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.