Director, Environmental Health and Safety

About the role

At QTS Data Centers, we are proud to stand at the forefront of today’s dynamic digital transformation. Our world-class data centers empower our customers’ most strategic growth initiatives, positioning us as a global leader in digital infrastructure. As AI and cloud technologies fuel the demand for increased speed, capacity, and innovation, QTS has emerged as the global digital infrastructure leader. We are committed to connecting the globe for good.

As a Director, Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) for QTS, your primary responsibility will be managing all EHS programs. This includes EHS program development, implementation, and compliance programs. You will ensure all EHS challenges are identified and addressed by working collaboratively with all site data center teams. You will also provide program leadership and oversight to new EHS initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Develop Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) policies, guidelines, procedures, and implementation plans for applicable programs for QTS data centers.
• Be responsible for regulatory compliance across all EHS programs.
• Conduct and review audits of applicable EHS programs and develop recommendations for improvement to ensure compliance with internal procedures as well as applicable regulations.
• Maintain environmental permits/programs to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.
• Investigate and analyze incident reports involving work‐related injuries and illnesses and recommend measures to prevent recurrence.
• Keep current on professional training and safety certifications.
• Identify and evaluate operational EHS and sustainability risks for impact to the business.
• Analyze risk scenarios to determine their potential impact to the business and implement programs to mitigate those risks.
• Conduct assessments of existing EHS programs to ensure alignment with QTS EHS policies.
• Assess EHS training needs based on EHS programs and ensures that workforce training activities are provided to meet legislative requirements.
• Manage the portfolio of EHS initiatives and programs for company initiatives.
• Coach, mentor and lead the site EHS champions to ensure successful implementation of EHS programs at each data center site.
• Ensure all EHS record keeping programs are in place and meet requirements.
• Set and manage corporate wide EHS goals.
• Establish an EHS dashboard with key performance indicators for QTS.
• Work collaboratively as a member of the Sustainability Leadership Team.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in EHS technical or business-related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Eight or more years’ progressive work experience in mission critical environment with involvement in EHS program or functions.
• Certifications from Board of Certified Safety Professionals/equivalent agency or ability to obtain certifications within two years.
• Experience in designing and implementing systems to manage EHS operational risks.
• Experience working with cross functional teams and executive-level stakeholders.
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience communicating with Federal, State and Local Authorities regarding EHS issues.
• Knowledge of facilities management, engineering and construction.
• Analytical, data quality troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication skills and proven ability to work across a matrixed organization.

Skills

Knowledge:

• Regulatory & Compliance Knowledge: Deep understanding of OSHA, EPA, NFPA, and other relevant federal, state, and local EHS regulations, based on global location.
• EHS Program Design & Implementation: Expertise in developing and implementing EHS management systems and risk mitigation strategies across multiple sites.
• Incident Management & Root Cause Analysis: Understanding of methodologies for incident investigation, analysis, and corrective/preventative action planning.
• Data Center & Mission-Critical Environments: Familiarity with the operational structure and unique EHS challenges of mission-critical facilities like data centers.
• Training & Continuous Improvement: Knowledge of adult learning principles and methods for developing safety training programs.

Skills:

• Leadership & Coaching: Ability to lead and mentor EHS champions at site level, fostering a strong safety culture across geographically dispersed teams.
• Project & Program Management: Proficient in managing multiple programs and initiatives simultaneously, including tracking milestones and KPIs using dashboards.
• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills; can effectively engage with cross-functional teams, executives, and external regulatory bodies.
• Analytical & Problem-Solving: Strong skills in evaluating data from audits, incidents, and assessments to identify trends and areas for improvement.
• Technical Proficiency: Competency in EHS software, dashboards, and reporting tools.

Abilities:

• Risk Assessment & Mitigation: Able to proactively identify risks and develop strategies to reduce environmental and occupational hazards across multiple sites.
• Influencing Across the Organization: Ability to gain alignment and drive safety compliance across a matrixed organization with minimal authority.
• Adaptability & Resilience: Capable of adjusting quickly to changing regulations, incident trends, or business priorities.
• High Attention to Detail: Ensures accurate recordkeeping, audit readiness, and thorough incident analysis documentation.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to align EHS initiatives with corporate sustainability and operational objectives; drive long-term culture and performance improvements.

Benefits

This role is also eligible for a competitive benefits package that includes:

• Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Flexible spending and HSA accounts
• Paid holidays
• Paid time off
• Paid volunteer days
• Employee assistance program
• Tuition assistance
• Parental leave
• Military leave assistance
• QTS scholarship for dependents
• Wellness program

This role is bonus eligible and may be eligible for equity.