Head Environment, Health & Safety
Location: Chennai
About the Opportunity:
We are hiring a senior EHS leader for a leading Infrastructure/EPC organization. This role will be responsible for driving the Environment, Health & Safety strategy across large-scale project operations and ensuring the highest standards of safety, compliance, and operational excellence.
The position offers an opportunity to lead EHS initiatives across multiple projects, influence organizational safety culture, and partner with senior business leaders to achieve world-class safety performance.
Key Responsibilities:
EHS Strategy & Leadership
- Lead the overall EHS function for the business unit across multiple projects and locations.
- Drive a strong safety culture and promote proactive safety initiatives across operations.
- Develop and implement EHS strategies, policies, systems, and improvement programs.
- Champion the organization's vision of achieving Zero Harm across all project sites.
Governance & Compliance
- Ensure compliance with all applicable statutory, regulatory, customer, and organizational EHS requirements.
- Drive implementation and continual improvement of EHS Management Systems.
- Monitor EHS performance metrics and initiate corrective and preventive actions.
- Review incident trends and ensure effective risk mitigation measures are implemented.
Incident Management
- Lead incident investigations and root cause analysis processes.
- Review and monitor EHS performance reports, incident statistics, and critical safety indicators.
- Ensure timely reporting and closure of incidents and safety observations.
Team Leadership
- Lead, mentor, and develop EHS teams across project locations.
- Assess manpower requirements and support recruitment and capability building initiatives.
- Build a strong succession pipeline and enhance EHS competency across the organization.
Audits & Continuous Improvement
- Oversee internal and external EHS audits across projects.
- Ensure closure of audit findings and implementation of improvement actions.
- Drive standardization of EHS practices across project locations.
Stakeholder Management
- Engage with clients, consultants, contractors, regulatory authorities, and industry bodies on EHS-related matters.
- Collaborate with internal functions to strengthen safety performance and compliance.
Operational Excellence
- Conduct periodic site visits to assess EHS implementation effectiveness.
- Support project teams in risk assessment, safety planning, and implementation of best practices.
- Drive adoption of digital safety tools and technology-enabled monitoring systems.
Candidate Profile
Education
- Degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Civil Engineering, or related discipline.
- Diploma in Industrial Safety (RLI/CLI/NICMAR or equivalent).
- NEBOSH and/or IOSH certification preferred.
Experience
- 25+ years of experience in Environment, Health & Safety.
- Strong experience within Infrastructure, EPC, Construction, Power, Energy, or related project-based industries.
- Experience managing EHS across large-scale, multi-location operations.
- Exposure to Transmission & Distribution projects will be an advantage.
Required Competencies
- ISO 14001 & ISO 45001 Standards
- Risk Assessment & Hazard Identification
- Incident Investigation & Root Cause Analysis
- Emergency Response Planning
- EHS Auditing & Compliance Management
- Contractor Safety Management
- Leadership & Team Development
- Strategic Planning & Change Management
Preferred Industry Background
Candidates from the following sectors will be highly preferred:
- Power Transmission & Distribution
