Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) Manager

Ostara is passionate about changing the way the Ag and T&O industry thinks about phosphate management. Our continuing mission is, and will remain, “Feeding the World While Protecting It.”

We believe that passionate people can make a real difference and we are building a culture around innovation, sustainability, efficiency, nimbleness, honesty, compliance, and a sense of urgency to make a positive difference and create real value. Ostara’s CG P2X fertilizers are the first granular phosphate fertilizers to release nutrients in response to plant demand. Using Crop Driven Release™, CG P2X is proven to increase yields, enhance soil health and significantly reduce phosphate tie-up and runoff, thereby improving food security while protecting local waterways from nutrient pollution.

Position summary

The Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) Manager serves as Ostara's enterprise-wide leader and subject matter expert for environmental compliance, occupational health and safety, contractor safety, process safety, emergency preparedness, and regulatory compliance. This position is accountable for establishing, implementing, maintaining, monitoring, and continuously improving the Company's Environmental, Health & Safety Management System across all operations and locations.

The EH&S Manager establishes company standards, policies, procedures, goals, and performance metrics; ensures compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations; identifies and escalates significant risks; and provides leadership with accurate reporting regarding EH&S performance and compliance.

This position partners closely with operations, maintenance, engineering, human resources, contractors, and leadership to integrate EH&S requirements into all aspects of the business. The EH&S Manager has authority to stop work or operations when conditions present an imminent danger to employees, contractors, property, the environment, or regulatory compliance.

While operational leaders remain responsible for the safe execution of work within their departments, the EH&S Manager is the functional owner of the Company's environmental, health, safety, and process safety programs and is accountable for oversight, auditing, compliance verification, risk management, training, reporting, and continuous improvement.

Essential functions

EH&S Leadership & Governance

• Lead and continuously improve the Company's Environmental, Health & Safety Management System across all operations.
• Establish and maintain company-wide EH&S policies, procedures, standards, objectives, key performance indicators, and compliance programs.
• Serve as Ostara's designated functional owner and primary subject matter expert for environmental, health, safety, and process safety matters.
• Develop strategic EH&S initiatives that align with company operational, regulatory, and business objectives.
• Provide leadership with regular updates regarding EH&S performance, emerging risks, regulatory developments, and compliance status.
• Develop annual EH&S goals and drive accountability for achieving measurable improvements.

Regulatory Compliance & Environmental Management

• Maintain compliance with all applicable OSHA, EPA, DOT, state, local, and industry-specific regulations and permit requirements.
• Manage environmental compliance programs including, but not limited to:
  • Air emissions
  • Stormwater
  • Wastewater
  • Waste management
  • Spill prevention
  • Chemical inventory and reporting
  • Hazardous materials management
• Prepare, submit, and maintain required permits, reports, records, and regulatory filings.
• Serve as the primary company representative during regulatory inspections, audits, inquiries, and agency interactions.
• Coordinate responses to regulatory findings and ensure timely corrective actions.

Occupational Health & Safety

• Develop, implement, and maintain programs that protect employees, contractors, and visitors from occupational injuries and illnesses.
• Establish policies and procedures for hazard identification, risk assessment, safe work practices, and injury prevention.
• Monitor workplace conditions to identify potential hazards and implement corrective measures.
• Maintain oversight of OSHA recordkeeping, injury and illness reporting, and compliance documentation.
• Administer the Company's driver safety program, including annual motor vehicle record reviews for employees authorized to drive on company business.

Process Safety Practices

• Lead risk-based process safety efforts and apply appropriate process safety principles throughout chemical processing and fertilizer manufacturing operations. Ostara’s facilities are not subject to OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) standard; however, the Company maintains selected practices to support safe, reliable operations and continuous risk reduction.
• Coordinate and facilitate, as appropriate to the nature and risk of the operation:
  • Process hazard and operational risk assessments
  • Change-management reviews for equipment, process, material, and procedural changes
  • Equipment reliability and mechanical integrity practices
  • Pre-startup safety and readiness reviews
  • Operating procedure development and periodic review
  • Investigations of significant process-related incidents and near misses
• Partner with operations and engineering teams to identify and reduce process risks and prevent high-consequence events.

Audits, Inspections & Risk Management

• Establish and manage the Company's inspection, audit, industrial hygiene, and risk-assessment programs.
• Conduct or coordinate routine and targeted EH&S audits, inspections, assessments, and compliance reviews.
• Document findings, assign corrective actions, establish completion timelines, and verify effective closure.
• Identify significant operational, environmental, and safety risks and communicate those risks to leadership.
• Maintain systems for tracking corrective and preventive actions and escalate unresolved issues as necessary.

