EHS Manager- Chemical Manufacturing

Summary

Our client is a global leader in process technologies and clean technology solutions serving the chemical, refining, fertilizer, metals, and industrial manufacturing sectors. Their technologies, equipment, products, and services help industrial organizations improve operational performance while reducing environmental impact and supporting safer, more sustainable manufacturing processes.

They are seeking an experienced Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Manager to lead environmental, health, safety, and regulatory compliance programs for a chemical manufacturing facility in California . This is a hands-on leadership position that will serve as the site's primary EHS technical authority and work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and site leadership to maintain safe and compliant plant operations.

The successful candidate will bring significant California EHS regulatory experience within chemical or process manufacturing , with strong knowledge of environmental compliance, occupational safety, industrial hygiene, process safety, hazardous materials and waste, and emergency preparedness. This individual must be comfortable independently interpreting complex regulatory and permitting requirements and translating them into practical actions at the plant level.

In addition to managing site-wide EHS programs, the EHS Manager will maintain a visible presence in the field, lead interactions with regulatory agencies, drive corrective actions, and directly supervise and develop an EHS Specialist .

This is a full-time, onsite position with a typical Monday–Friday schedule. Occasional night and weekend support will be required based on plant needs, incidents, or emergencies.

Duties & Responsibilities

• EHS Leadership & Regulatory Compliance

  • Serve as the site's technical authority for environmental, health, and safety compliance.

  • Interpret federal, California, and local regulatory requirements, permits, and agency requirements and determine their applicability to site operations.

  • Establish and implement appropriate compliance actions, procedures, and controls.

  • Maintain current knowledge of existing and pending EHS legislation and regulatory developments.

  • Provide clear and timely EHS guidance to Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and site leadership.

  • Maintain productive and professional relationships with regulatory agencies and personnel.

• Environmental Compliance

  • Manage environmental permits, regulatory reporting, inspections, records, required notifications, corrective actions, and follow-up activities.

  • Lead site compliance programs related to air quality, hazardous materials, hazardous and non-hazardous waste, CalARP, wastewater, and TRI/EPCRA requirements .

  • Manage hazardous and non-hazardous waste in accordance with regulatory and company requirements.

  • Coordinate workplace and ambient-air monitoring activities.

  • Maintain environmental source and hazardous-material inventories required for permitting, reporting, emergency planning, and regulatory compliance.

  • Ensure required environmental documentation and records are accurate, complete, and maintained appropriately.

• Occupational Health & Safety

  • Lead occupational safety, industrial hygiene, contractor safety, and emergency preparedness programs.

  • Maintain a regular presence throughout plant operations to identify hazards, unsafe conditions, and potential compliance gaps.

  • Develop appropriate corrective actions and ensure identified issues are addressed through completion.

  • Oversee the site's EHS training program, including regulatory training requirements, training content, completion tracking, and recordkeeping.

  • Promote strong safety practices and accountability throughout the facility.

• Process Safety & Risk Management

  • Maintain and support internal process-safety practices and programs.

  • Provide EHS oversight for Management of Change (MOC), Process Hazard Analysis/Layers of Protection Analysis (PHA/LOPA), Pre-Startup Safety Review (PSSR), and incident investigation activities.

  • Evaluate EHS requirements and potential risks associated with changes to processes, equipment, chemicals, and capital projects.

  • Establish appropriate controls and requirements before operational changes are implemented.

  • Partner with Operations and Engineering to proactively identify and mitigate process and operational risks.

• Regulatory Inspections, Audits & Investigations

  • Lead regulatory inspections and interactions with applicable government agencies.

  • Coordinate and participate in internal and external EHS audits.

  • Lead or support investigations involving incidents, injuries, releases, environmental events, and other EHS matters.

  • Develop corrective and preventive actions and drive them through timely completion.

  • Ensure required incident and regulatory reporting is completed accurately and within established deadlines.

• Emergency Preparedness & Response

  • Develop, maintain, and test spill-prevention, contingency, and emergency-response plans.

  • Coordinate with local emergency-response organizations and applicable external agencies.

  • Participate in emergency-response exercises and drills.

  • Provide EHS leadership and technical support during plant incidents and emergencies.

  • Ensure emergency-response programs remain current with applicable regulatory and operational requirements.

• Team Leadership & EHS Management

  • Directly supervise and develop the site's EHS Specialist .

  • Establish priorities and ensure effective execution of assigned EHS programs and responsibilities.

  • Develop and manage the annual EHS department budget.

  • Identify and propose projects and initiatives that improve site safety, occupational health, environmental compliance, and overall EHS performance.

  • Work collaboratively across plant functions to strengthen EHS accountability and continuous improvement.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Required Experience

  • Significant California EHS regulatory experience within chemical or process manufacturing environments .

  • Demonstrated experience managing environmental, health, and safety programs within an industrial manufacturing facility.

  • Strong knowledge of applicable federal, California, and local EHS regulations and requirements, including BAAQMD, CUPA/CERS, CalARP, Cal/OSHA, DTSC, and related regulatory programs .

  • Direct experience managing regulatory permitting, reporting, inspections, audits, and agency interactions.

  • Demonstrated ability to independently interpret regulations, permits, and agency requirements and make sound compliance decisions.

  • Proven ability to identify workplace hazards and compliance gaps and drive corrective actions through completion.

  • Working knowledge of MOC, PHA/LOPA, PSSR, incident investigation, and process-safety principles .

  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical field or an equivalent combination of relevant education and professional experience.

• Preferred Experience

  • 10+ years of relevant EHS experience in a similar position or environment.

  • Direct experience within Bay Area chemical manufacturing and working with regional regulatory agencies.

  • Previous people-management or supervisory experience.

  • Experience supporting EHS programs within chemical, catalyst, petrochemical, refining, or comparable process-manufacturing environments.

• Technical Skills

  • Strong understanding of environmental permitting and regulatory reporting requirements.

  • Knowledge of occupational safety, industrial hygiene, hazardous materials, hazardous waste, and emergency-response programs.

  • Strong understanding of process-safety management principles and risk-assessment methodologies.

  • Ability to evaluate EHS implications associated with process, equipment, chemical, and project changes.

  • Strong technical writing skills with the ability to develop clear regulatory documentation, procedures, reports, and compliance records.

  • Ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into clear and practical direction for a multidisciplinary workforce.

• Leadership & Professional Skills

  • Strong leadership capabilities with a hands-on and visible approach to EHS management.

  • Sound independent judgment and the ability to make informed regulatory and compliance decisions.

  • Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.

  • Ability to effectively influence Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, contractors, and site leadership.

  • Strong analytical, investigative, and problem-solving capabilities.

  • Highly organized with strong attention to detail and regulatory deadlines.

  • Ability to balance strategic EHS leadership with hands-on involvement in day-to-day plant operations.

• Work Environment & Physical Requirements

  • Ability to work onsite in an industrial catalyst and chemical manufacturing environment .

  • Ability to work both indoors and outdoors and operate safely around industrial equipment and processes.

  • Ability to work in environments that may include weather exposure, confined spaces, heights, noise, vibration, dust, heat, cold, chemicals, gases, and substances under pressure.

  • Ability to wear required personal protective equipment, including half-face and full-face respirators , and successfully complete applicable medical clearance and fit testing.

  • Ability to safely work in confined spaces and at heights when required.

  • Ability to lift up to 15 pounds as required.

  • Ability to provide occasional onsite support during nights and weekends based on plant needs, incidents, or emergencies.

  • Ability to successfully complete required pre-employment medical and background screenings.

Employment Type: Full time Location: Martinez, CA