Environmental Health & Safety Manager

Who We Are

Recognized as one of Crain's "Best Places to Work in Chicago" as well as a 2024 "Great Places to Work", by the Great Place To Work Institute Inc., Sasser prides itself on supporting an employee-driven, opportunity-based culture that empowers, recognizes, and rewards its employees. From highly competitive benefits to exciting employee events to organic, grassroots philanthropy and volunteerism, Sasser is an awesome place to begin and grow your career. We are a fourth-generation, family-held transportation asset services and management company with roots dating to 1928. Sasser's six subsidiary units are leaders in providing commercial- and industrial-focused rail, automotive, containerized shipping, and aviation transportation equipment solutions including asset leasing, fleet administration management, asset repair and maintenance, and innovative technology services.

Sasser Family Companies includes subsidiaries Chicago Freight Car Leasing, Union Leasing, CF Rail Services, Express 4x4 Truck Rental, Xced Aviation Services, and Falcon Lease. To learn more about what makes Sasser special, visit www.sasser.com.

As a Environmental Health & Safety Manager, Here's What You'll Do:

The Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) Manager is responsible for developing and overseeing strategies, policies, processes, and programs to ensure a safe and compliant work environment across operations. In collaboration with local leadership, this role ensures that all facilities maintain high health and safety standards for team members. The EH&S Manager also oversees regulatory compliance for all EH&S programs, driving continuous improvement through training, program enhancements, and cultural initiatives. Additionally, this role partners strategically with the Senior Manager of Environmental Health, Safety & Quality Assurance and the Vice President of Operations to design, implement, and manage EH&S programs and expansion efforts across the network.

Environmental Health & Safety Manager Role and Responsibilities:

• Assume a leadership role in continuing to develop and promote a positive EH&S culture by maintaining a consistent, respectful presence directly and throughout team and local leadership.
• Establish strong relationships with site leadership to ensure EH&S is providing all locations with guidance and assistance.
• Establish and lead the implementation of site safety and environmental programs for all levels of the facilities and conduct audits.
• Oversee county, federal, state, and local regulatory aspects of safety programs, including compliance with applicable safety, as well as other applicable regulations, company requirements, and guidelines.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state and local government agencies regarding safety standards and reporting requirements.
• Provide oversight related to compliance with environmental regulations governing air, water, waste, and all other business facets.
• Interface with country, state & local government agencies.
• Promote continuous improvement in EH&S performance through training, program enhancements, and culture changes at all levels of the organization. Drive data driven approaches to continuous improvement.
• Develop, manage, evolve and direct EH&S compliance programs, performance tracking, and reporting (internal and external).
• Develop and maintain performance metrics and goals, and report results
• Drive reductions in safety incidents. Create/Utilize/Modify existing systems and programs to identify safety trends and establish corrective actions to permanently reduce facility incidents.
• Responsible for communicating any site-specific plan / information to manager and site leader prior to action
• Administer CF Rail's EH&S training programs and conduct site training as necessary to ensure flawless execution
• In partnership with operations leadership ensure that all facility employees receive required EH&S training.
• Develop and implement strategies to promote an environment a safety-centric culture.
• Manage the maintenance of CF Rail's EH&S program.
• Assist with environmental permitting process at CF Rail's repair locations.
• Perform regular facility inspections to ensure compliance with federal, state and CF Rail regulations.
• Provide innovative solutions to technical problems/challenges that arise from compliance to environmental and safety law.
• Maintain and communicate required security plans across all CF Rail operations.
• Prepare Job Safety analyses for all roles, and as required.
• Assist with EH&S auditing of site and customer locations; including recommendations and the implementation of the use of resources to address deficiencies found during audits.
• Responsible for the controlled documentation pertinent to the EH&S systems to all affected personnel including but not limited to EH&S policies and procedures, Emission Reports, and, Waste Minimization Plans, Incident Rate, Worker's compensation.
• Serve as the technical liaison for researching, analyzing, and communicating on EH&S issues to regulatory bodies and leadership.
• Manage the Company's Environmental Compliance Program including both internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead team activities associated with EH&S program/policy implementation.
• Assist and manage outside consultants engaged for specific environmental and safety compliance projects
• Assist with interactions and reporting to various State and Federal Agencies including direct legal response(s) to associated EPA, OSHA, etc., actions directed at CF Rail's repair locations.
• Wear PPE in appropriate areas
• Provide technical support for environmental, health and safety programs.
• Enforce policies on issues involving environmental (air, water and land) conservation as it relates to CF Rail Services and the public.
• Responsibilities including oversite of the treatment, storage, transport and disposal of waste materials in accordance with OSHA, EPA, DOT, Environmental, RCRA and company standards
• Provides technical guidance to employees, colleagues and or customers
• Identify root causes of problems, proactively identify and resolve materials and process risks and implement effective corrective actions.

Here's What it Will Take to be Successful as an Environmental Health & Safety Manager:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five (5) years of railcar experience.
• Previous experience managing the environmental health and safety functions in a multi-facility organization.
• Extensive experience measuring compliance across facilities, auditing and reporting results.
• Experience in the development and implementation of a comprehensive EH&S program and structure.
• Knowledge of oil storage, hazardous waste regulations
• Ability to travel to plant locations as required, ensuring a behavior-based safety and quality culture continues through effective programs, policies, procedures, and training.
• Understand and ensure compliance with all personal protective equipment requirements.
• Certified First Aid/CPR/AED
• Certified OSHA Trainer
• Certified Fall Protection

Skills

• Experience measuring compliance across facilities, auditing and reporting results.
• Ability to travel to plant locations as required, ensuring EH&S culture continues through effective programs, policies, procedures and training.
• Root cause problem-solving ability. Understand and apply problem-solving skills to seek continuous improvement in all work processes and demonstrate a track record of results (process improvement).
• Effective communication skills (written and verbal)
• Strong computer skills for scheduling, communicating, and reporting.
• Understand and ensure compliance with all personal protective equipment requirements.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Tools
• Ability to mentor and develop local safety designees

Physical Demands

Work assignments involve standing, stooping, bending, kneeling, reaching, climbing, crawling, and crouching in strained and awkward positions for prolonged periods of time at various heights up to 20 feet. Uses hands, legs, and arms to climb vertical ladders to staging or suspended platforms. Lifts, carries, and sets up equipment and components that weigh up to 50 lbs. Employees must be medically certified to wear a respirator, as well as be able to wear respirators for prolonged periods of time.

Working Conditions

Work will be performed outdoors and indoors in all types of weather, on and around heavy equipment. The employee is regularly exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles, and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud. May be required to work overtime and/or varied shifts to meet the demands of the business.

Note: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

What We Offer

In Sasser's employee-driven, opportunity-based culture, our employees help chart the course for our success. That is the reason that we believe that the most important investment we'll ever make in our business is you. Sasser employees enjoy a competitive benefits program that:

• Includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans
• Includes a 100% Company-paid disability and life insurance plans
• Includes a 401K plan with company match PLUS additional end-of-year funding
• Provides paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents, as well as a monetary gift towards a 529 education account
• Provides training and tuition reimbursement
• Provides community service opportunities, employee recognition programs, and many celebrations!

The Company provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.