HSE Manager

Smiths Group; Cookeville (TN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Flex-Tek, a part of Smiths Group, seeks an experienced HSE Manager to lead health, safety and environmental performance across multiple manufacturing sites. You will partner with site leaders to reduce risk, ensure compliance with OSHA/EPA and drive continuous improvement in safety culture.

You will deploy HSE strategies, coach leaders, and manage risk assessments, incident investigations and audits. Willingness to travel between sites is required.

Qualifications

• Recognized HSE qualification or relevant degree; professional certification preferred.
• Multi-site HSE experience in manufacturing or operationally complex environments.
• Strong OSHA and EPA knowledge for US geography.
• Practical experience with machine safety, LOTO/energy isolation, risk assessment, incident investigations.
• Experience implementing or operating HSE management systems, ISO 45001; ISO 14001 is advantageous.
• Ability to travel across sites and cultures as required.

Responsibilities

• Lead deployment of the divisional HSE strategy and standards across sites.
• Translate HSE requirements into practical site plans, priorities, resources and actions.
• Coach Site HSE Leaders and site leaders to ensure accountability for HSE outcomes.
• Assess risks and establish compliance routines with site leadership.
• Lead or support incident investigations and root-cause analysis.
• Coordinate internal and external HSE audits and ensure timely closure of findings.
• Provide oversight of core HSE programmes across sites and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

HSE leadership

Multi-site experience

OSHA knowledge

EPA knowledge

Risk assessment

Incident investigation

Regulatory compliance

ISO 45001 awareness

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

HSE degree

Professional certification preferred

Tools

ISO 45001

ISO 14001

Job description

Flex-Tek is looking for a hands-on HSE Manager to lead and strengthen health, safety and environmental performance across multiple manufacturing sites. You’ll partner with site leaders and HSE teams to reduce risk, strengthen compliance, improve safety performance, and build a culture where everyone owns safety.

We’re looking for someone who can build trust, influence leaders, and turn HSE requirements into practical action. Strong multi-site manufacturing experience, OSHA and environmental compliance knowledge, and a passion for continuous improvement are key. Professional certifications such as CSP, CIH, CHMM or ASP are preferred.

Job Description

• Lead deployment of the divisional HSE strategy, management system, annual objectives and Group HSE standards across the assigned business and sites.
• Partner with operational leaders to translate HSE requirements into practical site plans, priorities, resources and measurable actions.
• At sites with a dedicated HSE Leader, set clear expectations, coach and build capability, review plans and performance, verify implementation and support complex risk or compliance matters.
• At sites without a dedicated HSE Leader, work directly with the Site Managing Director / Site Leader to assess risks, establish compliance routines, assign competent local owners, build capability and verify effective implementation.
• Create ownership in the line organisation so operational leaders remain accountable for HSE outcomes and daily risk control.
• Lead and verify risk assessment and critical-control processes, focusing on life-critical risks including machine safety and guarding, LOTO / energy isolation, fire and explosion, working at height, electrical safety and occupational health.
• Lead targeted site interventions where performance data, incidents, audits or risk indicators show elevated exposure, ensuring significant risks have clear owners, funded actions and appropriate completion dates.
• Maintain oversight of applicable HSE legal and regulatory requirements, including OSHA and EPA, or equivalent jurisdictional requirements.
• Coordinate and verify site processes for permits, inspections, sampling, monitoring, recordkeeping and regulatory reporting, including air, stormwater, wastewater, waste and emissions obligations where applicable.
• Support regulatory agency interactions, inspections and responses, engaging the Group HSE & Sustainability Centre of Excellence or specialist support where required.
• Lead or support serious and high-potential incident investigations, ensuring robust root-cause analysis, learning and sustainable corrective actions.
• Coordinate internal and external HSE audits, prioritise findings by risk and drive timely corrective-action closure and prevention of repeat findings.
• Provide oversight of core HSE programmes including industrial hygiene, powered industrial trucks, respiratory protection, energy management, waste management, and environmental compliance.
• Ensure adoption and consistent use of the operating systems, including Intelex and Watershed across assigned sites; embed standardised processes, maintain data quality, track actions and deliver timely reporting.
• Analyse leading and lagging indicators, audit results, incidents and compliance data to identify trends, focus interventions and provide concise recommendations to business and operational leadership.
• Coach leaders and HSE professionals to strengthen visible leadership, risk awareness, employee engagement and continuous improvement.
• Build strong relationships with Operations, Engineering, HR, Sustainability and the Group HSE Centre of Excellence, and share learning and effective practices across sites.
• Manage and report key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor progress against strategic, operational, and sustainability objectives, driving accountability and continuous improvement across the Division.
• Analyze performance data and KPI trends, providing actionable insights and recommendations to leadership to improve operational effectiveness and achieve strategic objectives.
• Undertake other reasonable duties within the scope and capacity of the role as required by the Company.
• Ensure compliance with Smiths Group minimum security standards across all sites, including building access controls, badge systems, perimeter security, and measures to prevent theft and vandalism.

Qualifications

Technical Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Qualifications and experience

• Recognized professional HSE qualification or relevant degree, or an equivalent combination of education and significant professional experience; professional certification is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrable multi-site HSE experience in manufacturing, engineering or another operationally complex environment.
• Strong working knowledge of occupational health, safety and environmental requirements relevant to the assigned geography; US roles require strong OSHA and EPA knowledge.
• Practical experience of machine safety, LOTO / energy isolation, risk assessment, incident investigation, audit and corrective-action management.
• Experience implementing or operating HSE management systems, preferably aligned with ISO 45001; ISO 14001 experience is advantageous.
• Ability to work across multiple sites and cultures, with regular travel appropriate to the business portfolio.

Technical skills

• Multi-site HSE management-system deployment, assurance and continuous improvement.
• Risk assessment, critical-control verification and targeted intervention for life-critical risks.
• Legal and regulatory compliance oversight, including environmental permits, monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting.
• Serious incident investigation, root-cause analysis, organisational learning and corrective-action management.
• Audit planning, field verification, risk prioritization and sustainable closure of findings.
• HSE operating-system adoption, process standardisation, action tracking, data quality and management reporting.
• Programme review, implementation and oversight across industrial hygiene, forklifts, respiratory protection, waste and other relevant HSE programmes.
• Leadership influence and credibility: communicates material risk clearly with site and business leaders.
• Matrix partnership: builds alignment across Group, business and site levels without removing operational accountability.
• Coaching and capability building: develops dedicated Site HSE Leaders and enables Site Managing Directors where no dedicated HSE resource exists.
• Change leadership: builds commitment and sustains adoption of standardised HSE processes and digital systems.
• Constructive challenge and courage, supported by sound judgement, integrity and transparent escalation.
• Clear communication and data storytelling for operational and business leadership.
• Collaboration, cultural awareness, resilience, delivery discipline and a practical problem-solving mindset.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.