Plant EHSS and Operational Risk Manager (OH) - Pellet Mill Operations

Job Summary

The Plant EHSS & Operational Risk Manager is responsible for leading all Environmental, Health, Safety, Security (EHSS), and operational risk programs for a 24/7 manufacturing facility. This role partners closely with plant leadership to foster a world-class safety culture, ensure regulatory compliance, strengthen operational resilience, and support continuous improvement initiatives.

As a member of the plant leadership team, this individual will develop and execute strategies that protect employees, ensure environmental stewardship, reduce operational risk, and support business objectives through proactive leadership and employee engagement.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all site Environmental, Health, Safety, Security (EHSS), and operational risk management programs.
• Drive a strong safety culture through leadership engagement, Behavior-Based Safety (BBS), Safety GEMBA, hazard recognition, and near-miss reporting.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, DOT, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Lead incident investigations, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop and implement operational risk assessments for manufacturing processes, equipment, facility modifications, and business continuity planning.
• Manage environmental compliance programs including permitting, waste management, air emissions, stormwater, spill prevention, and regulatory reporting.
• Lead emergency preparedness, crisis management, business continuity planning, and facility security initiatives.
• Conduct EHSS audits, inspections, compliance assessments, and maintain readiness for regulatory and corporate audits.
• Monitor and report key EHSS metrics including TRIR, LTIR, DART, Severity Rate, corrective action closure, training compliance, and environmental performance.
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Human Resources, and Distribution Center teams to integrate EHSS into operational excellence, Lean manufacturing, capital projects, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Coach and develop supervisors and frontline leaders to strengthen accountability, risk awareness, and safety leadership across all shifts.

Key Competencies

• Strategic safety and operational risk leadership
• Regulatory compliance and environmental stewardship
• Business continuity and emergency preparedness
• Root cause analysis and risk mitigation
• Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement
• Executive communication and cross-functional collaboration
• Strong coaching, leadership, and organizational skills
• Data-driven decision making with experience utilizing EHSS metrics and dashboards

Qualification Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Safety, Environmental Health, Engineering, Industrial Technology, Operations Management, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum seven years of progressive EHSS, operational risk management, manufacturing, or industrial leadership experience, including demonstrated responsibility for regulatory compliance, operational risk management, and strategic EHSS program development.
• Three to five years of leadership or influencing experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting multi-shift manufacturing operations, including 24/7 environments.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA, EPA, DOT, and industrial EHSS requirements.
• Experience leading Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) programs and safety culture initiatives.
• Experience with environmental compliance and regulatory reporting.
• Strong understanding of operational risk assessment, incident investigation, and root cause analysis methodologies.
• Experience leading business continuity planning, emergency preparedness, or operational resilience initiatives preferred.
• Demonstrated experience influencing senior leadership and managing complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement experience preferred.
• CSP, ASP, CHMM, or equivalent certification preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Deep understanding of OSHA regulations, federal, state, and local compliance requirements.
• Experience developing, implementing, and maintaining Behavior-Based Safety programs.
• Experience implementing safety incentive programs to drive engagement and improve safety culture.
• Experience creating, monitoring, and reporting key safety KPIs with actionable insights.
• Experience leading leadership teams in Safety GEMBA walks.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and communication skills.
• Ability to engage and build trust with team members across multiple shifts.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with Pellet Mill Manager, Plant Leadership Team, and EHS&S Manager.
• Ability to develop and deliver effective training programs.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Physical ability to lift up to 50 lbs., climb ladders, work from heights, and tolerate temperature extremes.

Physical Requirements

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