Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Manager- Food Manufacturing

About Echo Lake Foods:

Echo Lake Foods is a leading manufacturer of ready-to-eat egg products and breakfast foods, including waffles, pancakes, French toast, scrambled eggs, omelets, and egg patties, serving major retail, foodservice, and national restaurant customers across the United States. Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Burlington, Wisconsin, the company operates multiple production facilities throughout the Midwest and has built a strong reputation for quality, innovation, and customer partnerships.

In 2025, Echo Lake Foods was acquired by Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., the largest producer and distributor of fresh shell eggs in the United States, marking an exciting new chapter of growth. This partnership strengthens our resources, expands our capabilities, and supports continued investment in our people, facilities, and products-creating new opportunities for employees to grow their careers within a stable and expanding organization.

Role Summary:

The EHS Manager leads the plant's Environmental, Health & Safety strategy and compliance programs in a high-velocity food manufacturing environment. The role operates through a team-based Environmental, Health & Safety Management System (EHS-MS) Playbook, which organizes all EHS responsibilities into seven chapters and assigns each chapter to a designated plant management owner. The EHS Manager provides technical leadership, governance, and coaching to chapter owners; ensures compliance with OSHA/EPA/state/local requirements; partners closely with Quality/Food Safety; and drives a culture of hazard reduction, learning, and continuous improvement.

EHS-MS Playbook Leadership & Governance:

The EHS Manager is responsible for leading and sustaining the plant's EHS-MS Playbook, which structures all programs and activities into seven core chapters:

• *Leadership and Administration
• Rules and Procedures
• Health and Environment
• Emergency Management
• Incident Investigation and Medical Management
• Inspections and Audits
• Training and Awareness

Each chapter is owned by a member of the plant management team (Operations, Quality, Maintenance, HR, Engineering, Facilities), while the EHS Manager maintains the playbook standards, runs the review cadence, tracks actions and KPIs, and ensures alignment to regulatory, customer, and corporate expectations.

Governance Cadence & Tools:

• Monthly chapter meetings with KPI dashboards, action logs, and risk register updates
• Tiered daily/weekly checks for critical controls (e.g., LOTO, PIT, housekeeping)
• Layered Process Audits (LPAs) and internal audits aligned to EHS-MS chapters
• Quarterly EHS Management Review with plant leadership; annual effectiveness review and roadmap refresh

Key Responsibilities:

1) Chapter Leadership & Coaching (EHS-MS Playbook)

• Stand up, coach, and support chapter owners; maintain RACI and standards for each chapter
• Facilitate chapter KPIs, audits, and action tracking to closure with clear due dates and owners
• Drive cross-functional engagement and a speak-up, learning culture across all shifts

2) Regulatory Compliance & Food Industry Interfaces

• Ensure compliance with OSHA programs (LOTO, machine guarding, PIT, walking-working surfaces, confined space, electrical safety, hazard communication, PPE)
• Lead environmental compliance (air permits, wastewater pre-treatment, stormwater/SWPPP, waste/RCRA, universal waste, SPCC, refrigerants, sustainability metrics)
• Where applicable, manage Ammonia PSM/RMP (PSI, MOC, PHA, SOPs, MI, contractor control, drills, compliance audits)
• Partner with Quality/Food Safety for interfaces affecting GFSI (SQF/BRC), HACCP, GMPs, sanitation, allergen control, pest management, and customer audits
• Maintain permits, plans, records, and serve as point of contact for regulators and third parties

3) Risk Assessment & Controls

• Lead JHA/JSA programs; ergonomic and industrial hygiene assessments and sampling plans
• Drive engineering/administrative controls and verify their effectiveness through audits and data
• Champion machine safety improvements (guarding, interlocks), and LOTO procedure creation/validation
• Maintain Emergency Action/Response Plans; conduct drills (fire, severe weather, ammonia/chemical release, medical)

4) Incident Prevention, Response & Learning

• Lead incident/near-miss response and root-cause analysis (5-Why, Fishbone)
• Manage corrective/preventive actions (CAPA) and verify effectiveness; maintain lessons-learned library
• Partner with HR on workers' compensation, case management, and return-to-work programs

5) Training, Engagement & Culture

• Own the EHS training matrix (role-based and legally required); ensure completion and quality
• Coach leaders to conduct effective pre-shift talks, safety gemba, and reinforcement of safe practices
• Manage certifications (PIT, LOTO Authorized, Confined Space, Hot Work) and responder training
• Drive participation programs (observations, suggestions, kaizen) and recognition

6) Data, KPIs & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure data integrity for leading/lagging indicators, environmental metrics, and training
• Publish EHS-MS dashboards and chapter scorecards (closure %, CAPA aging, audit scores, MI backlog)
• Lead CI projects (ergonomic redesigns, risk/energy/water/waste reduction, MI backlog reduction)
• Align to corporate initiatives

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in EHS, Environmental Science/Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field; or equivalent experience
• 3+ years EHS experience in food, beverage, or CPG manufacturing (multi-shift preferred)
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams and influencing without direct authority
• Strong working knowledge of OSHA and environmental regulations
• Experience with incident investigation, JHA/JSAs, program audits, and training development
• Experience with EHS KPI management/leadership
• Proficiency with EHS software systems and Microsoft 365; strong communication skills across all levels

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ammonia PSM/RMP experience and mechanical integrity program exposure
• Familiarity with GFSI (SQF/BRC), HACCP, GMPs and sanitation interfaces
• Experience EHS systems and internal auditing
• Lean/CI tools (kaizen, 5S, TPM), ergonomic redesigns, and IH sampling strategy
• Professional certifications: CSP, ASP, CHMM, CIH (or progress toward certification)

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements:

• Food manufacturing environment with PPE requirements; exposure to temperature extremes (freezers/cook areas), wet/slippery floors, and production noise
• Ability to walk/stand for extended periods, climb stairs, and access elevated work areas
• Ability to respond to after-hours emergencies and participate in on-call rotations
• Occasional lifting up to 40 lbs; ability to wear respiratory protection if required

Schedule & Travel:

• Full-time, onsite; flexibility to engage teams across all shifts
• Limited travel (10%) for training, benchmarking, or corporate events

Why Join Echo Lake Foods / Cal-Maine Foods:

• Lead a team-based EHS-MS Playbook that empowers managers and builds sustainable safety culture
• Make measurable impact on people safety, food safety interfaces, and environmental performance
• Grow your career within a stable, well-resourced, and expanding organization

EEO Statement:

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, military service, protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.