Sr. Director, Global Governance & Assurance

The Opportunity:

The Senior Director of Global Governance, Assurance & Strategy for Environmental, Health, Safety, Security, and Sustainability (EHS3) is responsible for defining and executing the long-term strategy for the global EHS3 function. The role provides enterprise leadership across Governance & Assurance, Environmental Compliance, Occupational Health & Safety, Security, Sustainability, Enterprise Risk Management, and Operational Excellence, ensuring alignment with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and operational priorities.

Leading a global organization through subordinate Directors, Senior Managers, and regional leaders, this position is accountable for the performance and integration of multiple EHS3 functions. The role oversees workforce planning, organizational design, resource allocation, and strategic execution while driving enterprise standards, governance frameworks, and transformational initiatives that strengthen operational performance, risk management, compliance, and business continuity.

As a member of the senior leadership team, the Senior Director partners with executive leaders to establish enterprise priorities, guide strategic investments, and shape long-range organizational plans. The position serves as a key authority on EHS3 strategy and performance, making decisions that significantly impact corporate objectives, operational resilience, regulatory exposure, sustainability outcomes, and organizational reputation worldwide.

How you will thrive and create an impact

EHS Governance:

• Establish and maintain the enterprise EHS management system, standards, processes, and governance framework.
• Establish consistent, standardized, and scalable EHS processes across sites and business units.
• Eliminate unnecessary process complexity, duplication, waste, and administrative burden.
• Establish clear process ownership, accountability, performance expectations, and escalation pathways.
• Ensure EHS processes deliver both risk reduction and operational value.

Regulatory & Compliance Assurance:

• Identify opportunities for process optimization using performance data, employee feedback, audits, incidents, observations, and benchmarking.
• Stay current on evolving global EHS regulations and legislation, ensuring that the organization remains compliant with all local, national, and international regulations.
• Act as the subject matter expert on EHS regulations and compliance requirements, providing guidance and support to senior leadership and operational teams.
• Manage relationships with regulatory bodies, ensuring timely communication, compliance reporting, and responses to regulatory inquiries.
• Establish a proactive framework for EHS regulatory compliance.
• Oversee assessments, audits, inspections, and corrective-action programs.

Process Performance & Standardization:

• Establish process-performance measures for critical EHS processes.
• Identify process variation, inefficiencies, and opportunities to improve process capability.
• Benchmark processes across sites to identify performance gaps and opportunities.
• Develop enterprise standards while allowing appropriate flexibility for site-specific risks and regulatory requirements.
• Develop and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting systems to monitor EHS compliance performance globally.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation:

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives in the EHS process compliance domain, leveraging technology and industry innovations to drive efficiencies and enhance compliance management systems.
• Implement and manage global EHS audit programs, corrective action tracking, and follow-up to ensure that audit findings are addressed promptly.
• Translate lessons learned from incidents and near misses into enterprise improvement initiatives.
• Establish an enterprise approach for identifying and managing high-risk and Serious Injury/Fatality (SIF) exposures.

Incident Management & Organizational Learning

• Establish governance for serious and high-potential incident investigations.
• Ensure investigations identify systemic process and organizational causes.
• Convert recurring incident trends into Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• Establish sustainable corrective actions and verify their effectiveness.
• Share lessons learned and successful solutions across the organization.
• Identify opportunities to redesign processes to prevent recurrence.

Data, Analytics & Digital Transformation

• Establish EHS data governance and performance standards.
• Use data analytics to identify process inefficiencies, variation, and emerging risks.
• Develop dashboards connecting EHS performance with operational performance.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual EHS processes.
• Leverage digital tools to improve workflow, action management, audits, training, and reporting.
• Establish methods for measuring the effectiveness and sustainability of improvement programs.

Enterprise EHS3 Strategy & Organizational Leadership

• Establish and continuously evolve the global EHS3 strategic plan, ensuring alignment with corporate business strategy and long-term growth objectives.
• Direct multiple global EHS3 functional organizations through a tiered leadership structure consisting of Directors, Senior Managers, and functional leaders.
• Maintain accountability for the performance, effectiveness, and integration of Environmental, Health & Safety, Security, Sustainability, Governance & Assurance, and Risk Management functions.
• Lead organizational design decisions, succession planning, workforce strategy, and talent development across the global EHS3 organization.
• Establish enterprise performance objectives and strategic priorities for all EHS3 functional disciplines.
• Determine long-range organizational capabilities required to support future business expansion, acquisitions, and operational transformation.

