Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Manager – Hazardous Materials

Parts Town•Addison, IL

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Manager – Hazardous Materials, is responsible for developing, implementing, and leading the company's hazardous materials (HazMat) strategy and compliance program execution and adherence across all operations. This position serves as the organization's subject matter expert for hazardous materials management, ensuring the safe handling, storage, transportation, use, and disposal of regulated materials while maintaining compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations. The EHS Manager will partner closely with Legal, Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Facilities, Procurement, Human Resources, and external regulatory agencies to build a world-class safety culture that protects team members, customers, communities, and the environment. This role is responsible for establishing best practices, driving continuous improvement, minimizing organizational risk, and ensuring operational readiness through effective emergency planning, employee training, and regulatory compliance.

Requirements

5 + years of progressive Environmental Health & Safety experience with significant responsibility for hazardous materials management in a manufacturing, distribution, logistics, or industrial environment and developing and implementing enterprise-wide HazMat compliance programs.
Ability to support regulatory inspections and manage relationships with governmental agencies.
Demonstrated success leading emergency response activities and conducting incident investigations.
Ability to obtain a current 40-hour HAZWOPER certification.
Possess a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or similar professional certification.
Strong leadership and decision-making capabilities, particularly during emergency situations.
Excellent project management and organizational skills.
Ability to interpret complex regulations and translate them into practical business processes.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience utilizing root cause analysis methodologies.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across all organizational levels.
Ability to build partnerships with operations while balancing safety, compliance, and business objectives.
Continuous improvement mindset focused on reducing risk, enhancing compliance, and driving operational excellence.
High ethical standards, sound judgment, and a commitment to protecting people, the environment, and company assets.
Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Occupational Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, or a related discipline required.
Strong knowledge of: OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom), OSHA Process Safety Management (where applicable), EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), EPA hazardous waste regulations, DOT Hazardous Materials Regulations, Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) requirements, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), NFPA hazardous material storage requirements.

Nice To Haves

Unique enthusiasm
High integrity
Courage to embrace change
Know a few jokes

Responsibilities

Develop, implement, and continuously improve the company's enterprise Hazardous Materials Management Program.
Establish standardized policies, procedures, and operating practices governing the handling, storage, transportation, and disposal of hazardous materials.
Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, DOT, state environmental agencies, fire codes, and all other applicable regulatory requirements.
Partner with Legal on the regulatory changes and proactively update company policies, procedures, and training programs to maintain compliance.
Partner with Legal on guidance for compliance and serve as the company's primary authority on execution of Supply Chain hazardous materials compliance and regulatory interpretation.
Conduct comprehensive risk assessments to identify hazards associated with chemical use, storage, transportation, and waste management.
Develop mitigation strategies and engineering or administrative controls to reduce operational risk.
Partner with the internal Legal team on internal compliance audits and coordinate regulatory inspections with government agencies.
Ensure timely completion of corrective and preventive actions resulting from audits, inspections, and incident investigations.
Oversee hazardous materials inventory management, classification, labeling, storage, segregation, and disposal activities.
Ensure proper maintenance and accessibility of Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and chemical inventories throughout all facilities.
Establish processes that maintain full material traceability and support regulatory reporting requirements.
Partner with Procurement and Operations to evaluate new chemicals and hazardous materials before being introduced into the workplace.
Support transportation compliance for hazardous material shipments in accordance with DOT regulations.
Lead hazardous materials emergency preparedness planning and response efforts.
Serve as the Incident Commander or technical lead during HazMat-related emergencies, coordinating response activities with internal leadership, emergency responders, and regulatory agencies.
Develop and maintain spill response procedures, emergency action plans, and business continuity protocols.
Conduct incident investigations utilizing root cause analysis methodologies and implement sustainable corrective actions.
Design, develop, and deliver comprehensive hazardous materials training programs for employees, contractors, supervisors, and emergency response teams.
Ensure compliance with required regulatory training and certification requirements.
Promote a proactive safety culture by increasing employee awareness, engagement, and accountability regarding hazardous materials.
Provide technical guidance and coaching to leaders across all levels of the organization.
Analyze safety performance metrics, compliance data, and incident trends to identify improvement opportunities.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives that reduce environmental risk, improve operational efficiency, and enhance workplace safety.
Benchmark industry best practices and recommend innovative technologies and processes that strengthen.