Global Head of EHS

About the Role

The Global Head of Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) at Cushman & Wakefield will report to the Deputy General Counsel and will be based in Chicago, IL. This executive leader is responsible for defining and overseeing an enterprise‑wide EHS strategy across all regions and business lines, driving a proactive, prevention‑focused safety culture. The role ensures that operations meet or exceed global regulatory requirements, sustainability goals, and public company disclosure standards. The incumbent will develop, implement, and continuously enhance global EHS standards, performance metrics, and governance processes, including executive‑level reporting and risk reviews. They will oversee programs that address injury and illness prevention, contractor safety, fire and life safety, hazardous materials, ergonomics, emergency preparedness, business continuity, and workplace violence, employing robust risk assessment, corrective actions, training, inspections, and incident response. Compliance with all applicable regulations will be maintained through audit programs, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 certifications, and internal controls. Strategic leadership of global and regional EHS teams will be provided, with mentorship, alignment, and accountability to senior leadership and external stakeholders such as regulators and industry bodies. The leader will champion a proactive safety culture by governing comprehensive training frameworks, scenario planning, communication campaigns, and performance reporting. Collaboration with Sustainability teams will integrate EHS initiatives with climate, energy, waste, and GHG objectives, while supporting business development through proposal representation and change‑management of new policies and systems. Oversight of EHS technology platforms and data analytics will enable real‑time visibility and reporting. • Define and execute a global EHS strategy aligned with business objectives and sustainability targets. • Lead and continuously improve EHS programs for injury prevention, contractor safety, fire safety, hazardous materials, ergonomics, emergency preparedness, business continuity, and workplace violence. • Ensure compliance with global EHS regulations and maintain ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 certifications. • Conduct audits, inspections, and risk assessments; implement corrective and preventive actions. • Direct incident response, investigations, root‑cause analysis, and global communication of lessons learned. • Provide strategic leadership and mentorship to global and regional EHS teams and act as senior advisor to executive leadership. • Champion a proactive safety culture through training frameworks, scenario planning, and communication campaigns. • Partner with Sustainability teams to align EHS efforts with climate, energy, waste, and GHG goals. • Support business development by representing EHS capabilities in client proposals and driving change management for new policies and systems. • Oversee selection and optimization of EHS technology platforms and data analytics for real‑time risk reporting.

Key Responsibilities

• ▸ehs strategy
• ▸compliance audits
• ▸incident response
• ▸safety training
• ▸risk analytics
• ▸sustainability integration

Benefits

Cushman & Wakefield offers a competitive compensation range of $255,000 to $300,000, along with a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, vision, dental, flexible spending, retirement plans, life and disability insurance, and paid time off. The company is an Equal Opportunity employer, complies with the ADAAA, and provides accommodations for applicants with disabilities. With over 52,000 employees in nearly 400 offices across 60 countries, Cushman & Wakefield is a leading global real‑estate services firm.

Work Environment

Hybrid