Director, Safety

Joining Suncor means you will work for one of the best companies in Canada, providing tremendous future potential where talented people thrive and lead. As our business evolves, so do our employment opportunities. Our work culture includes a dynamic mix of professionals, with a diversity of skills and expertise.

Suncor is committed to fostering a culture of safety, well-being, and operational excellence. As a leader in the energy industry, we are continuously striving to enhance our safety performance across all areas of our operations. Our Centre of Excellence (CoE) serves as the driving force in setting strategic standards, best practices, and performance benchmarks, ensuring that safety is integrated seamlessly into every facet of our business.

We are seeking a visionary and results-oriented Director, Safety to join our team and take our safety initiatives through the Operational Excellence Management System (OEMS) Processes to the next level. This leadership role is an opportunity to make a significant impact on the safety culture and performance of the organization while driving innovation and continuous improvement across enterprise-wide safety management.

As the Director, Safety for the Centre of Excellence, you will be responsible for overseeing and elevating the organization’s approach to safety and risk management. This includes a focus on incident management, emergency preparedness, business continuity, health and safety protocols, and contractor safety. You will work closely with senior leadership, business unit leaders, and front-line teams to establish and measure safety performance metrics that drive a proactive, Human Organizational Performance based culture. Your leadership will shape our approach to safety, ensuring compliance with industry standards and embedding safety deeply into our organizational DNA.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Vision: Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive safety strategy that supports the organization’s broader objectives that fosters a culture of safety excellence that is proactive, transparent, and continuously evolving
• Performance Measurement & Analysis: Lead the implementation of robust performance measurement tools that track incidents, near-misses, and safety outcomes, using data to inform decision-making
• Business Engagement: Serve as the primary safety advisor to senior leadership, helping them navigate complex safety challenges and fostering strong collaboration between departments
• Incident Management: Lead the organization’s efforts in incident investigation, root cause analysis, and the development of corrective and preventive actions
• Emergency Management & Business Continuity Planning: Oversee the management of emergencies, ensuring the organization is prepared for any scenario. Develop, implement, and test business continuity plans to ensure the organization can rapidly recover from disruptions while minimizing impacts
• Health, Safety & Compliance: Ensure that all safety programs are compliant with local, regional, and international regulations and industry standards. Drive initiatives to promote employee well-being and mental health, ensuring a holistic approach to workforce safety
• Contractor Safety: Develop and enforce safety standards for contractors and third-party vendors and establish clear expectations and monitoring systems for contractor safety performance
• Continuous Improvement: Foster a mindset of continuous improvement within the safety function to promote learning from past incidents and near-misses and share insights across the organization to prevent recurrence
• Team Leadership & Development: Build, lead, and inspire a high-performance safety team within the Centre of Excellence

Minimum Requirements

• Proven experience (15+ years) in a senior safety leadership role
• Skilled in incident investigation processes such as those used by Occupational Health and Safety Officers, Transport Canada investigators, RCMP or Chemical Safety Board
• Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale safety transformation initiatives and drive performance improvements in safety culture, compliance, and operational outcomes
• Strong expertise in incident management, emergency response, business continuity, contractor safety, and occupational health & safety standards
• Advanced knowledge of safety regulations in Canada, the US and where Suncor operates, industry standards, and best practices (e.g., ISO 45001, OSHA, or equivalent)
• Strong track record of working collaboratively with senior leaders and cross-functional teams to implement safety strategies
• Excellent data-driven decision-making skills and experience using safety performance metrics to guide organizational change
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and inspire at all levels of the organization
• Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities, and lead through complex chal