EHS Senior Manager

The Senior EHS Senior Manager holds overall leadership responsibility for site EHS strategy, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement, with a focus on plant engineering, equipment manufacturing and safe operations. Positioned as a key operational leader, this role combines strategic EHS vision with direct managerial authority — governing workforce administration, budget management, labor council engagement, and team development.

You Will Make an Impact By:

1. Strategic EHS Leadership & Continuous Improvement

• Culture & Standards: Driver of an uncompromising safety-first culture, ensuring all site activities strictly comply with country legislation and global corporate standards (e.g., EHS guidelines).
• EHS Strategy: Oversee the development, planning, and implementation of comprehensive EHS programs, high-risk safety rules, occupational illness/injury prevention, and facility life safety.
• Global Alignment: Facilitate a standardized approach across operations, ensuring seamless deployment of global EHS initiatives and best practices.

2. Compliance, Auditing & Risk Management

• Regulatory Compliance: Maintain full compliance with local, national, and international EHS regulations (drive compliance with German/EU EHS requirements, DGUV regulations and site permits), continually driving sites toward best-in-class performance.
• Site Assessments: Partner with leaders across production plants, R&D labs, technical centers, and corporate offices to audit safety organizations, evaluate risk profiles, and execute targeted improvement plans.
• Chemical & Industrial Hygiene: Direct programs covering hazardous material handling, industrial hygiene, emergency preparedness, and specialized lab/plant inspections. Address machinery, electrical and mechanical under applicable German requirements.

3. Incident Management, Performance & KPIs

• Metrics & Analytics: Track, analyze, and report accident trends, near-misses, and monthly Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to identify root causes and preventive action trends.
• Serious Incident Response: Lead cross-functional teams in responding to critical site incidents, overseeing thorough root cause investigations (RCA, 8D) and implementing sustainable corrective actions.

4. Organization Building, Training & Coaching

• People Management: Select, mentor, and evaluate EHS personnel, building high-performing EHS capability across operational sites.
• Training Execution: Design and deploy comprehensive EHS training modules—from frontline chemical/equipment safety and emergency response to executive-level safety leadership.
• Cross-Functional Influence: Serve as an authoritative yet supportive advisor to Line Management, challenging existing norms and coaching managers at all levels to lead safety directly. Advise engineering, manufacturing and support teams and liaise with authorities and the statutory accident insurer.

Skills You Bring: 

1. Qualifications & Professional Credentials

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, plant or safety engineering, EHS, or a related technical discipline. 
• Certifications: Completed German qualification as a Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit (Sifa) and eligibility for appointment under Section 7 ASiG - required. 
• Regulatory Expertise: In depth knowledge of local labor, HSE/OSHA, and environmental legislation
• ·Professional Status: ISO 14001/45001 auditor training or other relevant EHS credentials are an advantage; they do not replace German Sifa requirements.
• Industry Experience: several years of relevant EHS experience at a mid  to senior level, highly preferred chemical industry knowledge; extensive, progressive EHS management experience in process-manufacturing or chemical environments.
• Technical Literacy: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and EHS management software/data platforms.
• Languages: Fluency in German and English, both written and spoken

2. Technical Expertise & Operational EHS

• Chemical Safety & Hazard Control: Practical knowledge of hazardous chemical handling, storage, waste management, and regulatory frameworks (e.g., REACH, COSHH, OSHA Process Safety Management, Seveso III, or local equivalents).
• Process & System Implementation: Proven track record of developing, updating, and auditing ISO-aligned management systems (ISO 14001, ISO 45001).
• Incident Prevention & Root Cause Analysis: Demonstrated experience leading incident investigations, conducting comprehensive risk assessments, and executing corrective action plans.

3. Leadership, Coaching & Influence

• Cross-Level Partnering: Ability to challenge, support, and advise Line Management and Executive teams with clear, constructive feedback.
• Mentorship & Culture: Hands-on leadership style with a focus on coaching, mentoring EHS staff and operational personnel to elevate safety awareness.
• Relationship Building: Skilled at developing strong interpersonal relationships and driving cross-functional EHS initiatives across diverse operational teams.

4. Project Management & Delivery

• Action-Oriented Execution: Strong bias for action in rolling out site-wide procedures, capital EHS projects, and change management initiatives.
• Training & Capability Building: Experience designing, delivering, and tracking high-impact EHS training programs for all organizational levels.

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Globally, our policy is to recruit individuals from wide and diverse backgrounds. However, certain positions require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to various export control regulations.  Applicants for these positions may be limited (by, for example, their countries of citizenship, country of origin, or immigration status) where required by law or governmental contact, and/or employment made contingent upon the issuance of appropriate governmental licensing.

MKS Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries (“MKS”) is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer: diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. We win as a team and are committed to recruiting and hiring qualified applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), religion, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability or handicap, marital status, membership in the uniformed services, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law. Hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications and business needs. We conduct background checks and drug screens, in accordance with applicable law and company policies. MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.

MKS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process due to a disability, please contact us at: [email protected].

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