Senior EHS Manager

Location: Greater Buffalo, NY Area
Job Title: Senior Environmental, Health & Safety Manager
Salary Range: $90,000 - $130,000 + Bonus + Relocation

A leading Food Production firm is seeking a highly skilled Sr EHS Manager who thrives in a dynamic environment, works collaboratively across operations, and is committed to protecting employees, optimizing processes, and maintaining full regulatory compliance. In this role, you will coach and support EHS personnel, serve as a critical liaison with regulatory agencies, and help shape environmental and safety strategy as the organization continues to expand.

The Responsibilities of the Senior Manager, EHS will include:

• Lead the enterprise EHS strategy and EHS Management System (EHSMS) across all manufacturing and office locations, supporting 24/7 food production operations and M&A integrations within a highly regulated environment.
• Drive continuous improvement of environmental, health, safety, and food safety-adjacent programs aligned with OSHA, EPA, FSMA, GMP, HACCP, and applicable state and local regulations.
• Partner closely with Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain to ensure EHS programs support food safety, product integrity, and regulatory readiness in FDA- and USDA-regulated facilities.
• Build and sustain a strong safety and compliance culture by establishing accountability frameworks, KPIs, and leading/lagging indicators (TRIR, DART), driving toward a zero-incident / zero-NOV mindset.
• Serve as the primary point of contact with OSHA, EPA, FDA-aligned regulators, state and local agencies, emergency response teams, and crisis management partners.
• Advise operations and executive leadership on risk-based EHS and food manufacturing compliance strategies, including regulatory change management in highly audited environments.
• Develop, standardize, and maintain EHS policies, SOPs, audits, and corrective action programs that align with GMP expectations and third-party audit requirements.
• Oversee incident management, investigations, root cause analysis, and regulatory reporting for safety, environmental, and compliance events.
• Lead EHS training and competency development across all levels of the organization, ensuring understanding of regulatory obligations, food manufacturing risks, and safe work practices.
• Act as environmental compliance SME, including wastewater, permitting, NPDES, and sustainability initiatives, balancing risk reduction, regulatory compliance, and cost efficiency.
• Establish and enforce contractor and visitor safety programs suitable for active food production environments, ensuring alignment with OSHA and site-specific requirements.
• Own EHS budgets, cost-containment initiatives, and talent development, including coaching and performance management of site and regional EHS leaders.
• Mentor and develop EHS professionals, driving capability building, succession planning, and alignment with operational and food safety objectives.

The Ideal Senior Manager, EHS will have the following skillset:

• Bachelor's degree in a Technical Field strongly preferred; years of experience might be substituted for degree
• 7+ years of progressive EHS leadership experience in food manufacturing or highly regulated production environments, including multi-site operations.
• 5+ years of hands‑on EHS compliance, reporting, and regulatory engagement experience across OSHA, EPA, FSMA, and applicable state and local requirements.
• Certified Safety Professional (CSP) preferred; additional credentials such as CIH, CHMM, or ISO 14001/45001 Lead Auditor a pl
• Demonstrated experience supporting FDA- or USDA-regulated facilities, including alignment with GMP, HACCP, and audit‑ready operations.
• Strong working knowledge of environmental permitting, wastewater treatment, NPDES, and environmental compliance programs in manufacturing settings.
• Proven ability to lead incident investigations, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and continuous improvement initiatives in high‑risk, 24/7 operations.
• Experience operating effectively in heavily audited, fast‑paced, and change‑driven environments, including M&A integration.
• Excellent analytical, problem‑solving, and risk assessment skills, with a track record of driving measurable EHS performance improvement.