Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) and Workforce Development Manager

Novolex Corporate•Franklin Park, IL

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Shape a safer, smarter future at Novolex. As our Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) and Workforce Development Manager, you will architect and continuously elevate the programs that keep our people safe and our teams skilled. You will align with Novolex’s policies, vision, and values while ensuring full compliance with local, state, and federal health and safety regulations.

Requirements

5+ years of progressive health and safety experience in a manufacturing or industrial setting.
Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills; able to influence at all organizational levels.
Self-directed and effective in a fast-paced environment with multiple stakeholders.
Strong analytical and organizational abilities; solid project management from initiation through execution.
Proven leadership and motivational capability to drive rapid, sustained results.
Team-first mindset; excels on highly collaborative, high-performance teams.
Ability to work a flexible schedule during key business deadlines.
Ability to travel 5%–10%.

Nice To Haves

BA/BS in Occupational Safety & Health or related field preferred.
Bilingual (Spanish) preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Own the development, implementation, and ongoing improvement of Health & Safety policies, procedures, and programs consistent with Novolex standards.
Maintain up-to-date OSHA-required written programs; design and deliver training to ensure understanding and compliance.
Oversee reporting and investigations of injuries, accidents, and safety-related concerns; drive root cause analysis and corrective actions.
Champion a proactive safety culture through employee engagement, behavior-based safety initiatives, risk assessments, and continuous improvement.
Guide plant management with clear communications, structured reporting, assessments, training plans, and hands-on support.
Collaborate with Corporate EHS; provide prioritized direction and technical expertise to engineering teams and contractors for safety projects.
Share and scale best practices across multiple locations to accelerate change and performance.
Analyze safety data and trends to determine high-impact improvement priorities and measure results.
Facilitate and sponsor employee-led teams to drive toward World Class Safety.
Perform managerial duties for 1 direct report; coordinate and manage standard work for the hourly safety and training coordinator.
Develop and manage the plant-wide training strategy for hourly and salaried employees.
Design and maintain standardized onboarding for new hires, temporary staff, and transfers.
Create job-specific training plans, skill matrices, and qualification processes.
Author and maintain SOPs, work instructions, and training materials.
Coordinate refresher training and annual compliance training cycles.
Evaluate training effectiveness via audits, observations, testing, and production performance.
Partner with department leaders to identify skill gaps and implement targeted improvement plans.
Select, certify, and coach trainers to high standards.
Maintain accurate, current training records and documentation.