Sr Director Risk Management EH&S

OVERVIEW

Realize new levels of autonomy and professional ownership. At Ulta Beauty, our Legal, Risk & Governance team provides clarity and continuity in ways that have made our growth a seamless venture, with keen insights that have opened up new and previously unexplored areas of opportunity. Through superior leadership and work that continually challenges, you’ll have the chance to help set strategic direction through ethical and collaborative thought and practice.

THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE

The Senior Director, Risk Management provides enterprise oversight of insurance program management, claims management, EH&S, and enterprise risk management (ERM) for Ulta Beauty’s multi-site retail, salon, and distribution operations. This leader directly manages the insurance function and leads managers responsible for Claims Management, EH&S, and ERM, ensuring strong governance, consistent execution, and measurable results. The role partners with key stakeholders across Operations, Supply Chain/Distribution, People Success, Loss Prevention, Finance, and Legal to reduce loss frequency and severity, strengthen compliance and incident management, and leverage data and analytics to improve program performance and outcomes. This role reports to the Chief Legal Officer.

YOU'LL ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS BY:

1) INSURANCE PROGRAM OVERSIGHT

• Directly lead the insurance function, owning program strategy and governance, the renewal calendar, and broker/carrier relationships; ensure timely execution of renewals and ongoing administration aligned with the risk appetite and operating model of a multi-site U.S. retail and salon business
• Lead placement and coverage analysis for core lines (e.g., property/catastrophe, general liability, workers’ compensation, auto as applicable, EPL, D&O, cyber, crime, fiduciary); ensure appropriate limits, retentions, and endorsements for store, salon, and distribution center exposures
• Oversee captive program governance (UB Insurance, Inc.), including reporting, service provider oversight (actuarial, audit, tax), and integration with retention strategy and claim funding
• Optimize risk financing (retentions, deductibles, captive participation) using loss analytics and market benchmarks; recommend approaches that balance cost, volatility, and coverage protection
• Own insurance and risk management budgets and monitor total cost of risk; communicate key drivers, trends, and recommendations to leadership
• Oversee insurance operationalization, including COI/additional insured processes, key contract/lease insurance requirements, and exposure data reporting/audits to brokers and carriers
• Provide insurance program support to Space NK (Ulta Beauty’s wholly owned subsidiary in the U.K. and Ireland), including coordination with brokers/carriers and internal partners on coverage placement, compliance, and documentation

2) CLAIMS MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT

• Lead the Claims Management program through a claims manager, setting strategy, performance expectations, controls, and resourcing to deliver strong outcomes across a large multi-site retail, salon, and distribution network
• Oversee enterprise claims management strategy and outcomes across key lines (workers’ compensation, general liability, auto as applicable, property, and employment-related claims); ensure consistent intake, reporting, reserving, and resolution practices across stores, salons, and distribution centers
• Set claim handling standards and documentation controls (claim files, loss runs, litigation status, and loss reporting), including confidentiality and retention practices
• Direct TPA and managed care oversight (service levels, quality audits, performance, and escalation) and use dashboards/KPIs to identify loss drivers and improve outcomes
• Oversee litigation management and outside counsel strategy for high-exposure matters; develop selection and spend controls, guidelines, and settlement authority frameworks in partnership with Legal
• Partner with Finance, actuarial resources, and carriers/TPAs to monitor reserves, trending, and collateral needs (letters of credit, deductibles, captive funding); drive accuracy and timeliness of reserve recommendations and financial reporting
• Oversee subrogation/recovery and claim quality controls (including fraud/leakage prevention) and partner with People Success/HR and Operations to support return-to-work and accommodation processes that reduce disability duration and support compliant, consistent outcomes

3) ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH & SAFETY (EH&S) OVERSIGHT

• Lead the EH&S program through an EH&S manager, providing strategic oversight and setting priorities, governance, and measurable objectives to ensure consistent execution across stores/salons/DCs and reduce injuries, incidents, and regulatory risk
• Ensure compliance with applicable U.S. federal, state, and local requirements (including OSHA) and oversee required safety programs and training (e.g., hazard communication and emergency action)
• Oversee store/DC safety inspections and audits, near-miss reporting, and corrective action tracking; establish expectations and governance for timely remediation
• Oversee serious incident response and investigations (including associate injuries, customer incidents with safety implications, and distribution center incidents), ensuring root cause analysis, corrective actions, and operational learning
• Oversee chemical safety and industrial hygiene considerations relevant to salon/retail operations (e.g., SDS management and safe handling/storage), and partner with Operations/Supply Chain on ergonomics and material handling risk controls
• Establish contractor and vendor safety expectations for store and distribution center projects and maintenance activities
• Oversee OSHA recordkeeping/reporting and EH&S metrics and trend analysis; partner with Operations and Business Continuity stakeholders on site readiness and emergency preparedness

