HSE Advisor

AkzoNobel; High Point (NC); On-site; USD 89,000 - 103,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance with HSA

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

AD&D benefits

Annual bonus

401K retirement savings with company-m

Hybrid work for most exempt roles

Job summary

AkzoNobel is seeking an HSE Advisor to partner with site leadership in High Point, NC, promoting a strong safety culture across production, warehouse, and office areas. The role requires guiding OSHA/EPA compliance, conducting audits, and leading safety training to reduce workplace risk.

Responsibilities include supporting Process Safety Management, incident investigations, and daily risk assessments while helping implement continuous improvement initiatives and emergency preparedness plans.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in EHS or related field.
• Minimum of five years HSE experience in manufacturing.
• Experience with hazardous materials and emergency planning is a plus.
• Knowledge of OSHA and environmental regulations.
• Strong communication and ability to coach across levels of the organization.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the site’s HSE advisor ensuring compliance with OSHA, EPA and company safety requirements.
• Support air permits, wastewater, stormwater, hazardous waste and environmental regulations.
• Deliver HSE training and toolbox talks to employees and contractors.
• Lead Process Safety Management activities and hazard studies.
• Conduct incident investigations and root-cause analysis.
• Participate in daily site walks to identify hazards and provide support.
• Monitor HSE performance metrics and support continuous improvement.

Skills

OSHA knowledge

Environmental compliance

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Problem solving

Audits & investigations

Coaching & training

Education

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health & Safety

Tools

SAP ERP

Enablon or similar software

Job description

About AkzoNobel

Since 1792, we’ve been supplying the innovative paints and coatings that help to color people’s lives and protect what matters most. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than 150 countries and use our expertise to sustain and enhance the fabric of everyday life. Because we believe every surface is an opportunity. It’s what you’d expect from a pioneering and long-established paints company that’s dedicated to providing sustainable solutions and preserving the best of what we have today – while creating an even better tomorrow. Let’s paint the future together.

About AkzoNobel

Since 1792, we’ve been supplying the innovative paints and coatings that help to color people’s lives and protect what matters most. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than 150 countries and use our expertise to sustain and enhance the fabric of everyday life. Because we believe every surface is an opportunity. It’s what you’d expect from a pioneering and long-established paints company that’s dedicated to providing sustainable solutions and preserving the best of what we have today – while creating an even better tomorrow. Let’s paint the future together. For more information please visit www.akzonobel.com. © 2024 Akzo Nobel N.V. All rights reserved.

Job Purpose

The HSE Advisor partners with site leadership to promote a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with health, safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements across the manufacturing facility. This role serves as a trusted advisor by providing guidance on OSHA, EPA, and state/local regulatory compliance, conducting safety training, supporting Process Safety Management (PSM) initiatives, performing audits and incident investigations, and helping identify and reduce workplace risks. The HSE Advisor spends significant time on the production floor building relationships with employees, coaching safe work practices, and collaborating with all departments to continuously improve workplace safety and environmental performance.

Key Responsibilities

HSE Compliance & Regulatory Support

• Serve as the site’s Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) advisor by ensuring compliance with and company safety requirements.
• Support compliance with air permits, stormwater, wastewater, hazardous waste, soil management, and other environmental regulations.
• Maintain site HSE programs and assist with regulatory inspections and compliance activities.

Safety Leadership & Employee Engagement

• Build positive working relationships with employees and managers to promote a proactive safety culture.
• Provide coaching and guidance on safe work practices while encouraging employee involvement in safety initiatives such as Behavior-Based Safety (BBS).
• Influence safety performance through collaboration rather than direct authority.
• Participate in daily site walks throughout manufacturing, warehouse, laboratory, office, and outdoor work areas to identify hazards and provide immediate support.

Safety Training & Development

• Deliver HSE training for employees and contractors, including topics such as Lockout/Tagout, PPE, hazardous waste handling, etc.
• Develop and communicate daily toolbox talks and other safety awareness programs.
• Maintain training documentation and assist with ongoing employee development.

Process Safety & Risk Management

• Support Process Safety Management (PSM) activities, including Management of Change (MOC) processes and hazard studies.
• Participate in incident investigations, root cause analysis, corrective action development, and follow-up activities.
• Conduct task-based risk assessments, internal safety audits, and inspections.

Emergency Preparedness

• Support emergency preparedness programs and emergency response planning.
• Participate on the Emergency Response Team if qualified or interested.
• Assist in developing and improving emergency response procedures and site readiness.

Continuous Improvement

• Recommend improvements to HSE programs, policies, and procedures.
• Monitor HSE performance metrics and assist with corrective and preventive actions.
• Support implementation of company HSE initiatives and continuous improvement projects.

Level of Autonomy

The HSE Advisor exercises independent judgment while supporting site leadership in maintaining compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations.

This position is expected to:

• Interpret and apply OSHA, EPA, environmental, and company safety requirements.
• Recommend improvements to HSE programs, procedures, and safe work practices.
• Identify safety and environmental risks and recommend corrective actions.
• Influence employees and leaders through coaching, collaboration, and effective communication.
• Prioritize daily work activities and independently manage assigned HSE responsibilities while partnering closely with the HSE Manager.

Job Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health & Safety, Engineering, Environmental Science, Industrial Safety, or a related field. Equivalent manufacturing experience may be considered.
• Minimum of five (5) years of HSE-relevant experience.
• Experience working in a manufacturing environment involving hazardous materials.
• One to two years of experience at a Process Safety Management (PSM) covered facility preferred.
• Experience with emergency response planning or emergency response teams is a plus.
• Experience with incident investigations, audits, and safety training preferred.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong knowledge of OSHA regulations and environmental compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of air permits, wastewater, stormwater, hazardous waste, and environmental compliance programs.
• Basic understanding of Process Safety Management principles
• Ability to influence and coach employees without direct supervisory authority.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to build trust across all levels of the organization.
• Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.
• Ability to conduct safety audits, inspections, and incident investigations.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to balance office responsibilities with extensive time spent in the manufacturing environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications.
• SAP or similar ERP experience is helpful but not required.
• Experience with incident management systems (such as Enablon or similar software) is preferred but not required. Training will be

Rewards/Benefits

The salary range for these skills is: $89,000 to $103,000. This is the range that we in good faith anticipate relying on when setting wages for this position. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This salary range may also be modified in the future.

This role eligible for an annual bonus target of 7.5%, based on individual and company performance.

Benefits:

• Medical insurance with HSA
• Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D benefits
• Annual bonus
• 401K retirement savings with 6% company match
• Generous vacation, personal and holiday pay
• Paid Parental leave
• Hybrid work for most exempt roles
• Active Diversity & Inclusion Networks
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Career growth opportunities
• Employee referral bonus

At AkzoNobel we are highly committed to ensuring an inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees can be their best self. We strive to embrace diversity in a context of tolerance. Our talent acquisition process plays an integral part in this journey, as setting the foundations for a diverse environment. For this reason we train and educate on the implications of our Unconscious Bias in order for our TA and hiring managers to be mindful of them and take corrective actions when applicable. In our organization, all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age or disability.