Environmental Health & Safety Specialist

About the Role

We are seeking an EHS Specialist to be a part of a new plant start-up based in Port Colborne, Ontario. This position will help develop and coordinate Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) programs and collaborate with site leadership to help meet site EHS objectives.

Reporting Relationships

This position directly reports to the EHS Manager and does not supervise others.

Asahi Kasei Values

• Sincerity Being sincere with everyone
• Challenge Bolding taking challenges, continually seeking change
• Creativity Creating new value through unity and synergy

Key Accountabilities

• Develop, update, and deploy EHS procedures and training programs to reduce risk and maintain compliance with regulatory and corporate requirements.
• Work collaboratively to investigate incidents and implement corrective actions.
• Coach all levels of personnel on critical skills, behaviors and techniques that build and sustain an EHS culture.
• Assist in environmental compliance with applicable regulatory standards (ECCC, MECP, CCOHS, OHSA, MLITSD, etc.)
• Monitor, measure and communicate EHS performance and trends to identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions.
• Contribute to the development of program budgets and monitor performance against funding plans.
• Perform, facilitate, or assist with hazard risk assessments and provide feedback and solutions for identified concerns.
• Sponsor site safety committees and other EHS related project teams.
• Perform pre-startup safety reviews for new or modified equipment.
• Organize and maintain relevant EHS records and documentation.
• Effectively communicate and collaborate with team members and across functions.
• Assist with Management System development to assign, track, and verify EHS responsibilities and integrate them into the overall business operation.
• Maintain awareness of federal, state and local environmental, safety, and health regulations, including potential changes that could affect the operation.

Qualifications

Education Background :

Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in environmental safety and health, chemistry, engineering, or the physical sciences.

Professional environmental or safety certification (CRSP, CSP, CHMM, etc.) from a nationally recognized organization is preferred.

Knowledge & Experience :

• Must have 3+ years of EHS experience in a manufacturing facility.
• Must have experience with technical writing including development of procedures, plans, hazard analyses, and training presentations.
• Must be proficient in standard Microsoft desktop applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, & Outlook), experience with SharePoint a plus.
• Previous construction EHS experience is a plus.
• Prior experience managing environmental compliance programs in the province of Ontario is a plus.
• Prior experience with EHS Management Systems such as ISO 14001 or 45001 certification is a plus.
• Experience in a matrixed organization is preferred.
• Experience working for a global organization with cross cultural interaction is strongly preferred.
• Japanese and French language skills are a plus.

Key Attributes :

• Prior experience working in a team environment with proven decision making and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to establish effective workplace relationships and motivate others.
• Must possess bias for action that raises the bar on EHS results and motivates the organization to embrace this standard of excellence.
• Demonstrated ability to establish effective workplace relationships applying a team-player approach that contributes to the organization beyond your traditional functional duties is required.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to communicate effectively to diverse audiences across all levels of the organization is required.
• Must be organized and detail oriented.
• A wide degree of decision-making and problem-solving skills is required.
• Must be an open and transparent communicator on individual, team and site levels; appropriately adjusts style based on situation and employee level.
• Must be open-minded, able to adapt and accustomed to working across cultures.
• Must be self-motivated and can inspire and motivate others.
• Ability to establish a vision, attain team / organization buy-in and drive to execution.
• Must exemplify integrity follows through on communicated plans / decisions / actions.

Travel :

Must be able and willing to travel up to 10% domestically and internationally for training and visiting other company locations.

Schedule :

The EHS Specialist must have the ability to remain adaptive in a 24 / 7 manufacturing environment and flex the work schedule as necessary to oversee project work or engage various work shifts, or to respond to off-hours emergency events.

Working Environment

This position will be based in a temporary structure on or near a construction site until the permanent office is built in 2026.

The final work environment will be at a 24 / 7 manufacturing operation. This position is in support of manufacturing and requires working in a production environment around chemicals.

The manufacturing facility will be a state of the art in terms of automation and being temperature and humidity controlled.

This will be a clean and comfortable environment due to the nature of the products being produced.

The incumbent will be required to work within an office environment for up to 60% of the time. The other 40% of the time will be in manufacturing areas, which will require the ability to climb ladders and walk the plant in its entirety, including platforms at elevated levels.

Lighting and temperature are adequate. This position also requires the ability to work for periods of time within the manufacturing environment including areas with hot or cold temperatures and areas that require the use of PPE, including use of a respirator.

You may be required to lift up to 35 pounds and / or force necessary to push, pull, or otherwise move objects.

About Us

The Asahi Kasei Group is a diversified group of companies led by holding company Asahi Kasei Corp., with operations in the material, homes, and health care business sectors.

With more than 48,000 employees around the world, the Asahi Kasei Group serves customers in more than 100 countries. We are Creating for Tomorrow!

Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada, an Asahi Kasei Company, is a pioneer in battery technology and a long-trusted supplier of lithium battery separators, which are polymer-based microporous membranes that are key components of lithium-ion batteries (LIB).

The company’s Hipore™ brand of separators have been commercially available since the lithium battery market’s inception in the early 1990s and they are found primarily in electric drive vehicles (EDVs) as well as in consumer electronics (CE) such as smartphones, tablets and personal computers.

Hipore™ membrane separators bring high porosity and excellent energy transfer, while contributing to battery safety and reliability and they are especially well matched for the high-capacity batteries required for power plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and full battery (BEV) vehicles.

For more information, please go to www.ak-bsc.ca .

Location Information

Port Colborne, Ontario is a charming harbour town situated in the Niagara Region on the coast of Lake Erie. The Niagara Region is made up of 12 municipalities and has a population of approximately 478,000.

It is an international trade hub with industry ranging from agriculture, construction, manufacturing, technology, tourism, transportation and warehousing.

There are two regional airports, easy access to four international airports, railway, and other public transportation. It is home to Brock University, Niagara College Canada, McMaster University, as well as public and private schools that offer a selection of concentrations.

The area offers a safe, affordable lifestyle with a hometown community feel. Recreational attractions include Humberstone Speedway, Niagara Falls, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, the Welland Canal, Canada’s largest casino, wineries, sporting and entertainment venues for concerts and festivals.

Other amenities include the Niagara Heath System, a variety in dining, farmer’s markets, ample parks, trails and outdoor activities.

Within driving distance, the greater Ontario province offers modern cities and countryside that are rich in culture, history, and natural beauty.

It is about a 90-minute drive to Mississauga, Toronto, and Brampton.

The base compensation range for this role starts at $72K Canadian. Base compensation is influenced by many factors including, but not limited to : time in the role, previous experience, skills, knowledge, performance, work requirements, internal equity, and business / economic conditions.