Senior EHS Manager

Saronic Technologies Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental and Vision Insurance

Time Off

Parental Leave

401(k) plan with company match

Stock Options

Life and Disability Insurance

Pet Insurance

Free lunch and snacks

Job summary

Saronic Technologies Inc. is seeking a Senior EHS Manager to lead and scale Environmental, Health & Safety programs across shipyards and maritime operations.

This hands-on leader will balance day-to-day execution with program development in a startup/high-growth setting, partnering with operations, engineering, and leadership to ensure compliance and a culture of learning and operational excellence. Responsibilities include building EHS systems for shipyards, adapting programs for new sites,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; professional certification (e.g., ASP, CSP, CIH, CHMM) preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in EHS in boat building, aerospace, or manufacturing environments.
• Experience leading and developing EHS teams and driving safety culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead EHS team development, succession planning, coaching, and performance management.
• Build scalable EHS programs, policies, and procedures for startup-to-scale operations.
• Ensure shipyard and vessel safety through regulatory compliance, risk management, and incident investigations.
• Develop and enforce EHS procedures for vessel testing, dock work, and marine operations.
• Drive environmental compliance programs (hazardous waste, spill prevention, stormwater) and safety-by-design initiatives.

Education

Bachelor's degree in occupational health and safety, environmental science, engineering, public health, or a related field

Job description

Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms.

Job Overview

The Senior EHS Manager is a hands-on people leader responsible for building, scaling, and implementing Environmental, Health & Safety programs across Saronic shipyards and maritime operations. Operating in a startup and high-growth environment, this role balances day-to-day execution with program development, team leadership, and change management. The EHS Manager partners closely with operations, engineering, and leadership to establish scalable EHS systems that support rapid growth while maintaining regulatory compliance, risk reduction, and promoting a culture of learning and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• People Leadership & Team Development

  Lead, mentor, and develop a growing EHS team in a fast-paced, evolving organization

  Hire, onboard, and train EHS team members as the company scales

  Set clear priorities, performance expectations, and development plans for direct reports

  Foster accountability, adaptability, and ownership within the EHS team

  Drive a proactive and HOP-based EHS culture in a rapidly changing organization

  Support organizational change as processes, teams, and facilities evolve

  Provide strategic people management, including hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, and succession planning.

  Mentor and develop direct reports through regular coaching, goal setting, and career development discussions.

  Drive employee engagement and retention through effective leadership and clear communication.

  Program Development & Scaling

  Lead EHS team initiatives and responsibilities including regulatory reports, inspections, or information requests; internal audits; emergency drills; management system improvements; and program development and assessments

  Build and implement EHS programs, policies, and procedures suitable for a startup and scalable to future operations

  Establish foundational EHS management systems for shipyard and vessel testing environments

  Adapt EHS programs to support new yards, test sites, vessels, and operational profiles

  Balance operational speed of execution with risk management and regulatory requirements

  Ensure environmental programs scale with increased testing and yard activity

  Drive a proactive safety culture in high-risk maritime environments

  Support organizational change as shipyard operations, vessel capabilities, and test complexity evolve

  Shipyard and Vessel Maintenance, Repair, and Operations EHS

  Oversee EHS programs supporting shipyard activities such as fabrication, welding, blasting, coating, electrical work, rigging, and heavy equipment operations

  Ensure safe practices for dry dock, pier-side, and yard-based work

  Manage high-risk activities including hot work, confined spaces, working at heights, lifting operations, and contractor safety

  Ensure that environmental compliance programs are established and maintained including hazardous waste, stormwater, air emissions, chemical management, and spill prevention

  Partner with operations and engineering to embed safety into yard layout, work planning, and equipment selection Partner with engineering and operations to embed safety-by-design into equipment, facilities, and vessel design

  Ensure compliance with OSHA and applicable marine safety standards for vessels under 60 ft (e.g., USCG, ISM as applicable)

  Vessel Testing & On-Water Operations

  Develop and enforce EHS procedures for vessel commissioning, dock trials, sea trials, and operational testing

  Ensure safe launch, recovery, mooring, and towing operations

  Support safe execution of test plans involving propulsion, electrical systems, autonomy, and mission equipment

  Coordinate emergency response readiness for on-water testing activities

  Compliance, Risk & Incident Management

  Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, USCG, ISM, and state/local regulations

  Lead incident investigations, root cause analyses, and corrective action implementation

  Prepare for and support regulatory inspections and audits

  Identify emerging risks associated with growth and operational change

  Stay current on emerging EHS regulations, trends, and best practices, and communicate relevant updates to stakeholders within the organization.

  Develop individual and team objectives and key results and track progress towards completion.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in occupational health and safety, environmental science, engineering, public health, or a related field; professional certification (e.g., ASP, CSP, CIH, CHMM) preferred.

• 7+ years of experience in EHS, preferably in boat building, aerospace, or general manufacturing or industrial environments.

• Experience leading, coaching, developing team members to achieve individual and organizational goals.

Preferred Skills and Experience

7+ years working on or with industrial hygiene, exposure assessments, indoor air quality, ventilation.

Thorough understanding of federal, state, and local EHS regulations, including OSHA, EPA/TCEQ, DOT, USCG requirements and marine safety practices applicable to small vessels

Experience building, scaling, or formalizing EHS programs in startup, scale-up, or rapidly growing manufacturing organizations

Demonstrated success leading and developing EHS teams, including hiring, onboarding, and coaching in evolving environments

Hands-on experience supporting complex manufacturing operations (e.g., welding, composites, machining, electrical systems, testing, and integration)

Experience supporting marine or maritime operations, including vessel launch/recovery, sea trials, dockside work, or field operations (under 60 ft)

Experience integrating EHS into engineering and operational decision-making, including safety-by-design and design-for-manufacturability considerations

Strong background in incident investigation, root cause analysis, and corrective action management in fast-paced environments

Experience managing environmental compliance programs such as hazardous waste, stormwater, chemical management, and spill prevention (SPCC)

Familiarity with regulatory inspections, audits, and permitting at the federal, state, and local levels

Ability to establish and track leading and lagging EHS metrics to support data-driven decision-making

Experience driving safety culture initiatives during periods of organizational change

Strong communication skills with the ability to influence frontline employees through executive leadership

Comfortable operating with limited structure, balancing urgency, risk, and business objectives

Physical Demands

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer

• Occasional standing and walking within the office

• Manual dexterity to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other office equipment

• Visual acuity to read screens, documents, and reports

• Occasional reaching, bending, or stooping to access file drawers, cabinets, or office supplies

• Lifting and carrying items up to 20 pounds occasionally (e.g., office supplies, packages)

Benefits

Medical Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance plans covering a range of services

Saronic pays 100% of the premium for employees and 80% for dependents

Dental and Vision Insurance: Coverage for routine dental check-ups, orthodontics, and vision care

Saronic pays 100% of the premium under the basic plan for employees and 80% for dependents

Time Off: Generous PTO and Holidays

Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave to support new parents

Competitive Salary: Industry-standard salaries with opportunities for performance-based bonuses

Retirement Plan: 401(k) plan with company match

Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company’s success

Life and Disability Insurance: Basic life insurance and short-and-long-term disability coverage

Pet Insurance: Discounted pet insurance options including 24/7 Telehealth helpline

Additional Perks: Free lunch benefit and unlimited free drinks and snacks in the office

Saronic CCPA Notice for Candidates and California Employees

If this role is based in the United States, it requires access to export-controlled information or items that require "U.S. Person" status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a "U.S. Person": (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). Saronic does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.