Director of Environment, Health & Safety (EHS)

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense; Simsbury (CT); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense (EBAD) seeks a Director of Environment, Health & Safety to lead EHS across our manufacturing sites in Simsbury, CT, Graham, KY, and Moorpark, CA. You will set the EHS direction, develop capabilities, and partner with leaders to reduce risk and ensure regulatory compliance.

The role requires 15+ years of progressive EHS leadership in manufacturing, deep OSHA and EPA knowledge, and a track record implementing PHAs, MOC, and training programs that drive ownership

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering or related field.
• 15+ years of progressive manufacturing EHS experience.
• Extensive OSHA General Industry and EPA regulatory knowledge.
• Experience leading EHS across multiple sites or high-hazard operations.
• Ability to develop talent, influence leaders and drive change.

Responsibilities

• Develop EBAD's EHS strategy to support growth and manage complex aerospace and defense manufacturing risks.
• Lead and develop EHS professionals across sites, strengthening technical depth and leadership.
• Establish consistent policies, ownership, leading/lagging indicators, and routine reviews.
• Advise senior leaders on resources, investments, and safe, reliable operations.
• Oversee regulatory readiness, inspections, audits, and injury/illness reporting.

Skills

EHS leadership

Regulatory compliance

OSHA knowledge

PHAs & risk assessment

Industrial hygiene

Change management

Cross-site collaboration

Education

Bachelor's in Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering

Tools

LOTO

EPA/DoD regulatory knowledge

Job description

Director of Environment, Health & Safety

Protect Our People. Advance Our Mission. Shape What Comes Next.

At Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense (EBAD), we’ve spent nearly 200 years delivering mission-critical technologies that protect lives and advance exploration. As we prepare to double in size over the next 2-5 years, keeping our people safe is fundamental to our growth. We’re seeking a Director of Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) to lead EHS across our business. Combine strategic leadership with a strong manufacturing floor presence to build capability, influence operating decisions, and solve problems at their source. Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, you’ll lead EHS at manufacturing sites in Simsbury, CT; Graham, KY; and Moorpark, CA.

The Impact You’ll Make

Set the Direction. Build the Capability.

• Develop EBAD's EHS strategy to support growth and manage complex aerospace and defense manufacturing risks.
• Lead and develop EHS professionals across sites, strengthening technical expertise, leadership, and the talent pipeline.
• Establish consistent policies and standards, clear ownership, leading and lagging indicators, and routine effectiveness reviews.
• Advise senior leaders on emerging risks, resources, and investments in safe, reliable operations.

Champion OSHA Compliance & Operational Discipline

• Lead OSHA, EPA, and federal, state, and local EHS compliance; partner with technical and security leaders on applicable DoD and DHS requirements.
• Set standards and verify execution for lockout/tagout (LOTO), machine guarding, electrical safety, hazard communication, hot work, confined spaces, hearing conservation, and respiratory protection.
• Ensure hazard-based PPE and safety equipment selection, availability, use, maintenance, and inspection.
• Direct regulatory readiness, inspections, and audits; manage agency relationships and verify timely, effective closure of findings.
• Ensure accurate injury and illness records, required reporting, and timely adoption of regulatory changes.
• Oversee air permitting, stormwater, wastewater, and spill prevention, plus hazardous waste storage, labeling, containment, disposal, inspections, documentation, and reporting.

Reduce Risk Where the Work Happens

• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Facilities, and technical experts to control energetic material, chemical, equipment, and process hazards.
• Prevent serious injuries and high-consequence events through risk assessments, process hazard analyses (PHAs), engineering controls, and verified operating practices.
• Integrate EHS into capital projects, equipment selection, process development, facility changes, and production readiness; ensure management of change reviews and controls precede implementation.
• Oversee industrial hygiene, occupational health, contractor safety, and site-specific emergency plans, response capabilities, training, and drills.

Solve Problems at the Source Through EBOS

• Embed safety into daily management, gemba walks, visual management, leader standard work, and kaizen through the Ensign-Bickford Operating System (EBOS).
• Lead root cause analysis of incidents, near misses, environmental events, and recurring compliance gaps; coach teams to gather facts at the source and address process and organizational causes.
• Assign countermeasure owners and deadlines, verify effectiveness through observation and data, and embed cross-site lessons in standards, training, and processes.

Build a Culture of Ownership

• Engage employees and leaders on the floor in hazard identification, safety observations, and solutions; foster speaking up, stopping unsafe work, and resolving concerns.
• Develop leaders' ability to recognize risk, reinforce standard, and follow through on commitments.
• Set role-based training and qualification expectations, verify application, and strengthen safety committees and observation programs that turn employee input into improvement.

The Candidate We Are Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 15+ years of progressive manufacturing EHS experience, including leadership of EHS professionals across multiple sites or complex, high-hazard operations.
• Extensive OSHA General Industry and applicable EHS regulatory knowledge, with experience leading compliance programs, inspections, audits, and injury and illness recordkeeping and reporting.
• Strong EPA and environmental compliance knowledge, including hazardous waste, air permitting, stormwater, wastewater, spill prevention, documentation, and reporting.
• Technical depth in manufacturing safety, industrial hygiene, risk assessment, PHAs, and management of change; ability to evaluate controls and guide site teams.
• Success leading incident investigations, root cause analysis, lean daily management, and verified corrective actions that prevent recurrence.
• Ability to develop EHS talent, translate requirements into practical standards, and influence leaders and employees through change and resistance.
• Experience building EHS training, safety committees, and observation programs that sustain employee engagement and ownership in lean manufacturing.
• Ability to travel regularly among EBAD sites.

Preferred:

Aerospace and defense, energetics, explosives, or other high-hazard manufacturing experience, including applicable DoD and DHS requirements. CSP, CIH, related credentials, OSHA General Industry Outreach Trainer authorization, and lean operating system experience are valued.

Ready to Make a Difference?

If you're a leader who earns trust on the manufacturing floor, brings clarity to complex risks, and develops people who solve problems, this is an opportunity to leave a lasting mark. Join EBAD and help shape a future where our people and our business thrive together.

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).

Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, national origin, or veteran status.

EBI's 190-year history has been shaped by innovation and stewardship defining who we are today: a family-owned, independently led, and professionally managed company united by our people, Core Values, and Winning Vision.

We invite you to explore our three strong businesses and discover how you can help shape the next chapter of our story.

Ensign-Bickford Industries founded in 1836, is a privately-owned high technology conglomerate that participates in businesses that are relevant to the future of the world and have multigenerational growth prospects.

AFB International AFB is the leader in pet food flavor enhancers. Ensuring product performance for pet food manufacturers—and their customers—is our business.

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company EBAD is a global leader in precision energetic systems and other innovative explosives, non-explosive and electromechanical solutions for the defense and aerospace markets.

EnviroLogix is a global leader in the development of rapid GMO and mycotoxin detection technology.