What are the responsibilities and job description for the EHS Specialist position at JCW Group?
Contract HSE Specialist – Facility Decommissioning | Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
[Midwest – Local Candidates Preferred] | Contract through Mid-December 2026
We are partnering with a leading animal health company to support a large-scale facility decommissioning project at one of their manufacturing sites. This is a contractor oversight and site safety role — not a production role — and represents a unique opportunity for an experienced HSE professional to lead safety compliance through the full arc of a complex decommissioning effort.
About the Project
This role supports the planned decommissioning of a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, including active production lines running through late summer. The bulk of contractor activity is expected August through October, with meaningful planning and coordination work beginning immediately. Multiple contractors will be working concurrently across deconstruction, utility isolation, hazardous material handling, and environmental waste management.
What You'll Be Doing
- Serving as the on-site HSE presence, ensuring general contractors operate within project safety guidelines and client standards
- Overseeing deconstruction activities involving hazardous materials — think asbestos remediation protocols, controlled demolition, and proper disposal procedures
- Managing compliance across environmental waste streams, including maintaining and executing a waste disposition map
- Supporting lockout/tagout, fall protection, aerial lift, and power industrial truck safety programs
- Coordinating contractor safety in areas involving nitrogen systems, solvents, crane lifts, and limited excavation work (including an underground wastewater tank)
- Exercising and supporting stop work authority when warranted — this team has a well-defined stop work culture and the right person will understand when to use it and when not to
- Spending a minimum of 4 hours per day on the floor, actively working alongside contractor teams — this is not a desk job
- Reporting directly to the site's primary HSE contact, with support from a global HSE group
What We're Looking For
- 5–10 years of HSE experience, with hands-on involvement in construction safety and contractor oversight — not just adjacent exposure
- Pharmaceutical or industrial hygiene/exposure assessment background strongly preferred; experience with low-exposure-limit powders or active pharmaceutical ingredients is a plus
- Hazardous waste or environmental compliance experience is a nice-to-have
- OSHA 30 (Construction), First Aid/CPR preferred
- Practical experience with fall protection, LOTO, aerial lifts, and power industrial trucks
- Someone who is comfortable on the floor, builds relationships with contractors, and has the credibility to speak up — but the judgment to know when it matters most
- Local candidates strongly preferred; per diem not available
Contract Details
- Anticipated start: June 2026 (flexibility available)
- End date: Mid-December 2026
- Standard 40-hour week with potential for overtime during peak activity