Director of Safety

The National Audubon Society is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects birds and the places they need today and tomorrow. We work throughout the Americas towards a future where birds thrive because Audubon is a powerful, diverse, and ever-growing force for conservation. Audubon has more than 700 staff working across the hemisphere and more than 1.5 million active supporters.

North America has lost three billion birds since 1970, and more than 500 bird species are at risk of extinction across Latin America and the Caribbean. Birds act as early warning systems about the health of our environment, and they tell us that birds – and our planet – are in crisis. Together as one Audubon, we are working to alter the course of climate change and habitat loss, leading to healthier bird populations and reversing current trends in biodiversity loss. We do this by implementing on-the-ground conservation, partnering with local communities, influencing public and corporate policy, and building community.

Audubon is committed to a culture of workplace excellence, where our talented and diverse staff are deeply engaged with a strong sense of belonging. The birds Audubon pledges to protect differ in color, size, behavior, geographical preference, and countless other ways. By honoring and celebrating the equally remarkable diversity of the human species, Audubon brings new creativity, effectiveness, and leadership to our work throughout the hemisphere.

• Gain a deep understanding and assess physical and emotional risks associated with Audubon's diverse work across the organization.
• Oversee the proactive and ongoing development and implementation of safety protocols in all our programs and operations which allow us to actively pursue our goals and mission while mitigating risk.
• Guide the ongoing updating and alignment and implementation of safety policies and procedures across the Network (centers, field, volunteers, etc.).
• Lead/assist/coordinate appropriate trainings regarding physical and emotional safety issues including but not limited to site specific risk management, learning from incidents and near-misses, project hazard analysis, group dynamics and decision-making, emergency response, and related topics.
• Coordinate and integrate safety work with the departments of Human Resources, Office of the General Counsel, Finance (Risk Management), and Network (evaluating and addressing needs of our 450 chapters and 100 campus chapters).
• Partner with leaders from center operations, security, and EDIB on areas of risk management, safety, and security for Audubon locations and building operations/office management.
• Work with communications staff to ensure all safety related communications (newsletter, all staff announcements, presentations etc.) are completed on time and appropriately highlight any current issues.
• Review, analyze and respond to a wide range of incident and near-miss reports.
• Stay current with trends and emerging practices for safety management through affiliation with professional networking, conferences, etc.
• Create measurable benchmarks/key metrics in order to:
• Aggregate trends
• Track the integration and success of safety protocols and reporting systems to cultivate a safe workplace.
• Create reports and other communication methods that may be shared with staff, leadership and the board.
• Other job-related duties as assigned.

• 10+ years of experience in organizational safety leadership, preferably in natural resources field, nature centers, science museums, zoos/aquariums, non-profit organization, research or field studies programs, formal training or degree in occupational safety a plus. Equivalent combination of education and experience will also be considered.
• Must be knowledgeable in current theories, philosophies, and models of safety management, including both physical and emotional/psychological safety.
• Proven leadership and ability to think strategically.
• Strong Analytical skills, experience reading high volumes of incident reports to synthesize data into coherent learning and action steps.
• Experience in working in the field for applied experience with conservation initiatives and/or on-the-ground restoration efforts.
• High commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging.
• Experience coordinating and collaborating with diverse groups of stakeholders to accomplish shared goals and build relationships from the ground up.
• Experience partnering with a wide range of internal teams, including program, communications, and development staff, and partnering strategically with external partners and allies.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills, including experience in leading and facilitating presentations, that can be adapted to reach a wide range of individuals and used to build community and consensus.
• Strong organizational and administrative skills and careful attention to details. Project manage experience a plus.
• Interest in being part of a forward-thinking management team.
• Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time.
• Able to participate in virtual and in-person meetings.
• Experience working in a matrixed organization.
• A passion for birds and natural resource conservation