Emergency Response – Safety Professional

Initial Therapeutics, Inc.; Clayton (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonus

PTO and holidays

Health Insurance

401(k) plan

Job summary

Novo Nordisk in Clayton, NC seeks a Lead, Site Emergency Response to manage emergency coordination and safety leadership across the site. You will guide the EHS team, oversee training programs, and coordinate with local agencies to ensure rapid, compliant responses to incidents.

The role emphasizes disaster preparedness, routine drills, and the development of robust safety programs to strengthen the site's safety culture and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical or safety engineering, emergency management, public health, or related field with 5+ years in chemical/API/pharma facility operations.
• Associate’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience in similar operations.
• High School Diploma with 11+ years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the site emergency response team and act as primary contact for emergency coordination and management.
• Provide leadership for safe work practices and guidance to EHS team and site leadership.
• Plan and direct disaster response or crisis management scenarios and drills.
• Coordinate audits of safety management systems and incident investigations.
• Serve as SME for safety audits and ensure compliance with OSHA PSM standards.

Skills

Emergency response leadership

Safety audits

Training coordination

Incident investigations

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor’s in chemical/safety engineering

Associate’s in chemical safety/EM

High School Diploma with 11+ years exp.

Job description

About the Department

At Novo Nordisk, we are helping to improve the quality of life for millions of people worldwide. For more than 100 years, we have led the way in diabetes care. Being part of Novo Nordisk allows our employees to embark on the opportunity to help improve the quality of life for millions of people around the world.

In NC, we operate three pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities that are responsible for fulfilling different steps in our injectable and oral treatment supply chains. Our newer Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) facility in Clayton, NC sits on 825,000 square‑feet of state‑of‑the‑art equipment, and houses the Fermentation, Recovery and Purification in the production of ingredients for Novo Nordisk’s innovative oral products. At API, you’ll join a global network of manufacturing professionals who are passionate about what they do.

What we offer you:

• Leading pay and annual performance bonus for all positions
• All employees enjoy generous paid time off including 14 paid holidays
• Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance – effective day one
• Guaranteed 8% 401(K) contribution plus individual company match option
• Family focused benefits including 14 weeks paid parental and 6 weeks paid family medical leave
• Free access to Novo Nordisk‑marketed pharmaceutical products
• Tuition Assistance
• Life & Disability Insurance
• Employee Referral Awards

At Novo Nordisk, you will find opportunities, resources, and mentorship to help grow and build your career. Are you ready to realize your potential? Join Team Novo Nordisk and help us make what matters.

The Position

Lead the site emergency response team and serve as the primary point of contact for all aspects of emergency coordination & management. Provide leadership for numerous safe work practices with emphasis on those related to emergency response. Serve as a core member of the EHS team and provide guidance/coaching to other EHS team members & site leadership.

Relationships

Reports to Manager, Senior Manager.

Essential Functions

• Ensure appropriate leadership & staffing, including organizing required training and developing sustainable programs to ensure proficiency & infrastructure.
• Serve as the primary point of contact to local emergency response agencies and communicate needs to leadership for required support.
• Plan & direct disaster response or crisis management scenarios, providing disaster preparedness training & preparing emergency plans & procedures for plant emergencies such as serious injuries from hazardous material exposure, fire disasters, etc.
• Plan quarterly emergency response team drills against scenarios with 50% support from outside agencies, including fire, toxic release, tornado/severe weather, active shooter, etc.
• Serve as a key resource to all areas with execution of safe work practices, including work permitting, lockout/tagout, hot work, confined space entry, fall protection, barricades/hoists & rigging, electrical hazards, personal protective equipment, safety system bypassing, motorized industrial vehicles, ladder safety, & others.
• Develop or mature existing programs to increase the safety culture at the site, owning several of these programs & serving as the subject matter expert (SME) to others.
• Organize & provide training to employees to ensure understanding & proper execution of safe work practices through a variety of techniques.
• Function as a subject matter expert on various levels of safety audits & incident investigations, coordinating external audits of systems & conducting similar audits at other facilities, including the support of external fire/life safety and risk management audits.
• Collaborate, share best practices & provide recommendations with other members of the Health & Safety organization across NNPILP and to the site line management organization.
• Audit all aspects of emergency response & safe work practices in accordance with the OSHA PSM standard (specifically 1910.119 sections f, g, h, k, m, n, & o).
• Communicate openly and effectively to all levels of the organization, both in writing and orally.
• Follow all safety & environmental requirements in the performance of duties.
• Other accountabilities, as assigned.

Physical Requirements

Moves equipment &/or supplies weighing up to 33 pounds within the facility using various body positions. Routinely operates & inspects manufacturing equipment using hands. Strap & unstrap pallets using hands. Must be able to be on your feet for up to a 12‑hour shift. May require corrected vision to 20/20 or 20/25 based on role. May require color vision based on role. Occasionally ascends/descends a ladder. May be required to work at elevated heights. Occasionally works around odorous &/or hazardous materials. May be required to wear latex gloves. May perform critical job functions in extremely cold work environments depending on site. May position oneself within confined spaces for inspection if required of the role. Ability to work in loud noise environments with hearing protection. May be required to secure a motorized vehicle license & operate a motorized vehicle based on the role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in chemical or safety engineering, emergency management, public health, or related field of study from an accredited university with a minimum of five (5) years of experience in chemical, API, or pharmaceutical facility operations and strong knowledge of the chemical & physical hazards associated with this type of facility.
• Associate’s degree in chemical or safety engineering technology, emergency management, public health, or related field of study from an accredited university with a minimum of seven (7) years of experience in chemical, API, or pharmaceutical facility operations and strong knowledge of the chemical & physical hazards associated with this type of facility.
• High School Diploma or equivalent with a minimum of eleven (11) years of experience in chemical, API, or pharmaceutical facility operations and strong knowledge of the chemical & physical hazards associated with this type of facility.

Prior leadership or long‑term participation with emergency response teams in an industrial setting preferred.

Experience working in a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment a plus.

Competency with Emergency Response & Incident Command required.

Working knowledge & practical experience with life safety systems (confined space, fall protection, incident investigation, LOTO, hot work, confined space, line break, etc.) required.

Ability to lead complex incident investigations & thorough audits of safety management systems per ISO 45001 preferred.

Proven expertise in health & safety, planning/organizing & managing execution required.

Revising the work plan for complex problems solved by cross‑functional teams required.

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

At Novo Nordisk, we're not chasing quick fixes – we're creating lasting change for long‑term health. For over 100 years, we've been driven by a single purpose: to defeat serious chronic diseases and help millions of people live healthier lives. This dedication fuels our constant curiosity and inspires us to push the boundaries of what's possible in healthcare. We embrace diverse perspectives, seek out bold ideas, and build partnerships rooted in shared purpose. Together, we're making healthcare more accessible, treating and defeating diseases, and pioneering solutions that create change spanning generations. When you join us, you become part of something bigger – a legacy of impact that reaches far beyond today.

Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.

If you are interested in applying to Novo Nordisk and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply, please call us at 1‑855‑411‑5290. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.