Director, Environmental Health & Safety

Role Summary

The Director, EH&S will provide strategic leadership and hands-on experience to ensure laboratories, offices and manufacturing environments remain safe, compliant and scalable for growth. This role supports building a strong culture of safety while aiding operational efficiency across global sites. The Director will develop and lead comprehensive EHS programs across laboratory and office safety, regulatory compliance, risk management, ergonomics, emergency preparedness and sustainability, guiding the company through its next phase of expansion. This is a full-time, on-site role reporting to the Senior Director of Facilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and oversee global EHS programs, policies, and training across all facilities.
• Maintain a multi-year strategic roadmap to align safety initiatives with company growth and product pipelines.
• Chair the Safety Committee and foster a culture of accountability, awareness, and continuous improvement.
• Set department environmental and safety priorities and goals consistent with company objectives.
• Maintain a three-year strategic roadmap to ensure alignment and readiness for future growth and vaccine pipelines.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, local, state, federal, and international regulations.
• Oversee chemical inventory, SDS management, waste disposal, and hazardous materials programs.
• Lead audits, inspections, job safety analyses, and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA).
• Partner with Quality and Compliance teams to maintain up-to-date standards and internal controls.
• Be responsible for all EHS programs including Emergency Response, Emergency Action Plans, Respiratory Protection Plan, Injury and Illness Prevention Program, Ergonomics, Hearing conservation, Medical Waste, Biological Safety and Exposure Control, Chemical Hygiene and Hazard Communication, etc.
• Implement lean practices to drive efficiency and reduce risk.
• Partner with Biological Safety Officer to implement and maintain a Biological Safety Program.
• Manage external vendors and service providers related to EHS programs.
• Collaborate with Facilities, Lab Operations, and scientific teams to integrate EHS into daily workflows.
• Lead emergency response planning, including the Emergency Action Plan and Emergency Response Team.
• Design, deliver, and track employee and laboratory safety training.
• Serve as the primary contact for incident response, investigation, and resolution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor‚Äôs degree in science or engineering related discipline (Master‚Äôs preferred).
• Minimum 12 years of progressive experience in laboratory operations managing and scaling lab operations in a biotechnology or pharmaceutical research environment (10 years with a master‚Äôs degree; other combinations considered).
• Experience managing EHS programs across labs, offices, and GMP manufacturing sites.
• Proven global experience across North America, UK, and EMEA (APAC/APJ a plus).
• Strong understanding of GMP, GLP, and GDP requirements.
• Professional certifications (CSP, CIH, CHMM) strongly preferred.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop new safety programs and SOPs from the ground up.
• Ability to travel up to 10% (domestic and international).

Skills

• Leadership and strategic planning
• Regulatory knowledge (OSHA, EPA, and international standards)
• Risk management and incident investigation
• Ergonomics and safety training design
• Vendor management and cross-functional collaboration
• Emergency planning and response coordination

Education

• Bachelor‚Äôs degree in science or engineering (Master‚Äôs preferred).

Additional Requirements

• Note: 24x7 support is required; ability to respond for urgent support.