Senior Manger, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS)

Barry-Wehmiller•Romeoville, IL

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

BW Packaging is seeking a Senior Leader, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) to lead the development and execution of the company's EHS strategy across multiple manufacturing sites. This role is responsible for developing, refining, and managing a unified EHS program to ensure regulatory compliance, reduce risk, promote consistent safety practices, and strengthen a culture of care. The Senior Leader will partner with Operations, Field Service, and the People team to integrate safety into daily work, drive continuous improvement, and maintain consistent standards and processes. Additionally, this role will lead the U.S. Workers’ Compensation strategy and execution, focusing on effective case management, cost control, and alignment with safety practices.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required in safety, operations, engineering or related field.
7+ years of progressive EHS leadership experience, preferably in manufacturing or industrial environments.
Demonstrated success developing EHS programs and influencing safety culture across multiple sites.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and implement standardized EHS systems in complex operational environments.
Deep understanding of manufacturing safety standards and environmental regulations.
Significant experience with Workers’ Compensation.
Strong leadership and communication skills; ability to influence across diverse functions, levels and cultures.
Ability to balance strategic vision with hands-on engagement.

Nice To Haves

Professional certifications, e.g., Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), NEBOSH International General Certificate (IGC) or NEBOSH Diploma, strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop, implement, execute and continuously improve the EHS strategy aligned with business goals and culture expectations.
Establish and standardize EHS governance models, policies, procedures, and best practices across all sites and ensure consistent application.
Advise executive leadership on EHS risks, trends, and regulatory impacts.
Ensure compliance with regulatory bodies including OSHA and local manufacturing safety regulations.
Conduct EHS audits, inspections, and risk assessments to verify adherence to standards and identify improvement opportunities.
Monitor emerging regulatory requirements affecting manufacturing and implement proactive readiness plans.
Oversee incident investigation report outs and ensure root cause corrective actions (RCCA) are completed and implemented.
Partner with BW Corporate safety & BW Packaging EMEA safety leadership, aligning with corporate-driven policies and initiatives and representing BW Packaging on Corporate safety calls.
Develop, implement, maintain, and continuously improve safety programs (e.g., LOTO, arc flash protection, safe lifting & rigging, machine safety, fall protection, emergency response).
Lead deployment and sustained execution of behavior-based safety, near miss reporting, and safety Gemba program.
Develop and maintain centralized repository for safety-related documentation including, safety-related; policies, regulations, SOP’s, best practices, investigation findings & RCCA’s, metrics and global safety meeting agenda’s & actions.
Ensure consistent adoption and execution of safety programs across sites, holding leaders accountable for implementation and follow-through.
Drive reduction of workplace injuries, incidents, and occupational health risks.
Monitor safety performance metrics and ensure transparency in reporting.
Drive compliance with environmental regulations relevant to manufacturing (air emissions, water hazardous waste/waste management, wastewater discharge, chemical storage, stormwater, spill response).
Oversee environmental permitting, reporting, and audits ensuring reporting is completed accurately and on time.
Manage Workers’ Compensation claims effectively from start to finish, including reporting, documentation, investigations, coordination with insurance carriers and legal, and communication with all parties.
Provide Return-to-work support, coordinating with leaders, team members, and the People team to develop modified duty or transitional work plans.
Ensure all state and federal reporting timelines and state-specific regulations for Workers' Compensation are met.
Manage Workers’ Compensation costs and risks by reviewing claims for accuracy, fraud concerns, or unnecessary costs, and working with carriers to negotiate reserves.
Serve as the primary point of contact between the team member, insurer, legal, and providers for Workers' Compensation cases, maintaining confidentiality and professionalism.
Track and report Workers’ Compensation costs and claim updates to executive leaders, including reserve increases.
Develop and deliver EHS training programs for team members, leaders, and contractors.
Oversee vendor agreements for safety consultants and/or training providers.
Ensure competency in required technical areas (hazardous materials, PPE, ergonomics, emergency response).
Coach and mentor team members, operational and field service leaders, safety partners, and people team in applicable EHS expectations.
Build a strong safety culture of safety ownership and proactive risk identification in daily operations emphasizing shared responsibility and preventive behaviors.
Develop, lead and sustain engagement activities such as the monthly global safety meeting, site safety committees, recognition programs and behavior-based safety initiatives.
Influence leaders and team members at all levels to model safety behaviors that foster a strong safety culture.
Ensure compliance with all government agency reporting requirements (e.g. OSHA record keeping, local health and safety authority or labor inspector reporting).
Establish EHS KPIs and dashboards aligned to manufacturing metrics (e.g. TRIR, DART, near miss KPIs, environmental impact metrics, audit closure rates).
Present EHS performance reports and strategic recommendations to executive leadership.
Develop and maintain centralized reporting systems to ensure visibility and consistency across all facilities.
Embody BW’s Leadership & Team Member Expectations.
Foster and model a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and customer focus.
Partner and collaborate with cross-functional leaders across BW Packaging.
Train, coach, and develop team members to foster a culture of People and Performance in harmony.
Ensure all policies and procedures are adhered to by team members.
Review and approve time-off requests, balancing employee needs with operational requirements.
Conduct regular performance reviews, provide feedback, set goals, support team member development and manage job performance.
Partner with the People team on team member development, performance documentation and overall employee relations issues.