Environmental Health Safety Specialist

Position Summary:

CITEL is looking for a Environmental Health Specialist to join its brand‑new location in Hillsborough, NC. Reporting to the Quality Manager you will be responsible for developing, implementing, and continuously improving the Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) programs for CITEL’s Hillsborough manufacturing facility. This position will play a key role in establishing a strong safety culture and ensuring the facility operates in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local environmental, health, and safety regulations.

The EHS Specialist will take ownership of the site’s EHS program, including safety policies and procedures, employee training, inspections, hazard identification and risk reduction, incident investigation, environmental compliance, contractor safety, emergency preparedness, and EHS record-keeping. A significant responsibility of this position will be preparing the Hillsborough facility for ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and ISO 45001 Occupational Health & Safety Management System registration.

The successful candidate will be a hands-on professional who is comfortable working directly with employees and supervisors on the manufacturing floor, identifying hazards, developing practical solutions, and driving accountability throughout the organization. you will integrate directly into our international Project Management team across the United States, France, and China. Reporting to the Head of Project Management in France, you will serve as the local Project Manager with a high level of autonomy, elevating U.S. project execution to a best‑in‑class standard while ensuring strong alignment with product managers, R&D, Sales, Purchasing, Marketing, and Methods teams worldwide. Your mission is to elevate US project execution to a \"best-in-class\" level by leveraging international standards while actively contributing to the groups continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

EHS Program Development, Training & Management

• Develop and implement a comprehensive site-wide Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) program from the ground up and ensure programs remain current and effective.
• Manage the site’s EHS training program by identifying required training, delivering new-hire and ongoing training, and developing practical safety communications and awareness materials.
• Establish EHS policies, standards, work instructions, and recordkeeping systems.
• Establish measurable EHS objectives, goals, and key performance indicators.
• Conduct routine safety inspections, audits, and workplace assessments.
• Identify hazards and implement corrective and preventive actions to reduce risk.
• Partner with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, and Human Resources to integrate EHS into daily operations.
• Promote a proactive safety culture based on employee engagement, hazard prevention, and continuous improvement.
• Lead investigations of workplace injuries, near misses, property damage, environmental incidents, and other EHS events identifying root causes and effective preventive actions.
• Analyze incident and near-miss trends to identify opportunities for proactive risk reduction.

Regulatory Compliance

• Maintain compliance with applicable OSHA, EPA, NC Department of Labor and NC Department of Environmental Qualityrequirements
• Maintain required permits, registrations, reports, records, and regulatory documentation.
• Coordinate regulatory inspections and respond to findings or requests for information.

Hazard Identification & Risk Reduction

• Perform job safety analyses (JSAs) for manufacturing and support activities.
• Identify and address hazards associated with electrical assembly, hand soldering, wave soldering, component cutting, hand tools, ergonomics, and facility operations.
• Evaluate new equipment, processes, chemicals, and materials for EHS risks before implementation.
• Partner with Engineering and Maintenance on machine guarding, electrical safety, lockout/tagout, and other equipment-related safety requirements.
• Establish processes for reporting, investigating, and correcting unsafe conditions.

Environmental Management

• Develop and manage the sites environmental management program.
• Manage hazardous and non-hazardous waste programs and applicable vendor relationships.
• Maintain Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and chemical inventories.
• Develop and maintain spill prevention and response procedures.
• Lead environmental inspections, reporting, permitting, and compliance activities.
• Drive opportunities to reduce waste, energy use, environmental impacts, and operating costs.

Emergency Preparedness & Response

• Develop and maintain the facility Emergency Action Plan and related emergency response procedures including fire, severe weather, chemical spills, medical emergencies, and other potential events.
• Work with local emergency responders as appropriate.

Contractor & Visitor Safety

• Develop and manage the visitor and contractor safety programs.
• Verify required training, PPE, insurance, and other contractor qualifications.
• Conduct contractor safety orientations and monitor compliance while work is being performed.
• Ensure visitors and contractors understand applicable site safety requirements.

ISO 14001 & ISO 45001 Implementation

• Lead the development and implementation of the EHS management systems required for ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 registration.
• Establish environmental aspects/impacts and occupational health & safety hazard/risk assessment processes.
• Establish processes for document control, operational controls, training, communications, corrective action, and continual improvement.
• Coordinate internal audits and management review activities related to the EHS management systems.

Continuous Improvement

• Establish a culture of continuous improvement in environmental, health, and safety performance using data and trends to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Benchmark EHS practices against applicable industry standards and CITEL facilities.
• Participate in cross-functional improvement projects and provide EHS expertise during process and facility changes.

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health & Safety, Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, Engineering, or a related field
• 3+ years of experience in an EHS role within a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of OSHA regulations and applicable environmental requirements.
• Experience establishing EHS programs at a new or rapidly growing facility.
• Experience implementing or maintaining ISO 14001 and/or ISO 45001 management systems.
• Experience developing and delivering employee EHS training.
• Experience with environmental permitting, hazardous waste, chemical management, or environmental compliance.
• Ability to work effectively with employees at all levels of an organization.
• Ability to spend significant time on the manufacturing floor identifying hazards and implementing practical solutions.

Preferred

• OSHA 30-Hour training or equivalent.
• ASP, CSP, CIH, CHMM, or other relevant professional certification.

Why Join Us?

Our new RTP facility represents the future of CITEL in the U.S. a growing team, high-tech manufacturing, and a culture rooted in collaboration and innovation. The Raleigh-Durham area offers access to world-class talent, strong infrastructure, affordable housing, and an unbeatable quality of life. Be part of a family-owned company that is protecting critical systems, supports clean energy, and growing with purpose.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and performance bonus
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and company holidays
• Company paid life insurance
• Career development opportunities

Equal Opportunity Employer

CITEL considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, disability, or sexual orientation. All applicants will be considered solely on the basis of their qualifications.