4) ENTERPRISE RISK MANAGEMENT (ERM) OVERSIGHT

• Lead the ERM program through an ERM manager, including program design, enterprise engagement, and delivery of clear reporting and escalation for top risks
• Establish and lead an enterprise risk management (ERM) program, including risk governance, a risk taxonomy, and a risk assessment cadence aligned with strategic planning and key operational cycles
• Maintain an enterprise risk register capturing key strategic, operational (store/salon/DC), financial, compliance, technology/cyber, and reputational risks; facilitate risk owner accountability, mitigation plans, and documented controls
• Partner with business units to develop and track mitigation plans and controls for insurable and non-insurable risks, including contingency planning where appropriate
• Provide regular ERM reporting to senior leadership (and, as applicable, board/committee audiences), including emerging risks, trend analysis, and recommended actions; manage escalation protocols for material events
• Facilitate scenario analysis and stress testing for priority risks (e.g., catastrophic property loss, supply chain disruption, cyber incident, workplace violence, severe weather events), and ensure mitigation and response plans are reviewed and improved over time

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Establish and run a governance cadence and operating rhythm across Insurance, Claims, EH&S, and ERM (e.g., weekly staff meetings, monthly operating reviews, quarterly deep-dives) to track performance, risks, and priorities
• Lead enterprise reporting and executive-ready updates on risk, loss, and program performance (insurance, claims, EH&S, ERM), including key trends, issues, decisions needed, and recommended actions
• Own and maintain enterprise policies, standards, and playbooks related to risk and incident management; partner with key stakeholders (Operations, Supply Chain, People Success, Loss Prevention, Finance, and Legal) to drive adoption through training, communications, and change management

Drive continuous improvement by identifying control gaps and process inefficiencies and implementing scalable solutions, including training and enablement for field and distribution

ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESS:

• People-first leader of leaders: develops and empowers managers through coaching, feedback, and accountability; builds trust and engagement across teams
• Analytical and outcome-oriented: comfortable using data to ask the right questions, identify root causes, and drive measurable improvement in cost, risk, and performance
• Operator mindset: pragmatic and solutions-focused, with an ability to translate risk concepts into actions that work in stores, salons, and distribution centers
• Influential partner: builds strong cross-functional relationships and moves work forward through collaboration, credibility, and clear alignment on outcomes
• Sound judgment and executive maturity: balances protection and pragmatism, escalates appropriately, and enables calculated risk-taking aligned with strategy
• Executive presence and clarity: communicates complex topics simply, with concise recommendations and an ability to align leaders on decisions

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required (Risk Management, Business, Finance, Safety, or related field)
• 15+ years of progressive experience in corporate risk management and/or insurance
• 5+ years in a senior leadership role leading a risk management organization through people managers/program leaders (e.g., insurance, claims, EH&S, ERM or comparable scope) within a large multi-site U.S. retailer, distribution/warehouse operator, or similarly complex environment
• Demonstrated success leading and developing people managers/program leaders (goal setting, performance management, coaching, succession planning), including indirect leadership of larger, multi-site teams
• Experience managing external partners (brokers, TPAs, carriers, counsel, and consultants) with strong governance, service-level expectations, and financial discipline
• Strong communication and executive presentation skills; ability to influence across functions and levels
• Demonstrated ability to leverage data and analytics (KPIs, dashboards, trend analysis) to improve team performance, program efficacy, and total cost of risk
• Ability to travel as needed to support stores, distribution centers, and key stakeholders

• PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Professional certifications such as CPCU, ARM, or similar
• Safety credential such as CSP (or similar) and experience partnering with EH&S leaders in multi-site operations
• Experience with captives, large deductible programs, and collateral management preferred

#LI-JR1

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The pay range for this position is $208,000.00 - $275,000.00 / Year with the opportunity for eligible associates to earn additional compensation pursuant to the Company’s bonus plan. Exact pay will be based on factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, level, shift, geographic location, and business and organizational needs. Full-time positions are eligible for paid time off, health, dental, vision, life and disability benefits. Part-time positions are eligible for dental, vision, life, and disability benefits. For additional information concerning our benefits, visit our Benefits and Career Development page: https://learn.bswift.com/ulta

ABOUT

At Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA), the possibilities are beautiful. Ulta Beauty is the largest North American beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. We bring possibilities to life through the power of beauty each and every day in our stores and online with more than 25,000 products from approximately 500 well-established and emerging beauty brands across all categories and price points, including Ulta Beauty’s own private label. Ulta Beauty also offers a full-service salon in every store featuring—hair, skin, brow, and make-up services.

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest records, conviction records, or other criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of any applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York City Fair Chance Act.