Sr. Approvals Chemist

Veolia | North America; Arkadelphia (AR); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Volunteer time off

Job summary

Veolia in North America is seeking a senior waste compliance lead to conduct thorough reviews of waste profiles and SDS, ensuring safety and regulatory adherence while maximizing revenue. You will provide mentorship and strategic oversight of approval processes and compliance operations.

You will mentor staff, develop standards, and lead continuous improvements across waste approval workflows, labpack audits, and data management. Strong leadership and regulatory expertise are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree preferred or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of relevant experience in waste compliance.
• Strong leadership and communication capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Review waste profiles and SDS for safety and regulatory compliance.
• Mentor junior staff and provide senior technical authority.
• Lead approval standards and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identify and resolve off-specification waste issues in systems.
• Audit labpack shipments and enforce acceptance criteria.
• Maintain and enrich approval data and technical docs.
• Communicate acceptance decisions with clear technical justification.
• Support QA, audits, and regulatory compliance activities.

Skills

Regulatory compliance

Analytical chemistry

Hazardous waste

Incinerator chemistry

Waste acceptance

SOP development

Leadership

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor degree

Job description

Company Description

Veolia in North America is the top-ranked environmental company in the United States for three consecutive years, and the country's largest private water operator and technology provider as well as hazardous waste and pollution treatment leader. It offers a full spectrum of water, waste, and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. Veolia helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Veolia has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across North America.

Veolia in North America is the top-ranked environmental company in the United States for three consecutive years, and the country's largest private water operator and technology provider as well as hazardous waste and pollution treatment leader. It offers a full spectrum of water, waste, and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. Veolia helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Veolia has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across North America.

Job Description

Position Purpose

Conduct thorough reviews of waste profiles, safety data sheets (SDS), and waste materials to ensure worker safety and regulatory compliance while maximizing approved waste volume for revenue generation. Provide senior technical leadership, mentorship, and strategic oversight of waste approval processes and compliance operations.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities

Waste Review and Approval

• Review WIP, SDS, and waste profiles with meticulous attention to detail to prevent unsafe materials from entering operations
• Conduct advanced chemical composition analysis and hazard characterization assessments
• Establish and maintain chemical acceptance criteria, thresholds, and approval protocols
• Develop and implement waste approval standards and best practices
• Mentor and supervise junior technical staff on waste analysis methodologies
• Provide senior-level technical authority on complex or high-risk waste streams
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives for approval processes

Discrepancy Management

• Identify, track, and resolve off-specification waste issues in FMS and Salesforce systems
• Conduct root cause analysis on compliance failures and safety concerns
• Develop corrective action plans and preventive measures
• Supervise investigation of discrepancies and ensure timely resolution
• Escalate critical safety or compliance issues to management
• Maintain comprehensive audit trails and documentation

Labpack Audits

• Conduct detailed audits and reviews of labpack shipments prior to acceptance
• Establish and maintain audit protocols, quality standards, and acceptance criteria
• Review and approve high-risk or complex waste materials
• Supervise and train staff on labpack audit procedures
• Ensure all materials meet acceptance criteria prior to operational intake
• Provide technical guidance on packaging and labeling compliance

Approvals Enrichment

• Maintain and enhance approval data in FMS database
• Develop and maintain chemical compatibility matrices and reference databases
• Create and update technical documentation and approval guidelines
• Implement system improvements to enhance data quality and accessibility
• Ensure accurate, complete, and traceable records of all waste approvals
• Lead database optimization and standardization initiatives

Customer Communication

• Provide timely feedback to branches and customers regarding waste opportunities
• Communicate acceptance/rejection decisions with clear technical justification
• Identify and communicate waste stream opportunities to maximize approved volume
• Serve as senior technical liaison between operations and external stakeholders
• Build and maintain strong customer relationships
• Represent technical department in customer negotiations and discussions

Quality Assurance

• Support field operations with drum segregation oversight and chemical/waste compliance verification
• Develop and implement quality assurance protocols for waste acceptance
• Conduct periodic audits of approval processes and compliance
• Monitor and report on approval metrics and performance indicators
• Recommend process improvements to enhance safety and efficiency
• Supervise quality assurance activities and staff

Technical Support

• Serve as technical resource for incineration and landfill operations; assist or backup process planners as needed
• Provide expert technical guidance on waste processing and disposal methods
• Support complex operational decisions with advanced analysis
• Conduct training and provide technical mentorship to operations staff
• Lead technical problem-solving initiatives
• Serve as subject matter expert for regulatory and compliance matters

Work Environment

Office environment.

Qualifications

Education/Experience/Background:

• Bachelor degree preferred
• 8+ years of relevant experience

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Regulatory and Compliance
• Analytical Chemistry and Testing
• Hazardous Waste Classification
• Incinerator Operations and Chemistry
• Waste Acceptance Criteria
• Chemical and Physical Properties of Chemicals/Waste
• Industry-Specific Knowledge
• SOP development
• Strong Leadership and communication skills
• Strong Technical skills
• Project Management experience
• Computer skills including Microsoft or Google suite, Industry-Specific
• Technical expertise
• Accountability, integrity, continuous improvement, regulatory awareness

Additional Information

Benefits

• Veolia's comprehensive benefits package includes paid time off policies, as well as health, dental, vision, life insurance, savings accounts, tuition reimbursement, paid volunteering and more.
• In addition, employees are also entitled to participate in an employer sponsored 401(k) plan, to save for retirement.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer! All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.