Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Specialist or Manager
Location: Pawcatuck, Connecticut
Compensation: $90,000–$100,000
Schedule: Full-time, onsite
Position Overview
A well-established manufacturing organization is seeking an experienced Environmental, Health & Safety Specialist or Manager Level to lead and support EHS and sustainability initiatives at its Pawcatuck, Connecticut facility.
This position is ideal for a hands-on safety professional who understands how a manufacturing operation functions at the shop-floor level. Candidates who began their careers in production, operations, maintenance, quality, or another plant-based role before transitioning into EHS or workplace safety are especially encouraged to apply.
The EHS Specialist will work closely with site leadership, supervisors, and employees to strengthen the facility’s safety culture, maintain regulatory compliance, reduce workplace risk, and drive continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee continuous improvement initiatives related to the facility’s environmental, health, safety, and sustainability programs.
- Promote a proactive, shop-floor-focused safety culture throughout the manufacturing operation.
- Ensure compliance with applicable OSHA, EPA, federal, state, and local environmental and workplace safety requirements.
- Serve as a site liaison with regulatory agencies, inspectors, and other external authorities.
- Conduct routine facility inspections and identify unsafe conditions, behaviors, processes, and potential environmental risks.
- Document inspection findings and ensure corrective actions are assigned, tracked, and completed.
- Perform EHS compliance assessments and develop action plans to address identified deficiencies.
- Develop, implement, and maintain EHS policies, procedures, programs, and best practices.
- Create and deliver employee training related to regulatory compliance, hazard recognition, safe work practices, emergency response, and proper use of safety equipment.
- Provide supervisors and managers with the guidance, training, and tools necessary to maintain safe and compliant operations.
- Implement continuing EHS education and training programs for managers, supervisors, and employees.
- Lead investigations involving workplace injuries, incidents, environmental events, and near misses.
- Conduct root-cause analyses and develop sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
- Identify, evaluate, and correct hazardous workplace conditions and practices.
- Manage EHS key performance indicators and prepare reports highlighting trends, risks, progress, and improvement opportunities.
- Support regulatory recordkeeping and reporting, including applicable OSHA logs, environmental documentation, permits, and compliance records.
- Monitor and support compliance with environmental permits, policies, and operating requirements.
- Evaluate sustainability initiatives based on cost-effectiveness, technical feasibility, operational impact, and organizational acceptance.
- Track sustainability measures such as energy consumption, natural-resource usage, waste generation, recycling, and waste-reduction efforts.
- Prepare reports and presentations communicating the effectiveness of EHS and sustainability initiatives.
- Partner cross-functionally with operations, engineering, maintenance, human resources, quality, and site leadership.
- Perform other related responsibilities necessary to support the facility’s EHS function.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering, Industrial Technology, or a related discipline preferred; equivalent manufacturing and EHS experience will also be considered.
- Five or more years of environmental, health, and safety experience within a manufacturing or industrial environment preferred.
- Working knowledge of OSHA requirements and applicable federal, state, and local environmental regulations.
- Experience conducting workplace inspections, compliance assessments, incident investigations, and root-cause analyses.
- Experience developing and delivering safety training to employees, supervisors, and managers.
- Ability to translate regulatory requirements into practical, shop-floor procedures and expectations.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, production environments, equipment-related hazards, and employee safety practices.
- Ability to influence employees and leaders while holding the organization accountable for safety and compliance expectations.
- Strong written, verbal, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Comfortable spending significant time on the manufacturing floor and working directly with employees at all levels.
Ideal Candidate Profile
The strongest candidate will be a visible, credible safety leader who understands that effective EHS programs must work in real-world manufacturing environments. This person will be comfortable walking the production floor, speaking directly with operators and supervisors, identifying risks, delivering training, and following corrective actions through completion.
A background that combines hands-on manufacturing experience with progressive responsibility in EHS, safety, environmental compliance, or operational risk management would be especially valuable.
This is an opportunity to take ownership of the EHS function at an established manufacturing facility and make a measurable impact on employee safety, environmental compliance, operational performance, and continuous improvement.
The organization is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.
How to apply.
Apply through TopOneHire and we forward your application to the hiring employer. TopOneHire is a publisher and listings platform — we do not screen, interview, or make hiring decisions.