Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Manager #0204MBR
Keller Executive Search
Kemmerer, WY
Overview
Our client is a well-capitalised, mid-tier energy company with a longstanding presence in oil shale extraction and production across Wyoming's Green River Formation. Operating a mature asset base with an experienced workforce and an expanding development programme, the organisation places health, safety, and environmental performance at the centre of its operational philosophy. To reinforce that commitment during a period of sustained growth, the company is seeking a Health, Safety & Environment Manager to lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of its HSE programmes across all corporate and field operations.
This is a senior operational leadership role that demands both strategic vision and daily field presence. The HSE Manager will be accountable for ensuring the organisation meets or exceeds all applicable regulatory requirements while embedding a proactive safety culture that protects employees, contractors, surrounding communities, and the natural environment. The successful candidate will combine deep technical knowledge of upstream oil and gas hazards with the leadership credibility to influence behaviour from the wellsite to the boardroom.
Core Duties
- Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive HSE management system encompassing policies, procedures, risk registers, and performance standards aligned with industry best practices and applicable regulatory frameworks.
- Lead all aspects of occupational health and safety across drilling, completions, production, processing, and transportation operations, ensuring compliance with OSHA, MSHA, and Wyoming-specific safety regulations.
- Direct the organisation's environmental compliance programme, managing obligations under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, RCRA, NEPA, and relevant Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) permits and reporting requirements.
- Conduct and oversee hazard identification, risk assessment, and job safety analysis processes for all routine and non-routine field activities, ensuring adequate controls and mitigation measures are in place before work commences.
- Lead incident investigation and root cause analysis for all injuries, near-misses, spills, releases, and property damage events, ensuring corrective and preventive actions are documented, implemented, and tracked to closure.
- Design and deliver HSE training and competency assurance programmes for employees and contractors, covering topics such as permit-to-work systems, confined space entry, hydrogen sulphide safety, fall protection, hazard communication, and emergency response.
- Manage the organisation's emergency response and crisis management plans, coordinating regular drills and exercises and serving as the incident commander or HSE lead during actual emergencies.
- Oversee environmental monitoring programmes including air emissions tracking, produced water management, groundwater sampling, waste characterisation, and wildlife impact assessments related to oil shale operations.
- Serve as the primary liaison with regulatory agencies including the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC), WDEQ, BLM, EPA, and OSHA, managing inspections, audits, and enforcement actions.
- Establish and track leading and lagging HSE performance indicators, preparing monthly dashboards and quarterly reports for executive leadership and the board of directors.
- Manage the organisation's contractor HSE prequalification and oversight programme, ensuring that all third-party service providers meet the company's safety and environmental standards before mobilising to site.
- Champion a visible, behaviour-based safety culture through regular field leadership visits, safety stand-downs, recognition programmes, and open dialogue with frontline workers and supervisors.
- Oversee land reclamation planning and execution in coordination with operations, land, and regulatory teams, ensuring disturbed areas are rehabilitated in accordance with permit conditions and Wyoming reclamation standards.
- Stay current with evolving HSE regulations, industry standards (API, ANSI, NFPA), and emerging best practices, advising leadership on potential operational and compliance impacts.
Requirements
Essential Qualifications
- A minimum of 10 years of progressive HSE experience, including no fewer than 5 years in a management or senior leadership role within upstream oil and gas, oil shale, or a closely related extractive industry.
- Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering, Geology, or a closely related discipline.
- Thorough working knowledge of OSHA 29 CFR 1910/1926, MSHA regulations, EPA requirements, and Wyoming-specific environmental and safety statutes governing oil and gas operations.
- Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, or materially strengthening an HSE management system within a field-intensive energy operation.
- Proven track record of achieving measurable improvements in safety performance metrics such as Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), Lost Time Injury Frequency (LTIF), and environmental non-compliance events.
- Strong incident investigation and root cause analysis skills, with practical experience applying methodologies such as TapRooT, ICAM, or similar structured frameworks.
- Exceptional leadership, communication, and influencing skills with the credibility to engage and hold accountable individuals at every level of the organisation, from roughnecks and roustabouts to executive leadership.
- Experience managing regulatory relationships and navigating multi-agency permitting and compliance processes in Wyoming or the broader Rocky Mountain region.
Desired Qualifications
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) designation.
- Master's degree in Safety Management, Environmental Engineering, or a related advanced discipline.
- Direct experience with oil shale-specific hazards including in-situ retorting processes, kerogen handling, high-temperature operations, and associated emissions profiles.
- Familiarity with Process Safety Management (PSM) and Risk Management Plan (RMP) requirements as they apply to upstream processing and gathering facilities.
- Background working within mid-tier or large independent operators where HSE expectations are benchmarked against international standards such as ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.
- Experience with wildlife and habitat management obligations in Wyoming, including Greater Sage-Grouse conservation measures and seasonal timing restrictions on drilling activity.
- Understanding of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting frameworks and the ability to translate HSE performance data into investor-grade sustainability disclosures.
- An established network among Wyoming regulatory agencies, industry safety councils, and environmental organisations.
Benefits
Remuneration & Benefits Package
Annual Base Salary: $155,000 – $200,000 and a Performance-Based Bonus tied to safety performance targets, environmental compliance outcomes, and HSE programme advancement milestones
Additional Benefits: 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance, life & disability insurance, paid time off and flexible work arrangements, relocation assistance (if applicable), field accommodation and travel allowances, and professional development and certification maintenance support.
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