EHS Specialist

Position Summary

The Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Specialist is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining environmental, health, safety, and workers' compensation programs to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations while promoting a culture of safety throughout the organization. This role serves as a key resource for accident prevention, regulatory compliance, employee safety training, workers' compensation administration, environmental stewardship, and risk management within a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Strong workers' compensation experience is essential. Spanish language skills are highly preferred due to frequent interaction with a bilingual workforce. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Environmental, Health & Safety

• Lead and support all facility EHS programs, ensuring compliance with OSHA, Cal/OSHA, EPA, and other applicable regulations.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve safety policies, procedures, and training programs.
• Conduct routine facility safety inspections, audits, risk assessments, and hazard analyses.
• Perform incident investigations, root cause analyses, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Maintain OSHA logs, injury records, training documentation, and regulatory reporting requirements.
• Conduct new hire safety orientation and ongoing employee safety training.
• Develop and maintain Job Safety Analyses (JSAs) and hazard-specific training matrices.
• Evaluate and recommend appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Lead emergency preparedness initiatives, including drills, emergency response planning, and response team coordination.
• Partner with operations and department managers to identify and mitigate workplace risks.
• Monitor regulatory developments and communicate compliance requirements to management.

Environmental Compliance

• Maintain environmental permits, records, and reporting requirements.
• Administer hazardous waste, recycling, and pollution prevention programs.
• Ensure compliance with stormwater, air quality, hazardous materials, and waste management regulations.
• Conduct environmental inspections and maintain environmental management systems.
• Support sustainability initiatives and environmental performance improvement programs.
• Coordinate with regulatory agencies during inspections, audits, or inquiries.

Workers' Compensation & Risk Management

• Serve as the facility lead for workers' compensation administration and claim management.
• Conduct thorough investigations of all occupational injuries and illnesses.
• Manage workers' compensation claims from initial reporting through claim closure.
• Coordinate with insurance carriers, third-party administrators, occupational health clinics, medical providers, and employees.
• Ensure timely reporting of workplace injuries and compliance with claims management requirements.
• Monitor claim reserves, lost time, modified duty assignments, and return-to-work programs.
• Track injury trends and recommend corrective actions to reduce claim frequency and severity.
• Partner closely with Human Resources, Operations, Payroll, and Safety teams regarding claim status and employee accommodations.
• Assist injured employees throughout the workers' compensation process and ensure proper documentation.
• Maintain accurate claim records and provide workers' compensation metrics and reports to leadership.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, Engineering, Risk Management, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive EHS experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 3 years of hands-on workers' compensation claims management experience.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA/Cal-OSHA regulations, incident investigations, and injury prevention programs.
• Experience managing return-to-work, modified duty, and claim administration processes.
• Experience conducting safety training and employee coaching.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook).
• Ability to work independently while influencing leaders and employees at all levels.

Preferred

• Cosmetics, personal care, pharmaceutical, food, or other FDA-regulated manufacturing experience.
• Professional certifications such as ASP, CSP, OHST, CHMM, or related credentials.
• Experience with ESG reporting platforms such as EcoVadis or CDP.
• Bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred; 
• Experience working with captive insurance programs or self-insured workers' compensation environments.

Key Competencies

• Workers' Compensation Administration
• Regulatory Compliance
• Accident Investigation & Root Cause Analysis
• OSHA / Cal-OSHA Compliance
• Environmental Compliance
• Risk Assessment & Hazard Identification
• Safety Training & Employee Engagement
• Return-to-Work Program Management
• Claims Management
• Leadership & Influence
• Project Management
• Continuous Improvement

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to walk, stand, bend, kneel, and climb stairs throughout the workday.
• Frequent movement throughout manufacturing, warehouse, and office environments.
• Ability to respond to emergencies and conduct facility inspections.

Work Environment

• Manufacturing and production environment.
• Exposure to equipment, machinery, forklifts, and warehouse traffic.
• Indoor and outdoor work as required.
• Moderate noise levels and varying environmental conditions.