Executive Leadership & Enterprise Influence

• Serve as the principal advisor to executive leadership on EHS3 risk, governance, compliance, sustainability, and security matters.
• Partner regularly with Executive Leadership Team members to establish company-wide policies, operational priorities, and strategic initiatives.
• Influence enterprise business decisions where EHS3 performance, risk management, sustainability goals, or regulatory exposure could materially impact organizational outcomes.
• Represent the company with key regulators, industry associations, board-level committees, investors, and external stakeholders on strategic EHS3 matters.

Financial, Resource & Workforce Accountability

• Own and manage a significant global EHS3 operating budget, including annual planning, investment prioritization, and resource allocation.
• Establish enterprise workforce plans, organizational staffing strategies, and capability-building initiatives across all EHS3 functions.
• Direct capital planning and investment decisions related to EHS3 systems, technologies, compliance programs, facilities, and strategic initiatives.
• Ensure effective allocation of resources across regions, business units, and functional disciplines to achieve enterprise objectives.
• Maintain accountability for achieving business results through responsible stewardship of financial, technology, and human capital resources.

Multi-Functional Governance & Performance Management

• Direct the integration of environmental compliance, occupational safety, security, sustainability, governance, assurance, and enterprise risk management programs into a unified global operating model.
• Establish enterprise-wide priorities, standards, and performance expectations across all EHS3 disciplines.
• Resolve competing business priorities and allocate resources across multiple functional areas to optimize enterprise outcomes.
• Lead cross-functional strategic initiatives with broad organizational impact and long-term business consequences.

What we're looking for

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Safety Engineering, Occupational Health, or related field (master’s or advanced degree preferred).

Experience:

• Minimum 15+ years of progressive global leadership experience within Environmental, Health & Safety, Security, Sustainability, Governance, Risk, or Compliance functions.
• Minimum 10 years leading large, multi-functional organizations through subordinate Directors and senior leaders.
• Demonstrated success developing enterprise strategy, managing significant global budgets, and leading large-scale organizational transformation initiatives.
• Proven experience influencing executive leadership and driving strategic decisions with enterprise-wide impact.
• Experience managing complex global organizations with responsibility for workforce planning, organizational design, and resource allocation across multiple business functions.
• Strong leadership and management skills, with the ability to influence and drive change across diverse teams and geographies.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills to effectively interact with internal stakeholders, regulatory bodies, and external partners.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to assess complex compliance challenges and implement effective solutions.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with practical, hands-on management of EHS compliance activities.
• Experience with EHS management software and tools.

Disclaimer:

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of employees assigned to this position. Avantor is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Why Avantor?

Dare to go further in your career. Join our global team of 14,000+ associates whose passion for discovery and determination to overcome challenges relentlessly advances life-changing science.
 
The work we do changes people's lives for the better. It brings new patient treatments and therapies to market, giving a cancer survivor the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle. It enables medical devices that help a little boy hear his mom's voice for the first time. Outcomes such as these create unlimited opportunities for you to contribute your talents, learn new skills and grow your career at Avantor.
 
We are committed to helping you on this journey through our diverse, equitable and inclusive culture which includes learning experiences to support your career growth and success. At Avantor, dare to go further and see how the impact of your contributions set science in motion to create a better world. Apply today!

Pay Transparency:

The expected pre-tax pay for this position is

Actual pay may differ depending on relevant factors such as prior experience and geographic location.

EEO Statement:

We are an Equal Employment/Affirmative Action employer and VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province, or local law.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at recruiting@avantorsciences.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

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Avantor offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage, wellness programs, health savings and flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with company match, and an employee stock purchase program. Employees also receive 11 paid holidays, accrue 18 PTO days annually, are eligible for volunteer time off and 6 weeks of 100% paid parental leave (except in states that offer paid family leave). These benefits may not apply to employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement or those subject to other eligibility rules.