Wind EHS Chief of Staff

Job Description Summary
Strategic execution partner and trusted advisor to the Wind EHS Leader, responsible for shaping and executing the EHS agenda through a Lean lens. This role will lead the transformation of our EHS operating system, driving organizational discipline, strategic alignment, and continuous improvement across our global portfolio. By leveraging Lean Management Systems and Hoshin Kanri, this position will move EHS from reactive to proactive, ensuring safety and operational excellence are integrated into the core of how we run our business.
Act as a leader and backup to the Wind EHS Leader, stepping in to drive decisions, maintain momentum, and represent the function when needed. This role will structure and accelerate delivery of key initiatives including high-risk operation assessments, digital program management, and the “One Wind” EHS integration. Lead the cross functional Safety Governance Council to align on and drive an EHS management system to drive continuous improvement in EHS across the Wind organization.
This is a highly visible role with broad influence across the Wind business, ideal for someone who can translate strategy into action, drive alignment across complex organizations, and lead transformational change. This position offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the safety culture, operational discipline, and long-term success of a dynamic and evolving business. The successful candidate will be a strong change agent, program leader, and communicator who can bring structure to complexity and energize teams around a shared vision.
Job Description
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Governance
• Design and Implement a Lean Management System, including Hoshin-Kanri, daily management, and visual metrics, to ensure EHS priorities are embedded in the daily fabric of the business.
• Establish Operating Cadence: Partner with functional leaders to optimize monthly/quarterly operating rhythms. Use Lean principles to ensure proactive identification of risks to KPIs and business outcomes.
• Drive Standard Work: Lead the development, execution, and sustainment of standard work across EHS processes to ensure repeatable, scalable, and safe operations.
• Strategic Breakthroughs: Lead senior leaders through the Hoshin Kanri process to establish annual breakthrough objectives and translate them into measurable, actionable goals.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement
• Partner across Engineering, Manufacturing, Sourcing, Projects, Service, Lean, Quality, Compliance, and IT/Digital to remove barriers and accelerate results.
• Build strong relationships across functions and regions to align stakeholders around common priorities and business outcomes.
• Represent the Wind EHS organization in cross-functional forums and help drive enterprise-wide alignment.
Performance Management & Executive Communications
• Define and monitor key performance indicators for strategic initiatives and overall EHS performance.
• Design and support development of dashboards, reporting tools, and executive-level materials for leadership reviews and decision-making.
• Drive communication, training, and change management plans that support adoption, engagement, and long-term sustainability.
Operational Excellence & Program Delivery
• Support budget planning, resource allocation, and prioritization across multiple strategic workstreams.
• Develop standard work, playbooks, and toolkits to enable repeatable and scalable execution.
• Coordinate major initiatives across functions and geographies to ensure milestones, deliverables, and outcomes are achieved.
Continuous Improvement & Problem Solving
• Analyze system and performance data to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Apply Lean thinking and structured problem-solving methodologies such as A3 and 8D to improve processes and outcomes.
• Help drive a culture of continuous improvement across the Wind EHS organization. Ensure process improvements are not just implemented, but sustained.
Cultural Leadership & Influence
• Build Organizational Capability: Act as a coach and mentor to the EHS team and broader organization on Lean mindsets, tools, and practices.
• Change Agent: Foster a culture of "Safety through Lean," where every team member is empowered to identify waste and improve processes.
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in EHS, engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Proven experience establishing and leading governance councils or operating mechanisms across multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to align diverse teams around clear priorities and outcomes.
• Experience developing metrics, dashboards, and reporting tools to drive performance and decision-making.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing Lean Management Systems or operating mechanisms.
• Ability to translate complex, high-level strategies into clear, actionable, and sustainable standard work.
• Strong change management experience, specifically in coaching teams through a shift to a Lean culture.
Preferred Qualifications
• Formal Lean or Six Sigma certification (Black Belt or equivalent).
• MBA or Master’s degree.
• Experience in a high-hazard, industrial, or wind energy environment.
• Executive presence with the ability to influence leadership during complex problem-solving or strategic planning sessions.
• Demonstrated success leading change in a fast-paced, matrixed, and evolving environment.
• Strong business acumen, hands-on execution mindset, and comfort operating in ambiguity.
• Willingness to travel as needed.