Corporate Ergonomics Manager
Corporate Manager of Ergonomics
Help shape how work gets done safely across our operations.
Wayne-Sanderson Farms is seeking a Corporate Manager of Ergonomics to lead and advance our company-wide ergonomics strategy across poultry processing, prepared foods, hatcheries, feed mills, distribution, and support operations.
This is an opportunity for an experienced ergonomics, safety, occupational health, engineering, or human factors professional to have a visible, enterprise-wide impact. You'll work directly with Operations, Engineering, Occupational Health, Maintenance, Human Resources, and Safety teams to identify ergonomic risks and develop practical solutions that improve employee well-being while supporting operational performance.
This role is ideal for someone who enjoys being in the field, solving real operational challenges, using data to drive decisions, and influencing change across multiple facilities.
What You'll Do
Lead Our Ergonomics Strategy
- Lead the development and continuous improvement of the company's enterprise-wide ergonomics program.
- Serve as a key technical resource for ergonomics, human factors, biomechanics, and musculoskeletal disorder prevention.
- Establish practical standards and tools that help facilities identify and reduce ergonomic risks.
- Stay current on emerging technology, industry practices, and regulatory developments that can strengthen our approach.
Turn Ergonomic Risks into Practical Solutions
- Conduct and oversee ergonomic assessments of jobs, equipment, processes, tools, and workstations.
- Partner with facility teams to identify higher-risk activities, prioritize improvements, and ensure solutions are effective.
- Use established ergonomic assessment methods, including the Ergonomic Job Measurement System (EJMS), NIOSH lifting principles, and other appropriate tools.
- Bring ergonomics into equipment selection, automation, capital projects, line redesigns, and facility improvements before changes are implemented.
- Engage employees and frontline leaders in identifying risks, testing solutions, and building improvements that work in real-world production environments.
Help Reduce Injuries and Improve Employee Well-Being
- Lead initiatives focused on reducing musculoskeletal injuries and cumulative trauma disorders.
- Partner with Occupational Health teams on early symptom reporting, intervention, return-to-work efforts, and appropriate accommodations.
- Analyze injury, symptom, exposure, and operational data to identify trends and prioritize areas for improvement.
- Help develop practical approaches to workstation design, job rotation, lifting, repetitive work, tool selection, and non-routine tasks.
Build Ergonomic Capability Across the Company
- Develop and deliver practical ergonomics training for operational leaders, supervisors, Safety, Occupational Health, Engineering, Maintenance, and employees.
- Coach facility teams on how to recognize ergonomic risks, conduct assessments, recommend solutions, and follow improvements through completion.
- Lead cross-functional ergonomic improvement events and help facilities build sustainable prevention practices.
Use Data to Drive Continuous Improvement
- Develop a consistent approach to ergonomics auditing across company locations.
- Establish meaningful performance measures around injury trends, assessments, corrective actions, and control effectiveness.
- Translate data into clear dashboards, recommendations, and presentations for operational and executive leaders.
- Identify broader trends and opportunities that can improve ergonomics across multiple facilities, not just one location.
What You'll Bring
- Bachelor's degree in ergonomics, occupational health, industrial engineering, safety, kinesiology, human factors, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or a related field.
- 5+ years of progressive experience in ergonomics, occupational health, industrial engineering, safety, human factors, or a related discipline.
- Experience developing or implementing ergonomics or musculoskeletal injury-reduction programs.
- Experience working across multiple facilities or operations is strongly valued.
- Experience in poultry processing, food manufacturing, manufacturing, distribution, or another high-volume industrial environment is preferred.
- Strong knowledge of ergonomics, biomechanics, human factors, industrial work design, and musculoskeletal injury prevention.
- Working knowledge of OSHA requirements and recognized ergonomic practices for industrial environments.
- Ability to turn assessment findings and data into practical solutions that work in an operational environment.
- Strong project management, presentation, facilitation, and communication skills.
- Ability to build relationships and influence change across functions and locations without direct authority.
Preferred Credentials
Professional credentials such as Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE), Associate Ergonomics Professional (AEP), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), or related ergonomics, occupational health, human factors, or continuous-improvement certifications are preferred.
A master's degree in a related discipline is also preferred.
This is not a role focused solely on conducting assessments or responding to injuries.
You'll have the opportunity to help shape the company's overall approach to ergonomics, influence equipment and workplace design, partner with leaders across multiple functions, and develop solutions that can be implemented across our operations.
You'll have the visibility and reach to make improvements that positively affect employees across the organization while helping facilities operate safely and effectively.
What to Expect
- This is an individual contributor leadership role with significant influence across the organization.
- Frequent travel to company locations is required, approximately 50–70%, based on business needs.
- You'll spend meaningful time in production environments observing work and partnering directly with facility teams.
- Manufacturing environments may include hot, cold, wet, dusty, and noisy conditions.
- Some assessments, training, or operational needs may require flexibility outside traditional business hours.
- Appropriate safety and food-safety requirements must be followed while working within operational facilities.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Why Wayne-Sanderson Farms?
This role offers the opportunity to combine technical ergonomics expertise, strategic program leadership, and hands-on operational problem-solving.
For someone who wants to move beyond supporting a single facility and influence how ergonomics is approached across a large, geographically dispersed organization, this position provides a strong opportunity to make a measurable difference.
Equal Opportunity Employer
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Wayne-Sanderson does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, gender (sex), sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law or executive order.