Plant EHS Manager

Sun Chemical Corporation; Kankakee (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Merit increases

Paid holidays

Paid Time Off

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Short/Long-term disability

401(k) + match

Life insurance

Job summary

Sun Chemical Corporation, a leading global manufacturer in packaging and color technologies, seeks an Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Manager for its Kankakee, IL site. You will lead EHS/PSM programs, drive safety culture, ensure regulatory compliance, and partner with plant leadership to reduce risk and support continuous improvement.

The role requires 4+ years in EHS/PSM in manufacturing, knowledge of MOC/PHA/PSSR, and strong leadership and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years experience leading EHS and/or Process Safety Management programs in manufacturing.
• Working knowledge of PSM principles, MOC, PHA, incident investigation, and workplace safety practices.
• Strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Ability to partner across Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and corporate functions.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage site environmental, health, safety, and PSM programs to ensure compliance with standards and regulations.
• Identify safety risks with plant teams and implement corrective actions to reduce incidents.
• Promote near-miss reporting and participate in investigations, root-cause analysis, and remedial actions.
• Support PSM activities including MOC, PHA, and PSSR.
• Ensure contractors receive safety training and comply with procedures and permits.
• Collaborate with Maintenance, Engineering, and Operations to address safety-critical issues.
• Oversee safety training, documentation, and ISO-related recordkeeping.
• Monitor corrective actions from audits to ensure timely resolution.
• Support process improvements using Lean, Six Sigma, and CI methods.
• Coordinate with corporate EHS and engineering to reduce risk and improve reliability.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem-solving

Organizational skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Documentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree (preferred)

Job description

Sun Chemical, a member of the DIC Group, is a leading producer of packaging and graphic solutions, color and display technologies, functional products, electronic materials, and products for the automotive and healthcare industries.Together with DIC, Sun Chemical is continuously working to promote and develop sustainable solutions to exceed customer expectations and better the world around us. With combined annual sales of more than $8.5 billion and 22,000+ employees worldwide, the DIC Group companies support a diverse collection of global customers.

Sun Chemical Corporation is a subsidiary of Sun Chemical Group Coöperatief U.A., the Netherlands, and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, U.S.A. For more information, please visit our website at www.sunchemical.com or connect with us on LinkedIn or Twitter

Environmental, Health & Safety Manager

Department: Manufacturing
Location: Kankakee, IL
Reports To: Plant Manager

Position Summary

The Environmental, Health & Maintenance Manager provides leadership for environmental, health, safety, and Process Safety Management (PSM) programs at the Kankakee manufacturing facility. This position partners closely with plant leadership, maintenance, engineering, and corporate EHS teams to strengthen the site's safety culture, maintain regulatory compliance, reduce operational risk, and support continuous improvement initiatives.

The ideal candidate will combine strong EHS and PSM knowledge with the ability to engage employees, drive corrective actions, and support safe, reliable plant operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support site environmental, health, safety, and PSM programs to ensure compliance with company standards and applicable regulations.
• Partner with plant employees and leadership to identify safety risks, implement corrective actions, and reduce incidents and injuries.
• Promote proactive near‑miss reporting and participate in incident investigations, root cause analysis, and follow‑up actions.
• Support PSM activities, including Management of Change (MOC), Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), and Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSR).
• Ensure contractors receive appropriate site safety training and comply with established safety procedures and permitting requirements.
• Partner with Maintenance, Engineering, and Operations to identify and address deficiencies involving safety‑critical equipment and processes.
• Oversee site safety training, documentation, and recordkeeping in partnership with the ISO Coordinator.
• Monitor corrective actions resulting from internal and external audits to ensure timely and effective resolution.
• Support process and operational improvements using Lean, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Collaborate with corporate EHS, technical, and engineering teams to reduce risk, improve operational reliability, and support cost‑effective manufacturing.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 4 years Experience leadingEHS and/or Process Safety Management programs within a manufacturing, chemical, or industrial environment.
• Working knowledge of PSM principles, MOC, PHA, incident investigation, and workplace safety practices.
• Strong leadership, communication, problem‑solving, and organizational skills.
• Ability to effectively partner across Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and corporate functions.
• Strong computer and documentation skills.
• Experience supporting regulatory, ISO, or internal compliance audits.
• Knowledge ofISO standards and management systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health & Safety, Engineering, Chemistry, Science, or a related discipline preferred.
• Experience in a chemical or process manufacturing environment.
• Lean or Six Sigma experience.
• Previous experience leading or supervising employees.

BENEFITS

• merit increases,
• paid holidays,
• Paid Time Off,
• medical,
• dental,
• vision,
• short and long term disability benefits,
• 401(k)+match,
• life insurance.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

It is Sun’s policy that applicants for employment are recruited, selected, and hired on the basis of individual merit and ability with respect to the position being filled. Sun prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law.