The Director, Safety and Claims serves as the strategic and operational leader for safety programs and workers’ compensation management across a large-scale, high-volume logistics network. This role ensures compliance with all federal, state, and local safety regulations while driving a proactive safety culture that reduces incident rates, minimizes costs, and improves the well-being of the workforce. The leader will partner with operations, HR, risk management, and legal teams to develop, implement, and continuously improve field safety initiatives and workers’ compensation strategies for a geographically dispersed workforce. Serves as the functional leader for both field-based safety professionals and office-based workers compensation program management.
The Must-Haves:
· Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Risk Management, Industrial Engineering, or related field
· Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in safety leadership, with at least 5 years in a multi-state, high-volume logistics, transportation, or distribution environment
· Proven experience managing workers’ compensation programs and claims across multiple states
· Deep knowledge of OSHA, DOT, FMCSA and workers’ compensation regulations and best practices
· Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present to senior leadership and large groups
· Willingness to travel 25% to field locations
Strategic Leadership & Program Development
· Develop and execute a comprehensive safety and injury prevention strategy aligned with corporate goals and regulatory requirements
· Establish enterprise-wide safety standards, and protocols
· Lead workers’ compensation strategy, driving early return-to-work initiatives and cost control programs
· Partner with executive leadership to integrate safety priorities into operational planning and decision-making
Field Safety Operations
· Oversee field safety audits, inspections, and risk assessments to ensure compliance and identify improvement opportunities
· Lead investigation of major incidents, root cause analysis, and corrective action implementation
· Develop and deliver training programs to ensure operational leaders and frontline employees understand and follow safety protocols
· Partner with fleet operations to ensure DOT compliance, safe driving programs, and vehicle safety inspections
Hazardous Materials Compliance
· In-depth understanding of Hazmat regulations, including handling, labeling, and storage requirements for both regulated and consumer quantity hazardous materials
Workers’ Compensation
· Direct the management of all workers’ compensation claims, ensuring timely reporting, accurate documentation, and effective resolution
· Collaborate with third-party administrators, insurers, and legal teams to manage claims and litigation
· Implement and monitor return-to-work programs to reduce lost time and claim severity
· Track and analyze claim data to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities for prevention
Culture & Engagement
· Champion a safety-first culture across all levels of the organization, ensuring safety is embedded into daily operations
· Recognize and reward safety performance, reinforcing positive behaviors
· Engage field leaders and employees in safety committees, campaigns, and recognition programs
Data, Reporting & Compliance
· Establish and manage KPIs for safety performance and workers’ compensation metrics with an emphasis on leading indicators of safety culture such as Corrective and Preventive Action identification and recognition rather than simply focusing on lagging indicators, TRIR or LTIR
· Ensure compliance with OSHA, DOT, and other applicable safety regulations
· Prepare executive reports on safety performance, incident trends, and program effectiveness
· Lead safety response for audits, inspections, and regulatory inquiries
Paving your way to your success:
· OSHA 30 certification required; CSP, ARM, or CHST designation preferred
· Strong analytical skills to interpret incident and claim data to drive strategic decisions
· Ability to work collaboratively across operations, HR, and executive teams
· Excellent leadership, influencing, and change management skills
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Experience:
- Transportation Safety: 5 years (Required)
- Transportation Compliance: 5 years (Required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Georgetown, KY 40324