Director, Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S)

Brooklyn, NY

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Salary Range: $170,000 - $190,000 plus bonus and incentive stock options

Reports to: VP, People & Culture

Location: Brooklyn, NY (Hybrid)

About The Company:

NineDot Energy is a leading community-scale, clean energy developer with a growing portfolio of projects across a range of technologies. NineDot plans to develop, build and operate more than 400 MW of clean energy systems by 2026 to strengthen the local power grid, deliver economic savings, address environmental justice, and reduce carbon emissions in New York. With backing from Manulife Investment Management and The Carlyle Group, NineDot is expanding its core battery energy storage pipeline, exploring new regions, and considering potential acquisitions to advance the decarbonization of New York’s grid. NineDot is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in its team culture, business practices, and community engagement.

Job Summary:

As the first Director of Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S), you will lead the development, implementation, and management of a company-wide EH&S program for field operations and office environments. This leadership role sets the strategic direction for EH&S, ensures regulatory compliance, and fosters a proactive, safety-first culture across all NineDot locations and functions. You will minimize risk to employees, contractors, and the communities served, shaping policies, guiding training, and building operational controls across project development, construction, commissioning, asset operations, and workplace safety.

Responsibilities:

• Establish a comprehensive EH&S vision, policy framework, and long-term roadmap aligned with NineDot’s operational goals and risk profile, with periodic reviews and updates in accordance with OSHA, NFPA, NYC DOB, and all other city/state standards.
• Partner with Construction, Asset Operations, and Project Development teams to oversee EH&S plans across all project phases, including contractor management, construction safety audits, and commissioning procedures.
• Review contractor safety programs for regulatory compliance, evaluate safety records and training certifications to determine contractor suitability for NineDot projects.
• Participate in early-stage due diligence by assessing environmental and safety factors at prospective sites, informing feasibility, risks, and regulatory considerations.
• During construction, collaborate with General Contractors and on-site vendors to audit site-safety plans, provide guidance, and promote continuous safety improvement.
• Own the site safety plan for all BESS sites from construction through operations, ensuring ongoing compliance and risk management.
• Build and maintain EH&S management systems, including documentation, SOPs, risk assessments, incident investigation protocols, reporting, and emergency response plans.
• Design and deliver EH&S training programs for internal teams and contractors, including orientations and maintaining compliance records.
• Oversee EH&S practices in the office environment, including ergonomics, emergency preparedness, and workplace safety programs.
• Oversee environmental compliance including air permits, spill prevention/control, recycling, dust/erosion, hazardous waste disposal, stormwater management, climate-related worker protections, and other environmental stewardship aspects.
• Serve as a thought leader and trusted advisor across departments, supporting scalable and sustainable growth.
• Participate in and help lead weekly safety talks with Construction and Operations teams to reinforce a proactive safety culture and share lessons learned.
• Other duties as assigned.

Core Competencies:

• Collaborates – Building partnerships and working collaboratively to meet objectives.
• Drives Results – Consistently achieving results under challenging conditions.
• Interpersonal Savvy – Relating openly with diverse groups.
• Cultivates Innovation – Creating new and better ways for success.
• Financial Acumen – Interpreting financial indicators to inform decisions.
• Strategic Mindset – Anticipating future possibilities and translating into strategies.
• Optimizes Work Processes – Focusing on effective and efficient processes with continuous improvement.

Required education and experience:

• 10+ years of progressive EH&S experience, ideally in energy, construction, utilities, or infrastructure.
• Deep understanding of EH&S regulations and best practices related to construction, distributed energy systems, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) is a plus.
• Proven track record of developing and leading EH&S programs at scale.
• Ability to work cross-functionally and influence without authority.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; able to train and motivate diverse teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering, or related field.
• Relevant certifications such as CSP, SST, CIH, OSHA 30, OSHA 500/501, and OSHA 62 are preferred.
• Willingness to travel to project sites as needed.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

At NineDot Energy, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation and do not discriminate on race, color, national origin, religion, gender expression, gender identity, age, or any other status protected by applicable law.

We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every qualification; you may be the right candidate for this or other opportunities. We’re committed to building a team that reflects a broad range of experiences, backgrounds, and skills.

Benefits:

• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• 5% employer match on your 401k retirement account
• 20 paid vacation days, 7 sick days, 9 federal holidays and 3 personal floating holidays
• 12 weeks of 100% paid parental leave for both primary and secondary caregivers within the first year
• Wellness initiatives including a $1,000 stipend