Environment, Health and Safety Manager

People Architects is partnering with a Chemical Manufacturing company to recruit an Environmental, Health, and Safety Manager.

Our client is seeking an experienced EHS Manager to lead Environmental, Health, and Safety initiatives at their Cleveland, Ohio manufacturing facility. This role will have site-level responsibility for environmental compliance, health and safety, regulatory requirements, risk management, and continuous improvement.

The company’s recent separation from its parent organization, combined with significant growth and new product introductions, has created a need to rebuild and strengthen the EHS infrastructure. This person will be expected to own, build, and improve the EHS program rather than simply maintain an established system. A major focus will be creating documented, repeatable processes and moving away from reliance on tribal knowledge. The EHS Manager will play a key role in building these processes, identifying risks and compliance gaps, and creating a proactive culture of safety and accountability. This is a hands-on leadership role that requires close partnership with plant leadership, operations, engineering, maintenance, HR, and employees.

Responsibilities

Environmental Compliance & Oversight

• Manage environmental compliance programs including SPCC, hazardous waste, landfill, wastewater, stormwater, and air permitting, ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements
• Lead regular EHS inspections, identify potential compliance and safety issues, and ensure corrective actions are completed and tracked through the PowerSuite audit tracking system
• Conduct required environmental training for employees and contractors, including hazardous waste, stormwater, air, and SPCC programs, and maintain required training records
• Collect, analyze, and manage required environmental samples, including wastewater, stormwater, and hazardous waste, and monitor environmental performance to proactively identify compliance issues
• Oversee shipping papers and documentation for waste, scrap, and hazardous materials and maintain accurate EHS records and regulatory reports
• Operate and supervise the Wastewater Treatment Facility and Chemical Process Control Laboratory, ensuring discharges consistently remain at least 50% below permitted limits
• Serve as the primary site contact for environmental regulatory agencies, including inspections, inquiries, reporting, and corrective actions
• Partner with internal corporate EHS teams and site leadership to maintain environmental compliance and continuously improve site programs

Health & Safety Leadership

• Lead site health and safety programs and ensure compliance with requirements related to air quality, hazardous waste, chemical storage, stormwater, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, and employee health and safety
• Partner with manufacturing operations to reduce accidents and injuries, identify hazards, and strengthen a proactive safety culture
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve safety processes, procedures, and preventative programs
• Lead safety committees, provide EHS coaching and training, and drive employee engagement and accountability
• Lead or support incident investigations, root-cause analysis, risk assessments, and corrective actions
• Apply ergonomic and human-factor principles to improve workstation design and reduce injury risk
• Lead EHS Management of Change (MOC) processes for new equipment, processes, materials, and chemicals
• Address employee EHS concerns promptly and partner with functional teams to implement effective solutions

EHS Leadership & Continuous Improvement

• Own the site's EHS strategy, goals, programs, and performance while serving as the primary EHS resource and advisor to plant leadership and operational teams
• Assess existing EHS programs and identify gaps, risks, and opportunities to establish and strengthen site processes
• Build and implement standardized EHS processes and systems for inspections, audits, corrective actions, documentation, and follow-up
• Partner with plant leadership, operations, engineering, maintenance, HR, and other functional teams to integrate EHS into daily manufacturing operations
• Lead or support EHS self-assessments, risk reviews, audits, and continuous improvement initiatives using a Lean manufacturing mindset
• Use EHS data, trends, incidents, inspection findings, and employee feedback to identify priorities and drive measurable improvement
• Translate long-term EHS goals into actionable initiatives while establishing clear accountability for EHS performance across the facility
• Promote a culture in which employees and leaders take ownership of EHS performance through engagement, communication, coaching, and continuous improvement

Regulatory & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary site EHS contact for local, state, and federal regulatory agencies, coordinating inspections, audits, inquiries, and required reporting
• Build and maintain strong relationships with regulatory agencies and internal corporate EHS teams
• Track regulatory requirements, findings, corrective actions, and required reports to ensure timely completion and documentation
• Prepare the facility for regulatory inspections and ensure findings are appropriately addressed
• Partner with plant leadership and cross-functional teams to develop and implement EHS strategies, processes, and goals
• Provide EHS guidance for new equipment, processes, materials, and operational changes
• Communicate EHS risks, compliance issues, performance trends, and improvement opportunities to site leadership
• Promote a culture of accountability, employee engagement, and environmental and safety excellence across the facility

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Engineering, Occupational Safety & Health, Environmental Science, or a related discipline
• Minimum of 2 years of experience leading EHS compliance programs in a manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated ability to partner cross-functionally with plant leadership and operational teams to implement EHS initiatives and drive continuous improvement
• Must hold, or be able to obtain within one year of hire, a Physical/Chemical Wastewater Operator Certification
• Strong understanding of applicable EHS regulations and environmental and safety standards
• Strong communication, leadership, problem-solving, analytical, and organizational skills, with the ability to work independently and take ownership of site-level EHS responsibilities
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, PowerSuite, Maximo, and related EHS software platforms
• Demonstrated Lean manufacturing mindset and commitment to continuous improvement
• Ability to perform technical and chemical analyses using drawings, schematics, statistics, and laboratory tools
• Hands-on approach and ability to work effectively in a manufacturing environment
• Valid driver's license required
• Some travel may be required

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 35 pounds
• Ability to climb ladders and stairs
• Ability to operate mobile equipment
• Ability to work on and around manufacturing equipment and industrial processes

Preferred Qualifications

• Formal health and safety or environmental certification
• Experience managing regulatory agency relationships and site inspections
• Experience developing and implementing EHS processes and safety procedures
• Experience with wastewater treatment operations and environmental sampling
• Experience with air permitting, hazardous waste, stormwater, and SPCC programs
• Experience with EHS Management of Change, incident investigations, and root-cause analysis
• Strong leadership, interpersonal, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Experience implementing EHS continuous improvement programs in a Lean manufacturing environment