Director of EHS

Director of Environmental Health & Safety

Confidential Advanced Manufacturing Organization
Near Richmond, Virginia

Summary

A rapidly growing advanced manufacturing organization near Richmond, Virginia, is seeking a Director of Environmental Health & Safety to lead and elevate its EHS function during a critical phase of expansion.

This organization designs and builds large, engineered electrical systems and power infrastructure equipment in a complex, repeatable, production-based environment that includes fabrication, electrical wiring, integration, energized testing, assembly, and testing. As the business scales, leadership is investing in a senior EHS leader to strengthen systems, reduce risk, and help transition the operation toward more disciplined, mature manufacturing practices.

This is a high-impact, visible role with direct access to senior leadership. The Director will have the opportunity to shape safety culture, implement proactive risk systems, and embed EHS into engineering and operational decision-making across a multi-building campus.

This is not a maintenance role. It’s a transformation opportunity for a leader who wants to build structure, influence operations, and drive meaningful change in a growing, complex high-energy manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

EHS Leadership & Strategy

• Own and elevate EHS across a multi-building manufacturing campus
• Build and drive leading indicators and proactive risk systems
• Strengthen ISO-aligned management systems and audit readiness
• Align EHS with lean / continuous improvement initiatives
• Present performance and risk insights to senior leadership

Operational Integration

• Partner with engineering on equipment design, line setup, and plant expansion
• Embed safety into electrical, high-energy, and manufacturing processes
• Support growth while ensuring risk mitigation scales with operations
• Participate in customer audits and external reviews

Culture & Leadership

• Build a credible, on-the-floor safety culture with operations
• Lead and develop an EHS team (scaling with growth)
• Shift the organization from reactive to proactive risk management
• Influence leadership decisions tied to safety, performance, and reputation

Systems & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with OSHA and environmental regulations
• Lead incident investigations and root cause analysis
• Improve system discipline, data quality, and reporting rigor

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Engineering preferred
• 10+ years EHS experience; 5+ years leading in manufacturing
• Background in electrical, high-voltage, or heavy industrial manufacturing strongly preferred
• Experience in environments with fabrication, assembly, and electrical integration within a repeatable, production-based manufacturing setting (e.g., panel shops, switchgear, or similar) 
• Proven ownership of ISO 45001 or structured EHS systems
• Track record of building leading indicators and proactive safety programs
• Experience partnering with manufacturing engineering on capital projects
• Strong leadership presence with floor credibility and executive communication skills

Preferred:

• Power distribution, switchgear, or electrical equipment manufacturing
• Arc flash / energized work / high-energy hazard environments
• Lean / CI-driven operations

Location

This role is based near Richmond, Virginia.

The greater Richmond region offers a strong quality of life, access to excellent schools and universities, a growing business community, and proximity to both the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Atlantic coast. The area combines historic charm with modern growth and is an increasingly attractive destination for manufacturing and infrastructure investment.

Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates.

Location & Compensation

• Based near Richmond, VA (onsite)
• Relocation available
• $150–200K base + bonus + full benefits

Position Overview

This is an opportunity to step into a visible leadership role and build a scalable EHS function within a growing, complex manufacturing environment.