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EHS Leader
Downers Grove, IL 

A well-established industrial manufacturing organization in Downers Grove, IL is seeking an experienced Environmental, Health and Safety professional to serve as the company's sole EHS leader. This is a site-based role with no travel required, supporting approximately 250 employees across local facilities. The position carries full ownership of EHS program development, regulatory compliance, risk management, and employee safety engagement for the organization.

Schedule: Full-time, Monday through Friday. On-site presence required.

Compensation: $100,000 - $120,000 Per Year

What You'll Do

The EHS Manager serves as the technical authority for all environmental, health, and safety functions across the organization. The initial focus of the role is building and formalizing a comprehensive EHS program from the ground up, including written programs, standard operating procedures, training curricula, and metrics to establish a proactive safety culture across the workforce.

Ongoing responsibilities include conducting formal risk assessments and job hazard analyses, leading incident investigations and root cause analysis, and developing corrective action plans to prevent recurrence. You will design and deliver safety training to employees and supervisors, manage hazardous waste compliance and disposal, and administer the company's Safety Data Sheet program. You will also ensure the organization remains current with applicable federal and state OSHA regulations, EPA requirements, and any applicable state environmental standards for Illinois.

As the sole EHS professional at the site, you will work directly with operations leadership and frontline employees to build safety engagement, influence behavior, and develop a culture where safety is integrated into daily work rather than managed as a separate function. This includes establishing leading and lagging indicators, tracking performance trends, and presenting EHS metrics and program updates to management.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in safety, environmental science, industrial hygiene, or a related technical field
• Minimum 5 years of progressive EHS experience within a manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated experience building, revamping, or formalizing EHS programs in a manufacturing setting
• Working knowledge of federal OSHA regulations (29 CFR 1910 general industry) and EPA environmental compliance requirements
• Experience conducting formal risk assessments and leading incident investigations
• Background in hazardous waste management and SDS program administration
• Experience delivering EHS training to hourly and salaried employees
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence at all levels of an organization
• Ability to work independently as the sole EHS professional on site

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certification such as CSP (Certified Safety Professional), CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist), or CHMM (Certified Hazardous Materials Manager)
• Experience with Illinois EPA regulatory requirements and state-specific environmental reporting
• Background in industrial hygiene monitoring and exposure assessment
• Familiarity with ISO 45001 or VPP program development
• Experience establishing EHS KPI frameworks and presenting performance data to senior leadership

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Paid time off

To apply, submit your resume along with a brief description of your EHS program development experience in a manufacturing environment.