EHS Coordinator

JOB TITLE: EHS Coordinator

REPORTS TO: Managing Director
FLSA STATUS: Exempt

FULL TIME and on site in Elgin, Illinois

***Please note: SMS does not offer relocation packages or visa sponsorship for this position. Candidates must be authorized to work in the U.S. and able to commute to our Illinois location. ***

About Us

At Schleifring Medical Systems, quality and precision are at the core of everything we do. As an ISO 9001 and AS 9100 certified manufacturer, we are committed to safety, quality, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction. Our team members play an important role in producing high-quality products for the medical and specialty manufacturing industries.

Summary

This position is primarily responsible for driving Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) programs. The EHS Coordinator leads and champions a proactive EHS culture, ensuring compliance, mitigating risks, and promoting a safe, healthy work environment for all associates.

The EHS Coordinator drives site EHS programs day-to-day independently and is supported by a corporate team of EHS specialists who act as consultants on complex technical and regulatory matters. This structure suits a self-sufficient problem-solver who is comfortable owning site-level decisions and knowing when to escalate for expert input.

In addition, this position supports operational excellence by participating in Continuous Improvement initiatives using Lean methodologies, contributing to measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, and cost. Continuous improvement is a secondary responsibility of this role; primary accountability is EHS program ownership.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Environmental Health & Safety (EHS):

• Ensure the occupational health and safety and overall well-being of all employees.
• Champion and foster a proactive EHS program and culture through visible leadership, training, communication, and associate engagement.
• Maintain compliance with local, state, and federal safety and environmental legislation (OSHA 29 CFR 1910, EPA, and state/local requirements).
• Own and administer site safety programs, including Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), Hazard Communication (HAZCOM), PPE, fall protection, confined space, machine guarding, and emergency action planning.
• Manage OSHA recordkeeping, including the OSHA 300 log and 300A annual summary, and coordinate workers’ compensation administration and return-to-work processes.
• Environmental management: monitor and handle waste disposal, emissions, and spill prevention in line with environmental regulations; promote sustainable practices in the facility.
• Provide safety training to employees; maintain training records and verify completion of required courses.
• Manage the safety opportunity/near-miss reporting system and track monthly safety and environmental reporting data.
• Develop, implement, and monitor Risk Assessments (RAs) and Job Safety Analyses (JSAs) to ensure they are available for all key tasks and equipment, existing and new.
• Lead incident investigations, determine root causes, implement corrective/preventive actions (CAPAs), and ensure timely reporting.
• Conduct periodic EHS assessments and audits, including internal audits against ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 frameworks.
• Represent the site on corporate and plant safety meetings and events; engage corporate EHS specialists as consultants on complex technical matters.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence:

• Participate in cross-functional process improvement events using Lean tools (e.g., Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, 5S, Standard Work, TPM), with emphasis on safety-related improvements.
• Support the development, documentation, and implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for optimized processes, ensuring proper training and adherence.
• Support and sustain 5S methodology throughout the facility.
• Track and report key performance indicators (KPIs) related to safety, productivity, efficiency, and project status.
• Perform other duties as assigned.