Director Environmental Operations Jobs in Colorado

The Director of Environmental, Health, Safety & Security (EHS) establishes and leads enterprise EHS strategy, standards, and systems to ensure safe, compliant, and sustainable operations across all locations while supporting operational excellence and protecting employees, communities, and company assets. This role governs compliance with legal, regulatory, and internal requirements and drives accountability through performance management, enterprise KPIs, and data-driven insights. The Director provides leadership across safety, security, process safety management, environmental and related programs through direct leadership of EHS teams and enterprise influence across functions. This leader sets standards, implements policies, and oversees audit and performance systems that strengthen risk mitigation, operational reliability, and continuous improvement. The Director partners cross-functionally to align EHS priorities with enterprise objectives, ensure operational resilience, and proactively manage risk. This role models visible leadership and upholds Ardent Mills' Values and Our Promise through integrity, clarity, and an uncompromising commitment to safety and stewardship.

Responsibilities:

• Establish and lead an enterprise-wide safety culture aligned with Ardent Mills' Values, operational excellence principles, and clear performance expectations through visible leadership, ensuring accountability for the safety and health of all team members.
• Govern enterprise incident management and investigation processes, including root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and lessons learned, ensuring effective resolution, organizational learning, and sustained risk reduction.
• Develop strategy and lead EHS initiatives with defined KPIs and performance targets that advance risk reduction, incident prevention, and continuous improvement across the enterprise, in partnership with Operations, Food Safety, Quality, Regulatory, Supply Chain, HR, and functional leaders.
• Oversee EHS performance reporting, data integrity, and regulatory submissions, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and full compliance with recordkeeping requirements.
• Direct enterprise EHS risk identification and mitigation systems across safety, security, and process safety management to strengthen resilience, operational reliability, and compliance.
• Govern enterprise emergency preparedness, crisis response, and business continuity readiness for EHS-related events, including severe weather, fire, chemical release, security incidents, serious injuries, and regulatory response.
• Lead enterprise security program governance in partnership with Operations and functional leaders, including standards for site access control, threat preparedness, emergency response coordination, physical security risk assessment, and protection of team members, visitors, facilities, and company assets.
• Lead enterprise environmental compliance strategy across air, water, waste, stormwater, wastewater, hazardous materials, sustainability-related compliance obligations, and permit management to ensure facilities meet regulatory, company, and community expectations.
• Oversee internal EHS audit and inspection programs that evaluate compliance, system effectiveness, and adherence to enterprise standards.
• Govern enterprise EHS systems of record, data infrastructure, analytics platforms, and technology enablement that support incident tracking, compliance management, corrective actions, policy governance, and performance monitoring, ensuring accurate, accessible, and actionable information for decision-making.
• Govern regulatory compliance frameworks and ensure facilities operate in accordance with legal requirements, company standards, and internal policies.
• Establish and govern EHS capability and training systems that strengthen leader effectiveness, ensure compliance, and build organizational competence across all locations.
• Oversee workers' compensation strategy, case governance, and provider partnerships to ensure effective claims management, cost discipline, and confidentiality.
• Govern enterprise EHS programs and standards, including workplace safety, medical surveillance, and site security, while aligning with risk management and loss control priorities.
• Own the EHS functional budget and serve as enterprise advisor to leadership including CEO, COO and SLT on EHS performance, emerging risks, regulatory developments, resource needs, EHS capital priorities, and best-in-class methodologies.
• Represent the company or provide subject-matter guidance to leaders engaging with regulatory agencies, inspectors, and external authorities, ensuring professional interactions, accurate communication, and effective resolution of compliance matters.
• Serve as enterprise authority for EHS standards, performance, and risk governance.
• Participate in professional and industry associations to monitor EHS trends, regulatory developments, and best practices while representing the company externally.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health & Safety, Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering, or related field required
• 10+ years of progressive EHS leadership experience in manufacturing, food processing, milling, agriculture, or related industrial operations, including multi-site or enterprise-level responsibility.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA, EPA, state and local regulatory requirements, environmental permitting, recordkeeping, workers' compensation, emergency preparedness, and industry-recognized EHS management systems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead enterprise EHS strategy, governance, standards, audits, risk assessments, incident investigations, corrective actions, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Experience managing high-risk operational programs such as process safety management, combustible dust, lockout/tagout, confined space, machine guarding, contractor safety, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, and hazardous materials.
• Proven leadership capability with direct team management, cross-functional influence, executive communication, change management, budget ownership, and the ability to build capability across diverse operating locations.
• Ability to use EHS systems, analytics, KPIs, and performance reporting to identify trends, prioritize risk, inform decisions, and drive measurable improvement.
• Professional certifications such as CSP, CIH, CHMM, PE, or similar EHS credentials preferred.

Ardent Mills is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. This role follows a hybrid work arrangement and will be basedinthe assigned work location. The successful candidate will be expected to work in person from theirassigned office location two days per week (Tuesday and Wednesday), except when traveling for business.

Location(s):

Denver COOmaha NE, Plymouth MN

Type:

Full time

Job Level:

Leading Managers-LM

Additional Information:

We provide market-drive base pay, based on skills, abilities, and level of experiences. Our salary ranges are broad and individual salary will be market competitive based on a candidate's unique set of skills and level of experience.

We offer a compensation range for this position that can range from $170,000 to $205,000 with additional earning potential possible commensurate with experience. This role is eligible for Ardent Mills Bonus Plan.

Additionally, we believe that our team members are the reason for our success and all team members are incentive eligible with target based on contribution, company performance, and individual results achieved. While the specific bonus plan and target amount will be determined based on the role and breadth of contributions.

BENEFITS:At Ardent Mills we offer a wide range of benefits to our team members and their eligible family members. Some of our great benefit programs you may be eligible for include: Medical, Dental and Vision Coverage Health and Dependent Savings Accounts Life and Disability Programs Voluntary Benefit Programs Company Sponsored Wellness Programs Retirement Savings with Company Match Team Member and Family Assistance Program (EAP) Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays Employee Recognition Program with Rewards (RAVE).APPLICATION DEADLINE:10/09/2026

EEO Commitment:

At Ardent Mills, everyone matters and everyone has a voice. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal opportunities are available to all applicants and team members and the decisions will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, veteran status, age, political affiliation, or any other non-merit characteristic protected by law or not. Together, celebrating our differences, we make Ardent Mills. The preceding position description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this position. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees in this position. The description, duties, functions, and responsibilities are subject to change at the discretion of Ardent Mills.En Ardent Mills, todos importan y todos tienen voz. Estamos comprometidos a brindar un ambiente de respeto mutuo donde haya igualdad de oportunidades disponibles para todos los solicitantes y miembros del equipo y las decisiones se basaran en el merito, la competencia, el desempeno y las necesidades comerciales. Estamos orgullosos de ser un empleador que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades. No discriminamos por motivos de raza, color, religion, credo, origen nacional, ascendencia, estado civil, sexo, orientacion sexual, identidad o expresion de genero, discapacidad fisica o mental, embarazo, informacion genetica, condicion de veterano, edad, politica. afiliacion, o cualquier otra caracteristica no meritoria protegida por ley o no. Juntos, celebrando nuestras diferencias, formamos Ardent Mills. La descripcion del puesto anterior ha sido disenada para indicar la naturaleza general y los deberes y responsabilidades esenciales del trabajo realizado por los empleados dentro de este puesto. Es posible que no contenga un inventario completo de todos los deberes, responsabilidades y calificaciones requeridas de los empleados en este puesto. La descripcion, los deberes, las funciones y las responsabilidades estan sujetos a cambios a discrecion de Ardent Mills.