Program Specialist Jobs in Minnesota

Job Title: Lead EHS Program Specialist

FLSA Status: Exempt

Department: Environmental, Health, & Safety

Reports to: Director of Environmental, Health, & Safety

GENERAL DESCRIPTION / PURPOSE:

The Lead EHS Program Specialist is the dedicated integrator for our corporate EHS strategy. Unlike site-level EHS roles focused on daily operations and immediate compliance, this role is explicitly designed to drive, scale, sustain, and improve our long-term strategic initiatives. This role is designed for a strategic EHS leader who can establish strong relationships with internal stakeholders, build sustainable systems, drive enterprise adoption, and enable consistent execution across the organization.

Key Partnerships: The role partners closely with the Global EHS team, Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, Human Resources, and other business leaders.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Strategic Program Implementation

• Drive Corporate Initiatives: Take ownership of rolling out enterprise-wide EHS strategies, including our Hazard Management program, Serious Injury and Fatality (SIF) prevention, and Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) frameworks, from designing the concept, running the pilot, to full integration, and continuous improvement.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure EHS initiatives are embedded into standard operating procedures rather than treated as bolt-on tasks.
• Project Management: Develop comprehensive project charters, timelines, and resource plans. Hold stakeholders accountable to milestones and ensure effective execution on time and within budget.

Systems & Technology Integration

• Software Ownership: Serve as the primary project coordinator for implementing and configuring our enterprise EHS software.
• Process Mapping: Translate complex, paper-based or localized safety processes into streamlined, automated digital workflows.
• User Adoption: Design and deliver targeted training programs to ensure frontline workers and site leaders confidently adopt new tech tools and systems.
• SOP/Policy Development: Author and maintain enterprise EHS strategic policies, training, and SOPs to ensure consistent multi-site execution, proactive risk mitigation, and operational alignment.

Change Management & Culture

• Stakeholder Influence: Act as an internal consultant and change agent. Build buy-in at the site level by clearly communicating the "why" behind new initiatives and addressing operational friction.
• Feedback Loops: Establish mechanisms to gather feedback from our EHS and operational teams, adjusting rollout strategies based on real-world constraints.

Position Scope Boundaries

• This role is typically not responsible for: Routine day-to-day EHS activities such as site inspections or daily compliance audits, leading incident investigations, and standard EHS training/program/policy development.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety, engineering, business administration or another relevant field.

Experience:

• 5+ years of related environmental, health and safety experience.
• At least 3 years of EHS experience in multi-site or field operations.
• Strong track record of systems implementations or project management.
• Demonstrated experience authoring, updating, and maintaining corporate-wide EHS policies, technical standards, and standard operating procedures.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong technical knowledge of safety regulations and standards (e.g., OSHA, EPA, FRA, NFPA, ANSI).
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and compliance tracking systems.
• Excellent project management, organization, interpersonal, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating with various departments.
• Valid driver’s license and passport with the ability to travel throughout the United States and internationally, as required.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS:

This position requires successful completion of:

• The subject’s name must correspond to their Social Security number and date of birth.
• Position requires successful completion of an eVerifile/eRailSafe background check as required by railroad operations. Ongoing eligibility is subject to compliance with eRailSafe standards.
• Current and prior relevant employment experience will be verified to confirm the candidate meets the minimum required years of experience for the position.
• Post-secondary education at the associate degree level or higher will be verified, including degree(s) earned and dates of completion.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license. A Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check will be conducted upon hire and annually thereafter in accordance with Loram’s Driving Policy.
• Position requires successful completion of a pre-employment physical examination. Components may include, but are not limited to: Human Performance Evaluation (HPE), audiogram, respiratory fit test and clearance, chest X-ray (CXR), TB QuantiFERON, and pulmonary function testing. The scope of the exam will be based on the physical demands of the role and regulatory or customer requirements.
• All applicants must successfully pass a pre-employment drug and alcohol test. Employees in safety-sensitive positions are subject to random, reasonable suspicion, and post-incident drug and alcohol testing in compliance with federal regulations and company policy. Corporate non safety applicants are subject to drug test.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Master’s degree in EHS or Business Administration

Licenses/Certifications: Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Project Management Professional (PMP)

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Office deskwork requires sitting, walking, using a phone and a computer
• May lift up to 30 lbs. occasionally.
• Anticipated travel is up to 50%, including possible international locations. While this is the typical maximum, candidates should be open to occasionally exceeding this limit during major enterprise system implementations or peak project phases.
• Must be able to safely navigate uneven surfaces, including ballast and outdoor rail yard environments, as well as climb on and off railroad equipment.
• Can tolerate variable and sometimes challenging environmental conditions during visits to company equipment in a railroad environment.