.
• Integrity - treat the company and teammates with upmost respect, operating on strong moral codes to drive company values and culture.
• Sense of Urgency - drive forward each day with speed, agility, and flexibility to capture unrealized opportunities and avoid potential risks for the business.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit - act like an owner, challenging the status quo, asking the right questions, and actively seeking ways to innovate and improve.
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