Environmental, Health & Safety Manager

Recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Chicago by Fortune Magazine and Great Place to Work, 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 transportation asset services and management company with roots dating to 1928. Sasser’s subsidiary units are leaders in providing commercial- and industrial-focused rail, automotive, and containerized shipping solutions, including asset leasing, fleet administration management, asset repair and maintenance, and innovative technology services.

Sasser family of companies includes subsidiaries Chicago Freight Car Leasing, CF Rail Services, Moventum Fleet Management, Express 4x4 Truck Rental, and Falcon Lease. To learn more about what makes Sasser special, visit www.sasser.com.

This role supports our CF Rail Services team. Delivering the highest-quality railcar repairs quickly and safely with uncompromising customer service, CF Rail Services is a leading railcar repair and maintenance provider offering quality repair work for railroads, private car owners, lessors, contracts agents, and shippers across North America. 

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 standards of health and safety 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.

As a Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) Manager, Here's What You Will Do:

• Assume a leadership role in developing and promoting a positive EH&S culture through a consistent, respectful presence and partnership with site leadership.

• Establish strong relationships with site leadership to provide EH&S guidance, assistance, and technical support across all locations.

• Develop, implement, manage, and continuously improve CF Rail’s safety and environmental programs, policies, and procedures.

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local EH&S regulations, company requirements, reporting requirements, and guidelines.

• Oversee environmental compliance related to air, water, waste, permitting, and other applicable business activities.

• Interface with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies, including EPA and OSHA, and assist with required reporting and regulatory responses.

• Conduct facility inspections and EH&S audits of site and customer locations; identify deficiencies and implement appropriate corrective actions.

• Drive reductions in safety incidents by identifying trends and root causes and implementing effective corrective actions.

• Develop and maintain EH&S performance metrics, goals, compliance tracking, and internal and external reporting.

• Administer CF Rail’s EH&S training programs in partnership with operations leadership, ensuring employees receive required training and conducting site training as necessary.

• Prepare Job Safety Analyses and maintain required EH&S documentation, policies, procedures, plans, and reports.

• Oversee the treatment, storage, transportation, and disposal of waste materials in accordance with applicable OSHA, EPA, DOT, RCRA, environmental, and company standards.

• Maintain and communicate required security plans across CF Rail operations.

• Manage outside consultants engaged for environmental and safety compliance projects.

• Promote continuous improvement in EH&S performance through training, program enhancements, data-driven decision-making, and a safety-centric culture.

Note: Responsibilities include the expectation to always act to support the interests of the department and organization and to perform other duties as assigned to ensure the successful achievement of departmental and company objectives.

Qualifications and Education Requirements                

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Five (5) years railcar inspection 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 developing and implementing a comprehensive EH&S program and structure.

• Knowledge of oil storage and 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 across 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. Employee must be medically certified to wear a respirator, as well as be able to wear respirators for prolonged periods of time.

Work Environment

• Work will be performed both indoors and outdoors, on and around heavy equipment.

• May be required to work overtime and/or varied shifts to meet the demands of the business.

#CFRS

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.