Senior Manager, Environmental Health & Safety

When Alfred Fain founded a small Rhode Island tire store in 1924, no one could have predicted how Teknor Apex would become an international custom compounder sought out by companies around the world. After a nearly hundred‑year journey that has included acquisitions and expansion, Teknor now operates nine U.S. locations and facilities in Belgium, Singapore, Germany, and China. The company remains privately held, with Fain’s grandson leading the business and fostering deep employee and customer relationships that enable the delivery of customized compound solutions.

The Sr. Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Manager is responsible for leading site‑wide and multi‑site EHS strategy for Teknor Apex in Brownsville, TN, ensuring employee protection, OSHA and environmental compliance, risk reduction, emergency preparedness, and environmental stewardship. This role partners with Operations, HR, Engineering, Maintenance, site leadership, and Corporate EHS to strengthen a zero‑accident culture, develop practical EHS standards, analyze performance metrics, lead serious incident investigations, and drive continuous improvement across safety, environmental, occupational health, contractor safety, and sustainability programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead corporate and site safety strategy initiatives in partnership with Operations to drive accountability, consistency, and continuous improvement.
• Own site‑wide EHS compliance with applicable OSHA, EPA, Tennessee, local, and Teknor Apex requirements, and keep sites informed of regulatory changes.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve EHS programs, standards, training systems, documentation controls, inspection processes, and corrective‑action systems.
• Develop and maintain safety standards for lockout/tagout, machine guarding, electrical safety, confined space, fall protection, hot work, PPE, and contractor safety.
• Lead hazard identification and prevention efforts, including JSAs, task risk assessments, new equipment/process reviews, industrial hygiene monitoring, field observations, and PPE evaluations.
• Conduct safety audits, plant inspections, management walk‑throughs, and housekeeping assessments; verify corrective‑action quality, closure, and effectiveness.
• Lead serious incident, near‑miss, injury, property‑damage, and environmental event investigations using structured root‑cause methodologies and lessons learned.
• Manage incident reporting, OSHA recordkeeping support, workers’ compensation coordination, and corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Analyze TRIR, DART, severity, near‑miss, audit, training, corrective‑action, and leading‑indicator metrics to identify trends, systemic risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Establish and lead Safety Committee activities, employee‑engagement efforts, proactive hazard reporting, and safety‑culture initiatives that reinforce safe behaviors and stop‑work expectations.
• Deliver EHS training and onboarding for employees, supervisors, and contractors, reinforcing clear expectations, site hazards, safe work practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Manage contractor safety programs, including prequalification, onboarding, job planning, permit expectations, field oversight, and performance follow‑up.
• Coordinate occupational health programs, including hearing conservation, respiratory protection, ergonomics, medical surveillance, exposure‑control activities, and employee health‑related follow‑up.
• Own environmental compliance, including permit reviews, inspections, recordkeeping, reporting, agency interactions, and follow‑up for routine and non‑routine regulatory matters.
• Analyze production, material usage, waste, emission, discharge, and environmental data to support permitting, compliance reports, sustainability reporting, and pollution‑prevention efforts.
• Manage waste streams, disposal vendors, waste profiles, recycling and reuse opportunities, disposal costs, pollution‑prevention initiatives, and landfill‑diversion activities.
• Support or lead remediation, abatement, spill response, and environmental improvement projects, coordinating with qualified third‑party consultants and agencies.
• Build and sustain emergency preparedness programs, including response plans, drills, emergency equipment readiness, spill‑cleanup procedures, and emergency‑response vendor agreements.
• Serve as incident commander or site EHS lead during emergency response situations, coordinating internal resources and third‑party responders as needed.
• Manage the EHS budget, communicate risk and compliance priorities, and support multiple sites or cross‑functional teams to resolve complex EHS challenges.
• Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements

• 8–10 years of progressive Environmental, Health and Safety experience, including EHS management, site leadership, and environmental compliance responsibilities.
• Four‑year degree or equivalent experience in Industrial Safety, Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Occupational Safety, or a related field.
• Professional certification such as CSP, ASP, CHMM, CIH, or equivalent is preferred.

Physical and Other Requirements

• Ability to safely and successfully perform essential job functions consistent with ADA, FMLA, and other federal, state, and local standards.
• Regular, punctual attendance consistent with ADA, FMLA, and other applicable standards.
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 15 lb.
• Must be able to talk, listen, and speak clearly on the telephone.
• Travel requirements up to 10 %.
• Must be 18 years of age or older.