Job Information
National Safety Council Senior Director, Driver Safety Training in Itasca, Illinois
Save lives, from the workplace to anyplace.
The National Safety Council is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate. We focus on eliminating the leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths. Through leadership, research, education, and advocacy, NSC focuses on areas where most unintentional injuries and deaths occur.
We are currently looking for a Senior Director, Driver Safety Training, to join us in our mission to save lives and prevent injuries.
Position Highlights:
The Senior Director leads NSC’s commercial, fleet, and community driver safety training portfolio, one of the largest and most influential defensive driving programs in the nation. This role oversees multi‑modal, high‑volume training that reaches more than one million drivers annually, including commercial, fleet, and high‑risk populations.
This leader drives innovation across instructional design, program delivery, telematics integration, simulator-based learning, and evaluation. Success includes expanding access to underserved driver groups, improving real-world safety outcomes, and reinforcing NSC’s role as the national leader in evidence‑based defensive driving and commercial driver risk reduction.
What You’ll Do:
Strategy, Portfolio Leadership & Product Innovation
Develop and execute a multi-year strategy to grow NSC’s driver and fleet safety training portfolio, ensuring financial sustainability and measurable reductions in motor vehicle incidents.
Lead end-to-end product lifecycle management—including market assessment, design, validation, launch, and continuous improvement—with a strong emphasis on defensive driving, commercial driver training, and fleet‑specific learning solutions.
Integrate emerging technologies such as telematics, ADAS/driver-assistance analytics, simulation, and scenario‑based learning to enhance on‑road behavior and outcomes.
Maintain governance for content accuracy, ADA compliance, multilingual accessibility, and alignment with current road‑safety research.
Program Performance, Outcomes & Quality
Establish logic models and evaluation frameworks that demonstrate connections between training participation, behavior change, collision reduction, and safety ROI.
Use fleet safety data, telematics insights, crash trends, instructor feedback, and learner experience metrics to drive continuous program improvement.
Ensure training reflects evolving research, FMCSA/DOT guidance, insurer risk models, and industry best practices in driver behavior and traffic safety.
Strategic Partnerships & Industry Leadership
Represent NSC as a senior leader within national coalitions and industry forums, including the International Advisory Committee on Defensive Driving.
Build strategic alliances with employer fleets, motor carriers, insurers, telematics providers, CDL training programs, government agencies, and researchers to expand impact and reach.
Lead or support grant‑funded initiatives and collaborate with Development to secure and steward resources that further public‑good driver safety programming.
Publish insights and contribute to policy and advocacy efforts grounded in evidence-based defensive driving practice.
Cross‑Functional Leadership & Collaboration
Partner with IT, Product Development, Marketing, Government Affairs, Membership, Customer Operations, and Training Delivery to ensure cohesive program execution.
Collaborate to develop Instructor Guides, participant materials, CDL‑ and fleet‑focused eLearning modules, and other scalable training assets.
Serve as the “voice of the customer”—including employer fleets, drivers, instructors, and community partners—to guide organizational decision-making and product strategy.
Team Leadership & Talent Development
Lead and develop a diverse, high‑performing team across curriculum development, delivery operations, evaluation, and partnerships.
Build an inclusive, mission‑driven culture grounded in accountability, transparency, and data-informed decision-making.
Ensure strong talent pipelines and succession planning; maintain 100% completion of individual development plans.
Successfully manage remote team environments and support cross-functional collaboration.
We’re Looking for Someone with:
Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in public health, transportation, education, business, or related field preferred.
12–15+ years of leadership experience in driver safety, fleet training, transportation, insurance, roadway safety, or related industries.
Experience designing, delivering, or leading defensive driving, commercial driver training, or fleet safety programs is strongly preferred.
Proven background in P&L ownership, pricing strategy, forecasting, and managing large training or product portfolios.
National-level presence with the ability to influence high-visibility partners and represent NSC at industry events.
Experience working with fleet/insurer datasets, telematics insights, or vehicle safety technology.
Strong communication skills and executive presence.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and learning management systems; experience supporting multilingual or accessible learning solutions preferred.
This is a remote position.
Salary range: $170,000 to $175,000
Reasons You’ll Love it here:
NSC cares about the safety, health, and overall well-being of our employees. We offer competitive benefits, resources, and tools to promote a work-life balance that supports employees during all phases of life. We offer the following:
At least 20 PTO days accrued 1st year and 11 paid holidays
Flexible work arrangements
Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans
Flex spending accounts for medical and dependent care
403(b) & Roth 403(b) with employer match up to 6%
Reimbursable training
Dress for your day
Our hiring process is designed to give you the opportunity to shine at each step. It starts with an assessment where you really showcase your drive for the role. From there, candidates selected for the first interview will discuss their skills and how they fit with our team. If you're a match, the second interview takes a deeper dive into your background and how you can contribute to our goals. After that, we'll make our final decision and let you know the outcome. This is our usual process, and we're excited to get to know you along the way!
NSC is a Recovery-Friendly Workplace.
We support individuals in or seeking recovery from substance use disorder by fostering a culture of respect, inclusion, and support. We provide access to confidential resources, reasonable accommodations, and a work environment that values your journey and contributions.
NSC is an equal opportunity employer.
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