Environmental Health and Safety Manager

Who We Are

At Freshpet, our goal is to change the way people nourish their pets forever. We strive to strengthen the bond between people and our pets so that we both live longer, healthier, and happier lives while being kind to the planet. We believe that if we can create fresh, real foods that pets love and help them live healthier lives, that their pet parents will also enjoy the many benefits of a rich life shared with a pet.

We started off with a mission to change the way pet parents feed dogs and cats, but we also wanted to be a company that had a thoughtful approach to how we operate. We wanted to do things differently, make great products but be gentle to the planet, good to the people who touch our business, and leave a positive impact with everything we do. We work hard every day to ensure that the original vision is met, starting with making the highest quality foods in our kitchens to running our business with integrity, transparency, and social and environmental responsibility. IT’S AMAZING WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU START COMPLETELY FRESH!

What You Will Do

The EHS Manager will be responsible for developing, managing, and executing EHS strategy and programs, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and effective risk management. This role is tasked with acting on behalf of Freshpet specifically to the promotion of safe, professional work practices and conditions ensuring compliance with environmental, health and safety policies and regulations. In addition, this role will manage two (2) Safety Specialist positions.

How You Will Make an Impact

• Lead a cultural change that will facilitate the journey to EHS Excellence
• Establish and maintain a culture of integrity, credibility, and accountability for conducting periodic reviews and assessments to evaluate status of cultural change.
• Provide strategic leadership and work with plant management on identified EHS opportunities to foster continuous improvement of EHS culture and performance.
• Provide expert hands-on technical knowledge on issues, programs, and processes to ensure compliance with EHS standards, policies, and interpretation of local and national EHS requirements, permits and regulations.
• Develop, implement, and maintain EHS policies, procedures, and programs in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations and company expectations.
• Manage Compliance Audits, Self-Audits, and Action Item tracking to timely closure. Develop trend analysis and appropriate action plan
• Manage interactions and effectively communicate with all levels of the organization, outside support/consulting groups, and regulatory agencies.
• Manage Safety Committees and other employee involvement programs including the Safety Pillar or Freshpet’s performance excellence program.
• Lead investigations of incidents and near misses to identify causes and to determine how to prevent reoccurrence.
• Monitor and analyze EHS data and trends and prepare and present reports and recommendations to senior management and stakeholders.
• Promote a positive and proactive EHS culture within the organization and foster employee engagement and awareness.

What You Will Bring

• Ability to have floor presence across all shifts.
• Experience managing a high-performing team
• A hands-on approach, ability to work as an integral part of the management team and engage with, and influence all levels of the organization is a must
• Ability to identify, assess, and lead/execute multiple continuous improvement projects simultaneously; must be able to work independently and demonstrate results
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, organizational, and verbal/written communication skills
• Strong analytical and problems solving skills are essential.
• Business acumen, strategic planning, and highly developed leadership skills
• Working knowledge of EHS practices, regulations, and potential EHS risks

Education/Skills

• Bachelors Degree in Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Science, Engineering or a related technical discipline is required
• Minimum (5) years of proven experience driving a robust and sustainable EH&S program.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office and EHS software applications.
• Professional certification (CSP, ASP, CIH), preferred.

PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS

The performance of the employee will be measured as follows:

• Operating standards - the employee will need to meet or exceed the Operating Standards in terms of quality, cost, safety, customer satisfaction and productivity. Such standards will be set annually and communicated to the employee.
• Personal growth - while the company will provide the tools to assist the employee to grow professionally the responsibility for moving forward lies with the individual. Each year there will be goals developed and agreed to by the employee and his/her superior.
• Employee relations - through observations the employee will be evaluated regarding his/her behaviors associated with appropriate human interaction, respect and communication.
• Creativity - this will be evaluated by how active the employee is in participating in advancing the business through new and innovative ideas.

What We Offer

The range for this position is: $105,000-$115,000

At Freshpet, we offer a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package, including medical, dental and vision insurance, basic and optional life insurance, short- and long-term disability protection, flexible spending accounts, and a 401(k) plan with company match, paid parental leave, pet insurance, tuition assistance, a generous PTO plan and so much more!

Our Commitment to a Diverse Workforce:

Freshpet is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status (although applicants and employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States), uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law (“protected characteristics”).

Disclaimers