Environmental Health Safety Specialist

Environmental, Health, and Safety Lead Location: Greater Frederick Area, MD Travel: Less than 10% Own Environmental, Health, and Safety for a First-of-Its-Kind Domestic Carbon Materials Platform An advanced materials venture is commercializing a proprietary process that converts domestic coal into high-performance synthetic graphite and related carbon materials. It is privately funded, with awarded Department of Defense prototype funding accelerating its commercial plan. It operates an R&D wet lab in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is preparing to commission a pilot production facility near Frederick in 2027 and is selecting sites for commercial manufacturing. The Opportunity The EHS Lead owns environmental, health, and safety compliance across the R&D laboratory and pilot facility: permitting, SOPs, written programs, training, and regulator relationships. You will not start from scratch. The company's chemical engineers have written process SOPs, including hazardous materials handling, and an environmental engineering firm has spent six months on detailed plans and analysis. Your job is to own that foundation, make it real on the floor, and carry it through pilot start-up and scale-up. This is a hands-on individual contributor role with real ownership. The company wants a practical partner who helps the team find the safe way to get work done, while holding everyone on site, including leadership, to the same standard. The role reports to the CEO, keeps a direct line to the CEO as the engineering organization grows, and sits outside the operations chain of command by design. What You Will Do Own all pilot facility permitting, including zoning, site plan, building, air, hazardous waste, hazardous materials, and fire and life safety permits, from application through issuance, conditions, and renewal Serve as the company's point of contact with regulators, inspectors, and planning bodies, host inspections, and manage responses to findings Direct the architects, engineers, land use counsel, environmental consultants, and contractors supporting permitting and compliance, and track every permit condition through closure Serve as designated safety representative at both sites, with stop-work authority when conditions are unsafe or out of compliance Own and maintain SOPs and written programs for both sites, and make sure they are followed through training, field audits, and corrective action Lead hazard assessments, management-of-change reviews, and pre-startup safety reviews as the pilot facility is commissioned and processes scale Own the hazardous materials management plan, hazardous waste and wastewater disposal, chemical inventories, and required regulatory reporting, coordinating with local fire and emergency agencies Lead incident investigations, maintain injury and illness records, and manage EHS training, including respirator fit testing What You Bring We are targeting EHS professionals with 6 to 12 years of progressively responsible experience in chemical, specialty materials, or manufacturing operations. Pharmaceutical, biopharma, and medical device manufacturing backgrounds transfer well. Candidates may currently hold titles such as EHS Manager, EHS Lead, Senior EHS Specialist, EHS Engineer, HSE Coordinator, Safety Engineer, Safety Manager, Environmental Compliance Manager, Environmental Engineer, or Process Safety Engineer.Hands-on preparation of permit applications, permit compliance and reporting, and hosting regulatory inspections, rather than primarily corporate program administration or auditing Clear, usable SOPs and written programs, and the ability to train technical and non-technical staff on them Credibility with regulators and inspectors, and accuracy in every submission Willingness to enforce procedures consistently, paired with the judgment to help the team find a safe path forward A hands-on presence on the floor, and follow-through across sites and outside parties Bachelor's degree in environmental science, environmental or chemical engineering, chemistry, industrial hygiene, occupational safety and health or OSH management, public health, or a related science or safety discipline Experience limited to academic or research laboratories, without manufacturing site responsibility, is a weaker fit. Preferred, Not Required Direct ownership of facility permits from application through issuance, including industrial or laboratory zoning, site plan, and building permits Maryland Department of the Environment permitting, MOSH and OSHA general industry, RCRA generator, DOT hazmat shipping, and EPCRA reporting Corrosive acid handling, combustible dust (NFPA 652), high-temperature furnaces, inert gases, and nanomaterial handling Standing up EHS programs at a new facility or in an early-stage company ISO-based management systems, such as ISO 9001, AS9100, ISO 14001, or ISO 45001 CSP, CIH, CHMM, or ASP certification If you have hands-on permitting and compliance experience at a manufacturing site, and you would rather help a team find the safe way to do something than explain why it cannot be done, we want to talk to you. Location and Operating Environment Fully on-site. Based primarily at the Gaithersburg R&D lab through mid-2027 while preparing the Frederick pilot facility for its spring 2027 start-up, then full-time in Frederick by summer 2027. The team is small and early-stage, and the work involves corrosive chemicals, high-temperature equipment, and fine powders. Compensation and Benefits Base salary: $130,000 to $150,000, commensurate with experience. Up to $160,000 for candidates with direct ownership of facility permits from application through issuance Bonus: $10,000 annual target bonus Relocation assistance available Medical, dental, and vision insurance, retirement plan, and paid time off Work Authorization and Equal Opportunity Candidates must qualify as a U.S. Person under applicable U.S. export control regulations, including U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and other protected individuals. Visa sponsorship is not available. Our client is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Confidential Search | AIJ Search