Environmental Health & Safety Lead

Job Description

Lightwave Logic – Environmental, Health & Safety Lead

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Company: Lightwave Logic (Nasdaq: LWLG)

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Location: Englewood, CO

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Job Type: Full-time

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Salary: $85,000 - $115,000

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Lightwave Logic (Nasdaq: LWLG) is a publicly traded materials development company that is conducting cutting-edge work to commercialize its proprietary organic nonlinear polymers for a variety of electro-optic devices and pushing the state of the art in high-speed fiber-optic telecom and data communications. Our development roadmap is designed to disrupt the industry by introducing organic modulators and related photonic integrated circuits that offer superior speed, lower power consumption, and smaller size compared to current technologies. Our materials are extendable into other applications, including sensors and quantum computing.

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Overview

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We are seeking a detail-oriented Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Lead to support and advance EHS practices across chemical R&D and chemical manufacturing labs, cleanrooms, and optical/test labs. The ideal candidate is a hands-on EHS professional who is comfortable working closely with R&D, process development, and production teams in a fast-paced technical environment. They are responsible for managing chemical safety, hazardous waste, cleanroom protocols, and regulatory compliance while supporting fast iterative development. This position will report to the Facilities Manager, with a dotted line to the Vice President of HR & Administration.

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Responsibilities

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• Develop, implement, and maintain EHS programs for chemical R&D, pilot/scale chemical manufacturing, optical labs, and cleanrooms, including gowning and contamination control.
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• Perform walkthroughs, risk assessments, job hazard analyses, and area-specific hazard inventories for labs, pilot lines, and cleanrooms, translating findings into controls and SOPs.
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• Manage chemical safety programs, including hazard communication (GHS/MSDS), chemical storage and segregation, chemical management, flammable/combustible liquids, and reactive/energetic materials controls where applicable.
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• Oversee hazardous and non-hazardous waste characterization, handling, labeling, storage, manifesting, and state regulatory compliance; coordinate disposal vendors and permits.
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• Drive cleanroom safety and contamination control efforts, including PPE, gowning, material transfer, particulate control, and cleanroom behavior audits.
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• Lead incident and near-miss investigations and root-cause analyses; implement corrective and preventive actions and track closure.
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• Deliver targeted EHS training on chemical handling, inhalation/dermal protection, respirators, spill response, emergency response, and lab/cleanroom orientation.
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• Support process changes and new material introductions by performing safety reviews, exposure assessments, and recommending engineering, administrative, and PPE controls.
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• Conduct regular EHS inspections, maintain compliance records, and prepare regulatory reports for OSHA, EPA, and local authorities as required.
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• Serve as the primary EHS contact for internal and external audits, including ISO, client audits, and regulators; support continuous improvement and metrics reporting.
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• Partner with Facilities, QA, Engineering, and leadership to integrate safety into design and operations without compromising development throughput.
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Qualifications

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• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health & Safety, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Industrial Hygiene, or a related technical field.
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• Minimum 4 years of EHS experience supporting chemical R&D, pilot manufacturing, and laboratory operations; demonstrable cleanroom experience required.
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• Strong working knowledge of OSHA, EPA, CDPHE, hazardous materials shipping, NFPA, and relevant state regulations.
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• Experience with hazardous waste management, chemical inventory systems, and chemical exposure/hazard assessments.
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• Proven experience conducting incident investigations, job hazard analyses, and EHS training.
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• Excellent communication skills and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with scientists, engineers, and operators.
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• Preferred certifications include CSP, CIH, CHMM, OSHA 30, or equivalent.
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• Experience with ISO systems and supporting audits.
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• Familiarity with chemical synthesis, manufacturing, and cleanroom operations.
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• Experience with EHS management software and LIMS/chemical inventory integrations.
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• Floor-level safety leadership, with comfort spending most of the week embedded in labs and cleanrooms.
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• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail.
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• Ability to translate technical hazards into clear, actionable controls and training.
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• Project-oriented, with the ability to drive corrective actions to closure and report metrics to leadership.
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Benefits

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Lightwave Logic offers a highly competitive compensation package including stock options, as well as comprehensive benefits including fully paid medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage (employee and family), a generous PTO policy, $500/year(prorated) company contribution to your medical FSA, and a 401K (safe harbor,4% match).

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EEO Statement

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Lightwave Logic is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.