Description

The Senior EHS Specialist serves as the facility's primary EHS strategic leader and subject matter expert, responsible for building, owning, and continuously improving the site's safety and environmental management systems. This role operates with a high degree of autonomy and is expected to influence operational strategy at the leadership table, not simply execute programs. The Senior EHS Specialist is expected to embody Toyota Way principles mentoring team members & leaders and executing upon Hoshin-aligned safety strategies. This individual will champion Respect for People, Kaizen, and Genchi Genbutsu and will represent EHS in cross-functional planning, customer relationship management, and site-level strategic decision-making. The role requires influence without direct authority with the ability to drive sustainable safety culture improvements across the operation.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Exceptional communication at all levels, including executive leadership, customer partners, and regulatory bodies
Proactively identify muda (waste) in safety and environmental processes and lead strategic improvements
Mentor and develop Assistant Managers, Group Leads and Team Leads into stronger safety leaders
Serve as a visible role model for Respect for People, especially during difficult conversations (incident investigations, corrective actions, policy enforcement)
Develop robust safety training and policy in alignment with sites Occupational Health & Safety Management System (OHSMS)
Directly influence labor stability by advising operations leadership on safety-related root causes of turnover, etc.
Own and elevate the facility's safety commitment beyond compliance into a self-sustaining culture
Audit and coach 5S discipline across departments, holding leadership accountable to standard
Partner with Operations to ensure EHS performance does not compromise customer KPIs for productivity, quality, and on-time outbound performance
Design and continuously refine visual management systems for safety performance transparency
Lead complex root cause investigations (PDCA) involving multiple contributing factors or systemic issues
Sponsor and drive Kaizen events focused on waste reduction, ergonomics, and risk elimination
Advise on workload planning to ensure safety resourcing scales appropriately with operational demand
Translate Hoshin goals into facility-level EHS strategy and measurable action plans
Champion Yokoten by formalizing and sharing best practices across sites

Strategic EHS Program Ownership

Own the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the facility's Occupational Health & Safety Management System (OHSMS)
Lead facility readiness for internal, customer, and regulatory audits, ensuring proactive compliance posture
Develop and manage the sites EHS strategic plan aligned to Hoshin goals
Serve as the facility's primary point of contact for OSHA, Cal/OSHA, and other regulatory agency interactions

Safety Program Ownership

Maintain a safe working environment and ensure proper use of safety practices facility-wide
Ensure full compliance with Cal/OSHA and Federal OSHA regulations, including staying ahead of regulatory changes
Lead complex incident investigations, ensuring root cause analysis (PDCA)
Conduct and oversee risk assessments and Job Hazard Analyses (JHA)
Design and deliver advanced safety training curriculum, including train-the-trainer programs for Assistant Managers, Group Leads and Team Leads
Oversee Powered Industrial Truck (PIT) certification programs and new hire safety orientation standards

Environmental Compliance & Strategy

Own ISO 14001 compliance strategy and lead internal/external audit readiness
Ensure compliance with California-specific environmental regulations (CalEPA, DTSC, South Coast AQMD, Prop 65) and anticipate regulatory shifts
Partner with Dangerous Goods Coordinator to lead hazardous materials program strategy, including storage, handling, and disposal optimization
Identify opportunities to reduce environmental risk and cost through process improvement

Data, Documentation & Reporting

· Own the integrity and strategic use of KPA/NovaraFlex system data for incidents, accidents, and near misses
· Maintain OSHA logs, KPI reporting, and OHSMS documentation with a focus on trend analysis and predictive insights
· Present monthly KPI performance to senior leadership with actionable recommendations
· Ensure OHSMS elements are compiled, adhered to, and reviewed
· Lead periodic review and revision of company safety policies to ensure accuracy and regulatory alignment
· Analyze injury/incident trends to proactively address systemic risk before claims occur

Meetings, Communication & Influence

Lead monthly safety committee meetings, ensuring outcomes translate to measurable action
Facilitate weekly safety meetings with management
Act as a coach to floor leadership and management teams, elevating their safety ownership

Client & Cross-Site Relationship Management

Serve as a trusted strategic partner to customer leadership (e.g., MBUSA)
Represent the facility in multi-site EHS forums, contributing to standardization and best practice sharing
Lead Yokoten efforts, formally documenting and transferring successful improvements to other sites

Physical requirements

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the following have been identified as physical requirements of the job:

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
The employee is frequently required to use hands and fingers to handle, reach or feel and manipulate objects or controls. The employee is frequently required to sit or stand for long periods of time, walk distances and climb stairs, as well as stoop, bend, kneel and crouch.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Requirements

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor's degree required in Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, Safety Engineering, or related field
Master's degree strongly preferred (Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Management, or related discipline)
Minimum 6–8 years of progressive EHS experience required, including at least 2–3 years in a senior, lead, or supervisory-level EHS capacity
Experience in manufacturing, logistics, distribution, or automotive environments required; Toyota Production System (TPS) experience strongly preferred
CSP (Certified Safety Professional) required or must be obtained within 12 months of hire
CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist) or CHMM (Certified Hazardous Materials Manager) strongly preferred
OSHA 30-Hour certification required; OSHA 500 (Trainer Certification) required
Hazmat Certification required
Demonstrated expertise in California-specific EHS regulations (Cal/OSHA, CARB, South Coast AQMD, DTSC, Prop 65), including experience navigating regulatory audits or agency negotiations
Bilingual in English and Spanish required
Demonstrated experience mentoring or leading safety teams
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with proven experience presenting to senior/executive leadership
Strong strategic thinking, organizational, and analytical skills; ability to translate data into business recommendations
Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority across all levels of an organization
Proficiency with safety management systems (e.g., KPA/NovaraFlex), Microsoft Office, and data visualization tools
Excellent safety record required

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