Incident Investigation & Corrective Action

• Lead investigations involving injuries, illnesses, near misses, environmental releases, property damage, vehicle incidents, and process safety events.
• Facilitate root cause analyses and ensure implementation of effective corrective and preventive measures.
• Analyze incident trends and develop initiatives to reduce future risk.
• Maintain complete and accurate investigation records and documentation.

Training & Employee Development

• Own the Company's EH&S training program.
• Develop, deliver, and maintain training programs for employees, supervisors, managers, contractors, and visitors.
• Oversee:
  • New employee safety orientation
  • Regulatory compliance training
  • Hazard communication training
  • Emergency response training
  • Safe work practices
  • Site-specific safety requirements
• Evaluate training effectiveness and continuously improve training content and delivery methods.
• Maintain required training records and compliance documentation.

Contractor & Project Safety

• Establish contractor qualification, onboarding, monitoring, and safety performance requirements.
• Ensure contractor activities are conducted in accordance with company safety standards and regulatory requirements.
• Support capital projects, facility expansions, and equipment modifications by integrating EH&S requirements throughout project planning and execution.
• Participate in design and pre-startup reviews to ensure safe implementation of new equipment and processes.

Emergency Preparedness & Response

• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve emergency response plans and procedures.
• Coordinate emergency drills, exercises, and preparedness activities.
• Serve as a key resource during emergencies, incidents, and environmental releases.
• Coordinate with local emergency responders, regulatory agencies, and other external stakeholders as needed.

Safety Culture & Employee Engagement

• Promote a proactive culture focused on safety ownership, accountability, hazard recognition, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with leaders to strengthen employee engagement and participation in EH&S programs.
• Lead or serve as management representative to company safety committees and meetings.
• Provide coaching and guidance to leaders and employees regarding EH&S expectations and best practices.

Administration, Reporting & Budget Management

• Maintain accurate EH&S records, documentation, and compliance files.
• Administer the Company's Safety Data Sheet (SDS) program and hazardous chemical inventory.
• Maintain records related to environmental releases, employee exposure monitoring, industrial hygiene assessments, waste handling, and other regulated activities.
• Prepare and present EH&S performance metrics, trend analyses, and executive reports.
• Manage EH&S budgets, consultants, vendors, and external service providers.
• Recommend capital and operational improvements that reduce risk and enhance compliance.

Authority

• Exercise stop-work authority when conditions present an imminent risk to employees, contractors, the public, property, the environment, or regulatory compliance.
• Require corrective actions to address identified EH&S deficiencies.
• Escalate unresolved EH&S concerns to executive leadership when necessary.
• Recommend operational restrictions or process changes when needed to protect people, assets, and the environment.

Required skills/abilities

• Demonstrated ability to influence leaders and employees at all organizational levels.
• Proven ability to drive accountability and completion of corrective actions.
• Ability to assess risk and make independent decisions in urgent situations.
• Experience presenting regulatory, compliance, and risk matters to executive leadership.
• Strong change management and continuous improvement capabilities.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Proficient in technology and equipment used in environmental inspections
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or similar software

Education/experience

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, occupational safety, engineering, chemistry, industrial hygiene, or a related field.
• CSP, CIH, CHMM, ASP, or equivalent professional certification preferred.
• At least 8 to 10 years of progressive EH&S experience, including substantial experience in chemical processing, fertilizer manufacturing, heavy industry, or a comparable process manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of OSHA compliance, environmental permitting, incident investigation, contractor safety, and process safety management.
• Experience leading EH&S programs across multiple facilities or supporting both site and corporate requirements.
• Experience serving as the lead EH&S professional in a chemical processing, fertilizer manufacturing, or other high-hazard industrial environment preferred.
• Ability to interpret regulations, permits, technical standards, and operating data and translate them into practical site requirements.
• Strong leadership, communication, training, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to influence employees and leaders at all levels.
• Ability to travel regularly between supported facilities and respond to urgent EH&S matters outside normal business hours when needed.

Physical requirements and work environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, and use hands to finger, handle or feel. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, high places, airborne particles, chemicals, and temperature ranges. The noise environment in the work environment is usually loud.

Employees are required to wear PPE which may include hard hat, safety toe shoes/boots, gloves, safety glasses/goggles, hearing protection and respiratory protection. The employee needs the ability to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner.

Location and travel

This position is in St. Louis, MO. A minimum 30% travel requirement is expected.

EEO statement

Ostara is an equal opportunity employer. Ostara does not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, citizenship or immigration status, age, national origin, the presence of any physical, mental, or sensory disability, gender identity, genetic information, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, political ideology, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.