EHS Specialist III (EHS Lead)

About the role

• Work Schedule
• Standard (Mon-Fri)
• Environmental Conditions

Able to lift 40 lbs. without assistance, Adherence to all Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Safety Standards, Laboratory Setting, Office, Some degree of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) required (safety glasses, gowning, gloves, lab coat, ear plugs etc.), Strong Odors (chemical, lubricants, biological products etc.), Warehouse, Will work with hazardous/toxic materials

About the role

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you'll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world's toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.

About the role

Join our EHS team at Thermo Fisher Scientific and make a meaningful impact protecting people and the environment. As a Senior EHS Specialist, you'll provide strategic guidance and support to ensure workplace safety, environmental compliance, and continuous improvement across our operations.

You'll collaborate with teams across the organization to develop and implement comprehensive EHS programs, conduct risk assessments, facilitate training initiatives, and strengthen our culture of safety excellence. This role offers opportunities to solve complex challenges and contribute to our mission of enabling customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.

Position Summary

The EHS Specialist III is the site-level owner for Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) programs in a mixed-use manufacturing, laboratory, and office environment. The role has full accountability for the development, execution, and continuous improvement of site safety and health programs supporting operations with significant chemical use and dangerous goods handling.

Serving as a senior individual contributor, this role acts as the primary site authority for safety and health compliance and is the lead representative for OSHA and all city, state, and local regulatory inspections within scope. The EHS Specialist III partners closely with site leadership, operations, facilities, and laboratory teams to proactively manage risk and embed EHS excellence into daily operations.

Key Responsibilities

EHS Program Leadership & Ownership

• Owns, leads, and continuously improves all site safety and health programs across manufacturing, laboratory, and office environments, including:
• Employee safety programs and training
• Chemical safety, dangerous goods handling, and laboratory safety programs
• Ergonomics assessments, risk mitigation, and tracking
• Emergency Response Team (ERT) preparedness, drills, and incident response
• Incident investigation, root cause analysis, and corrective action management
• Ensures EHS programs are effectively implemented, audited, and sustained in alignment with Thermo Fisher Scientific's EHS Management System, AIG's EHS Standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Serves as the site subject matter expert for safety and health risks associated with chemical handling and high-risk operations.

Regulatory Compliance & Inspections

• Serves as the primary site owner and representative for all federal, city, state, and local safety. health, and environmental inspections.
• Maintains compliance with applicable OSHA, EPA, NFPA, and state/local EHS regulations across manufacturing and laboratory operations.
• Manages environmental permits and required regulatory reporting.
• Interfaces directly with regulatory agencies and leads site responses to inspections, findings, and corrective actions.

Chemical Safety, Dangerous Goods & Controlled Substances

• Oversees site chemical safety programs, including storage, handling, labeling, compatibility, and risk controls.
• Supports dangerous goods management and compliance requirements applicable to site operations.
• Provides oversight and support for site DEA controlled substance activities in alignment with corporate procedures and regulatory expectations.

Waste Management & Vendor Oversight

• Owns site waste management programs, including hazardous and non-hazardous waste streams.
• Manages waste vendors to ensure regulatory compliance, performance, and cost-effective service delivery.
• Ensures proper waste handling, storage, labeling, documentation, and disposal practices are maintained.

Workers' Compensation & Injury Management

• Owns the site-level administration and coordination of the workers' compensation program, partnering with Human Resources, People Leaders, the claims administrator, and the insurer as appropriate.
• Ensures work-related injuries are reported promptly and accurately; coordinates claim submission, documentation, and follow-up while maintaining confidentiality and applicable recordkeeping requirements.
• Coordinates the site's role in return-to-work and transitional-duty planning with Human Resources, the employee, People Leaders, and occupational health providers, as applicable.
• Reviews claim and injury trends, identifies prevention opportunities, and partners with site leaders to address root causes and reduce recurrence.
• Supports workers' compensation claim administration and communication; claim eligibility, coverage, and benefit determinations remain with the designated claims administrator or insurer.

Training, Engagement & Safety Culture

• Develops, delivers, and evaluates safety training programs tailored to manufacturing, laboratory, and office environments.
• Partners with people leaders to reinforce EHS accountability and safe work practices.
• Acts as a visible on-site EHS presence, promoting proactive hazard identification and employee engagement.

Emergency Preparedness & Business Continuity

• Leads development, execution, and continuous improvement of site emergency response and business continuity plans.
• Conducts drills, tabletop exercises, and after-action reviews to ensure readiness for chemical and operational emergencies.
• Supports site leadership during emergency response and recovery activities.

Data, Metrics & Continuous Improvement

• Collects, analyzes, and trends EHS data to identify risk trends and improvement opportunities.
• Prepares and reports EHS metrics to site leadership and corporate/divisional stakeholders.
• Supports site Quality Risk Management and enterprise risk initiatives as the EHS subject matter expert.

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Safety, Industrial Hygiene, or related life/physical science discipline required
• Master's degree preferred

Experience/Skills

• 5-10 years of progressive EHS experience in manufacturing and/or laboratory environments
• Demonstrated experience independently owning EHS programs supporting chemical and higher-risk operations including training of staff
• Proven experience leading OSHA and regulatory inspections
• Strong ability to influence site leadership and cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Professional certifications required (one or more of the following):
• Certified Safety Professional (CSP)
• Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)
• Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP)
• Demonstrated expertise in occupational health & safety regulations, industrial hygiene, and environmental compliance
• Strong experience conducting risk assessments, accident investigations, and implementing corrective actions
• Experience with ISO management systems (14001, 45001) and regulatory compliance audits
• Expertise in chemical safety, hazardous materials management, and industrial hygiene monitoring
• Knowledge of GMP/GLP requirements in pharmaceutical or laboratory settings
• Strong project management and program development capabilities
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and EHS management software
• Strong working knowledge of OSHA, EPA, NFPA, and applicable state and local regulations
• Experience with chemical safety, dangerous goods, waste management, workers' compensation and injury management coordination, and industrial hygiene programs
• Experience with EHS audits, training development, and corrective action management
• Willingness to wear required PPE and conduct facility inspections
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across functions

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range estimated for this position based in California is $113,600.00-$170,300.00.

This position may also be eligible to receive a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:

• A choice of national medical and dental plans, and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs
• Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement
• At least 120 hours paid time off (PTO), 10 paid holidays annually, paid parental leave (3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave), accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy
• Retirement and savings programs, such as our competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan
• Employees' Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) offers eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount