Director of EHS

The businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany•Sheboygan Falls, WI

6d•$181,000 - $271,400

About The Position

This role does not offer sponsorship for work authorization. External applicants must be eligible to work in the US. As the Director of Environmental Health & Safety, you will shape and drive the organization’s EHS strategy, ensuring that safety, environmental stewardship, and regulatory compliance are embedded into every layer of operations. In this pivotal role, you will lead enterprise-wide risk identification and mitigation, leverage data analytics to monitor performance trends, and oversee emergency response planning for critical incidents. You will set clear performance metrics, champion a proactive safety culture, and ensure that EHS protocols and training are integrated effectively across all functions. You will also hold accountability for the EHS function budget, making strategic investment decisions that protect people, assets, and the environment.

Requirements

BS in an applicable field and preferred degree in Chemistry, Industrial Hygiene or no degree and 8+ years of relevant experience
Minimum of 8 years of progressive industrial experience
Strategic leadership experience in the chemical manufacturing industry
5 or more years of hands-on experience at the plant level in environmental, occupational health, and/or safety in a leadership role that has a strong emphasis on collaboration with quality and safety.

Nice To Haves

Professional certification in Industrial Hygiene, Safety, Environment, and/or Engineering (e.g., CIH, CSP, PE)
Advanced knowledge of chemical hazard classification and environmental, occupational health, and safety evaluation and control methods
Working knowledge of federal, state, and local environmental, occupational health, and safety regulations
Familiarity with process safety management elements and regulations
Experience with operational excellence tools such as lean methodologies and continuous improvement frameworks
Strong presentation, training development, and stakeholder communication skills
Effective hazard assessment skills and knowledge of advanced incident prevention methods
Basic knowledge of occupational medicine practices

Responsibilities

Define and communicate the site’s EHS strategy and objectives, aligning priorities with Merck’s business goals, regulatory requirements, and sustainability commitments.
Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of environmental, health, and safety management systems across operations, ensuring compliance with applicable local and global regulations, standards, policies, and building codes.
Establish proactive risk-management frameworks that use data, trend analysis, predictive insights, formal risk assessments, near-miss reporting, and root-cause analysis to prevent injuries, incidents, and quality non-conformances.
Oversee process safety management and the identification, assessment, and mitigation of operational, environmental, chemical, and supply-chain risks.
Develop and maintain emergency and crisis-response plans for events such as chemical spills, fires, environmental incidents, and other critical situations; coordinate timely response and recovery efforts.
Integrate EHS requirements into daily operations, including effective training and consistent execution across employees, contractors, vendors, and other external partners.
Monitor and report EHS performance through meaningful KPIs, ensuring data accuracy, regulatory reporting, transparency, and follow-through on improvement actions.
Promote a strong culture of safety, health, environmental stewardship, and sustainability by serving as a visible role model and engaging teams at all levels.
Translate regulatory and sustainability requirements into practical operational standards, supporting waste management, environmental compliance, circular-economy objectives, and responsible resource use.
Drive EHS innovation and continuous improvement by piloting emerging technologies, applying analytics and machine learning where appropriate, and using employee feedback to strengthen processes.
Coach, mentor, and develop EHS professionals, leaders, and autonomous production teams to build capability, accountability, problem-solving skills, and succession readiness.
Empower cross-functional teams to make informed local decisions, collaborate effectively, and deliver sustained improvements in EHS performance.
Partner with internal and external stakeholders to embed holistic safety management throughout the site and broader supply chain.