EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAFETY, HEALTH & SECURITY

People & Safety

Victoria or Lower Mainland

The Opportunity

At BC Ferries, safety is at the heart of everything we do. We connect coastal communities across British Columbia, and with that privilege comes a profound responsibility to safeguard our employees, our customers, and the communities we serve. We are seeking a visionary leader to join us as Executive Director, Safety, Health & Security—a role that will champion a proactive culture of safety and lead the way in protecting people, vessels, and infrastructure across our organization.

Reporting to the Vice President, People & Safety, and the Safety, Health, Environment & Security (SHES) Committee of the Board of Directors, will shape and deliver BC Ferries’ long-term safety, health, and security strategy. As the designated International Safety Management (ISM) Designated Person Ashore (DPA) and Company Security Officer (CSO), you will lead engagement and collaboration with regulatory authorities and key stakeholders to ensure policies and procedures meet or exceed industry standards.

This role is pivotal in embedding safety into every aspect of our operations—from fostering a strong safety culture among frontline crews, to providing trusted advice to senior executives and the Board, to building resilience through risk management and emergency preparedness.

The Role

Reporting to the Vice President, People & Safety, you add value and are energized by key areas of oversight such as:

• Shaping and leading the company’s long-term health, safety and security strategy by setting priorities, establishing goals, aligning with organizational objectives, and developing actionable plans;
• Inspiring a “safety first” culture that is engrained in all staff, from frontline to executive, driving values, behaviours, and expectations;
• Championing the adoption of health, security and safety priorities into the organization’s strategy and planning committees;
• Providing trusted advice to the executive team and key leaders on emerging risks, operational safety trends, legislative changes and industry leading practices in maritime safety, health and security;
• Ensuring that BC Ferries complies with all relevant safety, health, and security regulations and standards;
• Overseeing the company’s compliance with regulations and standards, ensuring the company is up to date on changes, and translates regulatory requirements and industry best practices into operationally viable solutions that drive efficiency and safety;
• Leading the development and implementation of emergency response plans, overseeing organizational risk management and resilience planning, proactively identifying, preparing for, and responding to emerging risks and trends, and ensuring measures are adopted and integrated in the company’s corporate strategies and plans;
• Steering organizational preparedness and response strategies for environmental hazards;
• Leading and coaching a team of senior SHS leaders, ensuring they are equipped with the necessary resources and support to drive continuous improvement. This includes oversight of the Safety Management System (SMS) and administration of SailSafe, the joint management-union safety culture program;
• Overseeing the development and implementation of policies and procedures related to a robust safety management system (SMS), and procedures for the safe operation and maintenance of vessels and infrastructure;
• Directing crisis decision-making and response by applying a coordinated approach and ensuring business continuity is maintained;
• Overseeing readiness planning by directing the proactive testing and improvement of company response and readiness tactics to ensure timely, and effective responses to incidents;
• Leading risk management and resilience planning, ensuring the team is watching and responding to global trends, and promoting the adoption of innovative solutions that align with corporate strategy and industry standards;
• Overseeing the teams responsible for investigations, security, and fraud prevention;
• Leading the teams responsible for conducting regular audits to ensure compliance with safety, health, environmental, and security standards;
• Adopting continuous improvement and innovative solutions, anticipating and addressing trends, and leading proactive improvements to incident prevention and security by looking at incident patterns, emerging threats and workforce health trends and data;
• Leading the engagement with regulatory bodies, industry associations, and other organizations to anticipate and address emerging trends and changes in regulations, standards, and best practices;
• Mentoring and developing senior leaders to advance a culture of safety, innovation, foresight, and continuous improvement;
• Representing BC Ferries with key external interest holders and Councils, including the Transport Canada Canadian Marine Advisory Council (CMAC), WorkSafeBC Employer’s Forum, and the BC Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union;

What you bring to the team

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Maritime Operations, Risk Management, Public Health, Law, Public Safety, or transportation related discipline 
• Master's Degree related discipline is preferred
• Training and education in compliance with the requirements of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code as the DPA is preferred
• Certified ISM Designated Person Ashore is required within 60 days of being hired
• Certified Mariner (Deck or Engineering) or equivalent is an asset
• An equivalent combination of education and relevant, commensurate work experience in a related field may be considered

Experience & Skills

• 15+ years of experience successfully leading initiatives related to corporate governance, workplace culture, regulatory influence, risk management and change management
• 10+ years of progressive experience at a senior leadership level in health, safety and security, with accountability for large, complex teams, multi-million-dollar budgets, and regulatory compliance in a highly regulated industry 
• 4-6 years of experience in compliance with the requirements of the ISM Code for the DPA is preferred
• Strong people leadership, including mentoring, coaching, and developing senior leaders within the function
• Exercise good judgement, discretion, decision-making, initiative, and strong interpersonal skills
• Ensures a culture of safety is embedded in the organization’s strategy and planning

Join us!

If this sounds like your next great career move, please submit your cover letter and resume by October 15, 2025.

Additional information

The target salary range: $203,500 - $254,400 per annum. The starting salary is determined based on the successful candidate’s knowledge, experience and internal equity.

"We connect communities and customers to people and places important in their lives”

At BC Ferries, our employees are our most important assets in delivering our commitment to customer safety, service and satisfaction. We support employment equity and diversity in the workplace and we encourage applications from all qualified individuals including women, visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (LGBTQ2S+), and others who reflect our ever-changing workplace.

We appreciate the interest of all applicants; however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.