Sr. Approvals Chemist

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Arkadelphia (AR); On-site; USD 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Veolia North America seeks a senior Waste Compliance Lead to review waste profiles, SDS, and materials, ensuring safety and regulatory compliance while optimizing allowable waste volume.

You will mentor staff, establish acceptance criteria, and drive continuous improvement across approval processes, audits, and data management to support operations and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant experience in waste management or regulatory compliance.
• Strong knowledge of SDS, waste profiles, and regulatory standards.
• Leadership and mentoring of junior staff.
• Experience with data systems such as FMS and Salesforce for audit trails.

Responsibilities

• Review waste profiles, SDS, and WIP to ensure safe and compliant operations.
• Provide senior technical leadership and mentorship on waste approval processes.
• Develop standards, criteria, and protocols for waste acceptance.
• Conduct labpack audits and oversee labpack procedures.
• Maintain audit trails and regulatory documentation.
• Lead improvement initiatives in approval workflows.
• Communicate decisions and opportunities to operations and customers.

Skills

Regulatory Compliance

Analytical Chemistry

Incinerator Operations

Chemical Properties

Industry Knowledge

Leadership

Communication

Technical Skills

Computer Skills

Job 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.

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
• 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

Qualifications

Education/Experience/Background:

• 8+ years of relevant experience

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Regulatory and Compliance
• Analytical Chemistry and Testing
• Incinerator Operations and Chemistry
• Chemical and Physical Properties of Chemicals/Waste
• Industry-Specific Knowledge
• Strong Leadership and communication skills
• Strong Technical skills
• Computer skills including Microsoft or Google suite, Industry-Specific
• Technical expertise

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.