EHS Manager

EHS Manager

The Environmental, Health, & Safety (EHS) Manager, under the direction of the Vermont Creamery Director of Operations, is responsible for all aspects of Vermont Creamery's strategic and tactical execution of health, safety, and environmental initiatives. These responsibilities include sustainability, VC goat producer program, and DOT programs in support of the overall company strategy. The EHS Manager provides leadership and administration to the overall Vermont Creamery EHS program, ensuring alignment with Land O'Lakes corporate EHS standards. This position will support and drive continuous improvement of key performance metrics through project management and facility initiatives. The EHS Manager works collaboratively with the Vermont Creamery Operations, Quality, Finance and Human Resources teams to deliver value for all employees across the business, as well as works closely with Land O'Lakes Supply Chain and Operations teams to ensure strategic growth across all business units. This role requires a strong leadership presence to support the needs of the workforce and the organization.

Required Competencies, Skills, & Knowledge:

• Strong technical background in Safety, Environmental, DOT regulations, ergonomics, and behavior-based safety.

• Proven problem solving/judgment and group facilitation and presentation skills.

• Knowledge of manufacturing processes, and regulatory requirements, including the ability to translate internal company requirements to broad internal and external audiences.

• Inspiring leader committed to developing a high performing, cohesive, and overachieving team.

• Ability to link operation and supply chain goals with broader corporate mission goals and B Corp certification.

• Excellent communicator, influencer, and negotiator, to work cross-functionally with multiple departments and leadership levels.

• Intelligent, fast-learner, strategic and innovative thinker, agile, and comfortable with continuous change.

• Ability to think strategically or act tactically.

• Capable of leading change in a diverse business environment.

• Knowledge of Federal, State, and local EHS laws, regulations.

• Highly driven and self-directed.

• Preferred knowledge of Lean Six Sigma methodologies.

Required Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Safety, Environmental Science or related field or in lieu of degree 7+ years experience in a manufacturing facility within the EHS department.

• Minimum of three (3) years' experience in environmental, health and safety in a manufacturing environment or related experience required. Preferably at a large facility with 100 employees or greater.

• Certifications Preferred: Professional Engineer (PE), Associate Safety Professional (ASP), Industrial Hygienist in Training (IHIT), Certified Hazardous Material Manager (CHMM), Registered Environmental Manager (REM) or Other Related Certification.

• Experience in waste/energy conservation preferred.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

Safety / Health

• Leads all aspects of the safety function including compliance initiatives (Federal and State OSHA/EPA/DOT), training development, risk assessment, reporting and the development, delivery and maintenance of training programs reinforcing a safety culture that promotes an injury-free workplace.

• Develops the annual safety plan, in collaboration and alignment with corporate standards. This includes achieving consensus on the overall objectives and monitoring the progress against objectives.

• Ensures regulatory compliance with all Federal & State OSHA, DOT, state, and local health/safety regulations.

• Completes and/or approves all required regulatory and company reporting documentation.

• Performs hazard analysis within the plant.

• Assists the plant management team in the development and execution of action plans for the improvement of safety and environmental performance.

• Oversees the effective development and utilization of plant environmental safety teams and resources.

• Maintains communication with supervisor/management personnel regarding hazardous conditions and unsafe practices.

• Completes root causes analysis and implements solutions.

• Collaborates closely with EH&S corporate staff to implement the company's initiatives in EH&S programs.

• Ensures all procedures, GMPs, Safety, Quality, and Sanitation plans are followed

• Identifies and reports all potentially non-conforming product and equipment to Creamery Supervisor and the Quality Assurance Department.

Environmental / Sustainability

• Ensures adherence to all B-Corp values, including sustainability and the proactive management of energy, water, and by-products.

• In collaboration with Vermont Creamery Mission Manager, establishes waste and energy reduction goals, run educational programs, and propose creative ways to engage staff.

• Responsible for improving energy/water/recycling efficiency of facility operations.

• Ensures Regulatory Compliance with all Federal EPA, state and local environmental regulations including the completion & oversight of all permit requirements for wastewater, stormwater, land spreading, Form R, Tier II, and solid/hazardous waste.

• Ensures that Vermont Creamery meets all Corporate Environmental Standards.

• Maintain all regulatory and state required documents for producers.

• Acts as primary liaison between VC and goat milk producers. Proactively communicates with current farmers and sends prospective farmers on-boarding documents. Update, revise, and manage current program documentation and literature

• Develop and manage Goat Farmer Relations Program including coordinating Annual Farmers Meeting, farmer resources, and support program. This program will evolve over time.

• Execute regular administrative functions such as entering milk slips, monitoring milk samples, communicating needs with VC milk haulers, and producer payroll twice per month

Leadership

• Inspires management team and manufacturing staff during time of change and rapid growth via positive reinforcement, empowering talents, sharing success and broader strategies.

• Provides leadership for the administration on the overall EHS, DOT and Sustainability programs.

• Collaborates with Operations, Maintenance, and other management throughout the Creamery as a member of the Management Extended Leadership Team (MELT) and plant operations leadership teams.

• Leads, improves, and further develops our Vermont Creamery Goat Producer Program to better support our farming community and overall growth of the company

Physical Requirements:

• While performing the duties of this job, the individual is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, use hands to reach, handle or feel, talk, and hear.

• While performing the duties of this job, the individual is occasionally required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.

• Ability to occasionally lift a minimum of 25 lbs and 26- 150 lbs with assistance of equipment.

• Use of safety glasses, hard hat, and safety toed shoes.

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Join us and be part of a Fortune 250, farmer- and member-owned cooperative that is reimagining the business of food. We have been named a Top Workplace by Indeed and LinkedIn, and to the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list.

We provide a broad portfolio of benefits to keep you and your family at your best. Land O'Lakes is Where Your Future Takes Root.

Land O'Lakes, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/Vets/Disabled. The company maintains a drug-free workforce, including post-employment substance abuse testing pursuant to a Drug and Alcohol Policy.

Neither Land O'Lakes, nor its search firms, will ever contact you and ask for confidential information over the phone or in email. If you receive a call or email like this, please do not provide the information being requested.