Director of Environmental Health-Safety

Job Description

Job Description

Scope of Job : The Director of EHS serves as the Baxters North America (BNA) leader for all aspects of environmental, health, safety, and security programs to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. This role develops and implements policies, procedures, and training to mitigate risks, promote a culture of safety, and ensure regulatory compliance. The position also oversees emergency preparedness, environmental sustainability, and workplace safety initiatives while supporting continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute enterprise-wide EHS, Security, and Sustainability strategy, aligning risk management, compliance, and operational excellence initiatives with organizational growth objectives across multiple manufacturing locations.
• Architect and build the EHS organization from the ground up, defining structure, staffing model, talent strategy, succession planning, and performance management systems to support business expansion and long-term sustainability.
• Serve as executive advisor to senior leadership, providing strategic guidance on regulatory risk, capital investments, safety culture transformation, business continuity, and ESG-related initiatives.
• Lead multi-state regulatory compliance programs, ensuring adherence to OSHA, EPA, DOT, local environmental requirements, and corporate governance standards while minimizing legal, financial, and operational risk.
• Establish enterprise risk management frameworks, utilizing data analytics, predictive indicators, and governance processes to proactively identify, prioritize, and mitigate operational and environmental risks.
• Direct organizational safety culture transformation initiatives, integrating EHS principles into manufacturing, engineering, quality, supply chain, and continuous improvement systems to drive world-class safety performance.
• Oversee environmental stewardship and sustainability programs, including waste reduction, emissions management, energy conservation, and resource optimization efforts that improv compliance and reduce operating costs.
• Manage crisis preparedness, emergency response, and business continuity planning, ensuring organizational resilience through robust emergency management systems, training, and cross-functional leadership.
• Lead development of EHS leadership talent and cross-functional capabilities, mentoring managers and specialists while establishing standardized processes, accountability systems, and best practice sharing across sites.
• Own executive-level EHS performance reporting, presenting key risk indicators, compliance status, incident trends, and strategic improvement initiatives to executive leadership, board-level stakeholders, and regulatory agencies.
• Collaborate with production and supporting departments to ensure the food safety and quality of our products. 
• Performs other duties as assigned. 

Education:  Bachelor’s degree required or Associate degree in Safety, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Hygiene/Safety, or related field. Certification preferred, such as Certified Safety Professional, Certified Hazardous Materials Manager, or EHS related.

Experience: 10+ years of experience in EHS or a related field within a manufacturing environment. 5 years of managerial experience. Strong working knowledge of material flow, manufacturing operations, and regulatory compliance. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and EHS software platforms. Experience working with internal and external stakeholders, including regulatory agencies. 

Competencies : Environmental Health & Safety Management, Regulatory Compliance (OSHA, EPA, etc.), Risk Mitigation & Hazard Control, Safety Audits & Inspections, Emergency Preparedness & Response, Training & Staff Development, Environmental Assessments & Reporting, Communication & Presentation Skills, Problem Solving & Root Cause Analysis, Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement, Accountability, Integrity, Initiative, and Time Management

Physical Requirements:  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand and walk. The employee is occasionally required to sit. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. This position will also require climbing ladders and stairs. This individual must also be able to tolerate various temperature and weather extremes. Specific vision ability required by this job includes close vision, and ability to adjust focus.