Environment Health Safety Lead

Metric DCX; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Metric DCX in Houston seeks an experienced EHS & Maintenance Lead to own the environmental, health, and safety program while directing maintenance for critical electrical and mechanical systems. You will lead a hands-on team, enforce OSHA/NFPA70E standards, manage LOTO, incident investigations, and safety training, and protect uptime for customers.

You will oversee CMMS, maintenance planning, outages, and vendor contracts, and communicate KPIs to senior management.

Qualifications

• OSHA 30 or equivalent certification and strong safety background.
• Experience leading EHS and maintenance in data centers or critical facilities.
• Proven incident investigation and root-cause analysis skills.
• Familiarity with NFPA 70E and electrical safety practices.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and improve the site EHS program per OSHA requirements and company standards.
• Manage Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), permit-to-work, and MOP processes for work on live critical systems.
• Enforce electrical safety practices, including NFPA 70E, arc flash labeling, and PPE requirements.
• Oversee confined space, working at height, hot work, and contractor safety controls.
• Lead incident investigations, near-miss reporting, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Manage environmental compliance, including generator air permits (TCEQ), fuel storage and spill prevention (SPCC), battery and hazardous waste handling, and refrigerant management.
• Conduct site inspections, safety audits, toolbox talks, and deliver employee and contractor training.
• Maintain OSHA logs and regulatory reporting, and host inspections and customer audits.

Skills

Incident investigation

Safety leadership

Team coaching

Regulatory compliance

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety, Engineering, or related field

Tools

CMMS

Job description

We're looking for an experienced EHS & Maintenance Lead to keep a Houston data center facility safe, compliant, and running without interruption. You'll own the environmental, health, and safety program while also directing the maintenance strategy for critical electrical and mechanical systems. In a facility where uptime is everything, you'll be the person who makes sure people go home safe and the infrastructure never lets customers down.

This is a hands-on leadership role, coaching technicians, reviewing work, and driving a strong safety culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and continually improve the site EHS program in line with OSHA requirements and company standards
• Manage Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), permit-to-work, and Method of Procedure (MOP) processes for work on live critical systems
• Enforce electrical safety practices, including NFPA 70E, arc flash labeling, and PPE requirements
• Oversee confined space, working at height, hot work, and contractor safety controls
• Lead incident investigations, near-miss reporting, root cause analysis, and corrective actions
• Manage environmental compliance, including generator air permits (TCEQ), fuel storage and spill prevention (SPCC), battery and hazardous waste handling, and refrigerant management
• Conduct site inspections, safety audits, and toolbox talks, and deliver employee and contractor training
• Maintain OSHA logs and regulatory reporting, and host inspections and customer audits

Maintenance

• Lead preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs for critical systems: UPS and batteries, switchgear, generators, transfer switches, chillers, CRAH/CRAC units, cooling towers, fire suppression, and BMS/EPMS
• Manage a team of technicians and third-party service contractors, including scheduling, performance, and SLA compliance
• Oversee the CMMS, ensuring work orders, asset records, and maintenance history are accurate and complete
• Coordinate planned outages, commissioning, and change management to protect customer uptime
• Lead response to facility incidents and critical alarms, including post-incident reviews
• Develop severe weather and business continuity plans, including hurricane season preparedness, flood response, generator fuel logistics, and extended grid outages
• Manage the maintenance budget, spare parts inventory, vendor contracts, and capital project input
• Report on safety metrics, maintenance KPIs, and risk to senior management
• Proven experience in an EHS, facilities, or maintenance leadership role within a data center, critical facility, or heavy industrial environment
• Strong working knowledge of OSHA regulations and NFPA 70E
• Solid understanding of critical electrical and mechanical infrastructure (UPS, generators, switchgear, chilled water systems)
• Experience managing technicians and third-party contractors
• Hands-on experience with CMMS platforms and maintenance planning
• Excellent incident investigation, documentation, and communication skills
• Calm, decisive, and professional under pressure
• OSHA 30, CSP, CHST, or equivalent safety certification
• Experience with Tier III/IV facilities and colocation customer environments
• Familiarity with ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, or SOC 2 frameworks
• Relevant licensing or certification (Texas electrical license, EPA 608, or similar)
• Experience with emergency and disaster response planning in the Gulf Coast region
• Background in the military, power generation, oil and gas, or similar high-hazard industries
• Degree in Occupational Safety, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience