Environmental Health & Safety Manager

Location: Sonoma County

A well-established organic food manufacturing organization is seeking a highly skilled Manager, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) to lead all workplace safety programs and champion a strong culture of safety across the organization. This position is essential for ensuring the well-being of employees, contractors, and visitors, and for maintaining compliance with all regulatory and operational standards.

This role requires extensive experience developing SOPs and programs for LOTO, Confined Space, Electrical Safety, Machine Guarding, and other foundational EHS systems. Only candidates meeting these qualifications will be considered.

Job Objective

The EHS Manager is responsible for building, implementing, and continuously improving safety programs, training, auditing, and compliance systems. This role ensures a safe work environment while driving operational excellence and fostering a proactive safety culture.

Key Responsibilities

Safety Program Leadership

• Develop, implement, and lead foundational safety programs including:

  • Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)

  • Machine Guarding

  • Permit-Required Confined Spaces (PRCS)

  • Powered Industrial Trucks (PIT)

  • Fall Protection

• Create SOPs, work instructions, and program guidelines for key safety areas

• Conduct system audits, verification activities, and continuous improvement initiatives

Risk Assessment & Compliance

• Assess workplace hazards and recommend corrective measures

• Investigate incidents, near-misses, determine root causes, and create corrective action plans

• Conduct regular risk assessments and safety audits

• Ensure compliance with OSHA requirements and local, state, and federal regulations

• Maintain accurate records for inspections, incidents, and training

Training & Culture Development

• Provide ongoing EHS training and safety campaigns

• Support new hire orientation in collaboration with training teams

• Promote a culture of safety throughout all departments

• Stay current on EHS trends, best practices, and regulatory updates

Continuous Improvement & Collaboration

• Implement CAPEX plans for safety improvements in partnership with engineering and operations

• Lead sustainability efforts related to resource management

• Collaborate cross-functionally to drive safety awareness and process enhancement

• Participate in team meetings and support companywide initiatives

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Safety, Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene, or related field

• 5+ years’ experience in a safety leadership role within food manufacturing (dairy strongly preferred)

• OSHA 30 certified and expert knowledge of OSHA standards

• Demonstrated experience developing SOPs and safety programs (LOTO, Confined Space, Machine Guarding, etc.)

• Professional certifications strongly preferred (CSP, CHMM, CFPS)

• Skilled in safety auditing, hazard identification, emergency response planning

• Strong understanding of GMPs, safety regulations, and risk mitigation

• Proficient with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, and Teams

• Bilingual English/Spanish required

• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation for travel between sites

Preferred Qualifications

• HACCP certification or similar food safety credential

• Experience with ERP systems (Business Central), HRIS systems, or RedZone

• Background in emergency response and crisis management

• Experience managing safety in diverse, high-demand production environments

Competencies

• Strong risk assessment and hazard analysis capabilities

• In-depth regulatory knowledge (OSHA, food safety, organic production standards)

• Excellent communication and training skills

• Skilled in problem-solving, root cause analysis, and incident investigation

• Exceptional attention to detail

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