Environmental Health Safety Manager

The Irca Group is an International Leader in high quality finished and semi-finished ingredients for the bakery, pastry, and ice cream markets. With a solid history of over 100 years in the industry, the Group has its headquarters in Italy (Gallarate) and a strong global footprint with 23 production sites and over 2000 employees in Europe, the United States and Vietnam. Our core product categories include chocolate, compounds, chocolate decorations, sprinkles, creams, pastry mixes, gelato ingredients, nuts and candied fruit. The most recent acquisition of Kerry Sweet complements our existing categories with the addition of sweet particulates, chocolate confections, inclusions, variegates and frozen fruit purees. Through its 8 key brands (IRCA, Dobla®, in2food, Via Degli Orsini, JoyGelato, RaviFruit, Cesarin and Anastasi®) the IRCA Group offers an unparalleled "one-stop shop" approach for delivering quality solutions to all ingredients needs, through a broad range of innovative products. We offer every day and seasonal solutions to 3 macro channels: Gourmet, Food Manufacturing and Consumer Product (Retail). “Extraordinary made simple” Purpose of Position: The HSE Manager Support business strategy to ensure all HSE directives, policies, and initiatives are effectively incorporated at site level. The HSE Manager will be responsible for managing, implementing, coordinating, and monitoring the facility's Environmental, Health, and Safety programs to ensure the well-being of all employees, compliance with rigorous food manufacturing standards, and adherence to all local, state, and federal regulations (OSHA, EPA, FDA, etc.). This role is a vital link between management and the production floor employees, fostering a proactive, safety-first culture within a fast-paced food processing environment. Description of main Activities

Develop, implement, and execute HSE annual objectives & improvement plans in conjunction with site operations management and business unit HSE Manager.

Develop appropriate strategies for implementation of new or revised policies and regulations in conjunction with site operations management and business unit HSE Manager.

Manage all environmental permits and program requirements specific to the site. 

Lead implementation and management of site ISO 14001 Environmental Management System.

Undertake at regular intervals audits/inspections of the site (including inspections of machinery, equipment in use, and work systems in operation) with site operations management to ensure compliance with corporate polices and HSE regulations.  Where appropriate, develop appropriate corrective and preventive actions with operations team.

Identify site HSE training needs, develop appropriate resources, and execute training sessions for employees and management staff as required.

Organize and oversee site safety committee meetings.

Support site supervisors with the investigation of HSE incidents at the site.  Where necessary, lead investigation process and/or collaborate with appropriate corporate staff on serious incidents.

Communicate HSE incidents and corrective actions in a timely, thorough, and effective manner.

Partner with Human Resources to monitor the status of all open Workers Compensation claims and coordinate activities to minimize lost and/or restricted workdays.

Participate on, and assist, the plant Security Team, including review of physical site security and security situations as they develop.

Manage expenses of safety programs.

Conduct risk assessments and implement corrective actions.

Track and monitor site HSE Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and communicate trends to management team as needed to drive performance.

Maintain HSE records to ensure adherence to corporate polices and/or regulatory requirements.  Includes, but not limited to, OSHA 300 log, incident records, safety metrics, training, inspections, permits, etc.

Advise project management staff on HSE requirements in the design, introduction, use and decommissioning of manufacturing processes, equipment, and materials

Liaise where necessary with various external agencies or resources (Government Agencies, Group insurers, etc.).

Project management of safety or otherwise assigned projects.

Performs all other related duties as needed.

Professional and Personal skills

BS/MS in Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, Chemistry or related field with 3-5 years of working in manufacturing preferably in food, plastic or chemical. Broad manufacturing understanding and knowledge.

Strong knowledge of Health & Safety & environmental regulations, concepts, industry & market trends.  

Knowledge and experience in relevant HSE management systems and organizations: OHSAS 18001, OSHA and BS8800, ISO 14000 & EPA.

Ability to communicate effectively, both written and verbal, with a variety of internal and external contacts Spanish is a plus.

Demonstrate strong change management skills and able to overcome resistance to change. Uses coaching & influencing skills. Capable of influencing leadership and peers to champion HSE initiatives.

Strong leadership and team building experience across a diverse organization. 

Demonstrate budget management and control.

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Visionary and strategic management skills.