Sr. Spclst, Safety & Environment

Job Description

Overview

The Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Sr. Specialist is accountable for supporting and maintaining an efficient and effective health, safety and environmental management system for the De Soto, KS manufacturing and research site. This role will ensure compliance with EHS regulations and promote best practices across various operation units, fostering a culture of safety and continuous improvement.  The successful candidate will be physically located at the main campus at DeSoto, KS.

Reporting Structure

The Sr. Specialist of EHS sits within the Global Safety & Environment organization, and reports to the Associate Director of Safety & Environment of De Soto Operations.

 

 

Sr. Specialist, Safety & Environment

The Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Sr. Specialist will provide technical environment, safety support to site management and employees within Kansas Operations. The successful candidate will be a proactive leader to implement best practices and ensure compliance with applicable EHS local, state, federal and company regulations, policies, permits, and work practices.

Responsibilities:

• Provide technical environment and safety support to site management and employees
• Proactive leader in planning, developing, and supporting implementation best practices and ensuring compliance with applicable local, state, federal EHS regulations, and company policies, permits, and work practices.
• Work with local governmental EHS agencies as needed.
• Develop and deliver EHS related training for shop floor employees and site leadership.
• Lead initiatives for incident reduction at the site.
• Clearly and concisely communicate complex technical and regulatory information to both senior level leaders and shop floor employees.
• Manage EHS programs along with the site system owners such as: Powered Industrial Truck, Contractor Management, High Risk Work, Incident Investigation, Emergency Response, , and others as assigned.
• Support EHS incident investigations, including accidents and near misses, and ensure proper reporting and effective corrective and preventive action plans; regularly monitor and evaluate effectiveness of mitigation efforts.
• Oversee and facilitate change management processes, ensuring major transitions are effectively planned and executed to maintain continuous compliance with applicable regulations and organizational standards.
• Drive continuous improvement focused on both approaches and outcomes.
• Assure completion of required reports to site, divisional and/or corporate management and regulatory agencies.
• Lead risk assessments in collaboration with shop floor employees (e.g., Job Safety Analysis).

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Engineering, Physical Science or related technical discipline required.

Experience:

Required

• 5+ years of progressive EHS experience.
• Knowledge of computers as a tool to perform the job.
• Ability to work independently.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Self-starter with strong leadership and change leadership skills.
• Must be knowledgeable of Federal and State OSHA, EPA, and EHS laws and regulations.
• Possess analytical and logical problem solving abilities.
• Ability to prioritize, focus on and obtain business results.
• Flexibility to perform various tasks to support the business.
• Experience working with US EHS regulatory agencies and corporate support functions.
• Demonstrated skills in complying with one or more regulatory programs: Powered Industrial Trucks, Contractor Management, Emergency Response, and High-Risk Work (e.g. elevated work, confined space, hot work, lock out tag out, etc.).

Preferred

• CSP, PE, or CIH preferred
• Master’s degree in a related discipline
• Process improvements methologies, Lean and Six Sigma skills
• Prior experience supporting an FDA or USDA-regulated manufacturing environment

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Adaptability, Biosafety, Change Management, Continuous Monitoring, Corporate Management, EHS Auditing, EHS Compliance, EHS Program Management, Environmental Regulatory Compliance, Environment Management, Health and Safety, Health and Safety Legislation, Incident Investigations, Industrial Hygiene, Interpersonal Relationships, Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), Lean Six Sigma (LSS), Lockout Tagout, Occupational Safety and Health Programs, Process Improvements, Process Safety Management, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Assessments, Safety Management {+ 2 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement​

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

The salary range for this role is

$106,200.00 - $167,200.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits.  Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

05/12/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.