Senior Manager, Health and Safety

About Plenty:

Plenty is on a mission to make fresh, pesticide-free fruits and vegetables more accessible to everyone. Our cutting-edge indoor, vertical farms produce extraordinary yields using a fraction of the land and water outdoor farms need. Nutrient-rich, mouth-watering and locally grown, our crops help people, communities and our planet to be healthier and more resilient.

The people and teams who make up Plenty are at the core of how we do this. We are a collaborative and innovative bunch. We are passionate about our contributions to Plenty, the communities around us and our planet, but never take ourselves too seriously. We’re down to Earth, we grow together, and we always find a way. Most importantly, we’re here to improve the lives of plants, people and our planet.  

About the role

Plenty is looking for a Senior Manager, Environmental, Health and Safety to join our Compliance  team.  The Senior Manager, Environmental, Health and Safety will be responsible for developing and implementing Plenty’s safety programs to minimize the risk of work-related accidents and ensure a culture where employees are aware of and enthusiastically follow safe work practices.  Policy and program development, along with monitoring employees, contractors and third-party vendors for safety culture and compliance, will be key  responsibilities.  Reporting to the Compliance Director, with dotted-line reporting to the site General Manager, you will help employees work safely and become a resource for managers, supervisors and employees on Health and Safety priorities.  

What you'll do

• Develop and direct emergency response and response planning, being a primary resource for employees and the company during emergency events, including but not limited to fires, earthquakes, personnel injuries and chemical releases

• Lead the Site Safety Committee where observed hazards, near misses and incidents are discussed,  solutions identified and opportunities for communication on current safety topics are provided.

• Lead or participate in incident investigations to help determine containment, causation, solution and verification of implemented solutions using plenty’s Root Cause Analysis (RCA) process

• Apply knowledge of Health & Safety principles and regulations to review equipment, ensuring that new or modified equipment meets team and food safety standards

• Work with the Training Coordinator to coordinate or conduct Health and Safety training courses which meet the regulatory and safety culture requirements of the site

• Maintain site Health & Safety compliance documentation including, but not limited to, chemical inventories, Safety Data Sheets, CUPA information and Cal-OSHA logs 

• Provide guidance to and interface with vendors handling Hazardous Waste disposal, 

• Interact with local and state regulatory agency representatives to provide requested information and maintain positive relationships

• Interact with insurance representatives (Claims adjusters, loss control representatives, brokers) to provide requested information, ensure proper handling of Workers’ Compensation claims and negotiate compliance with recommendations

• Manage the site Permit To Work process to ensure vendors’ activities are not harmful to Plenty’s employees or their own staff

• Ability to adapt quickly and provide Health and Safety guidance in a variety of environments, including active construction sites from site selection through commissioning to operational farms

• Works well with ambiguity and provides a proactive, solution oriented approach for all people on our sites 

• Travel up to 50% of the time to other company locations

• Other duties as assigned

What you’ll bring to the table

• Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety or a related field from a four-year college or university and/or related work experience

• Experience working in the manufacturing, pharmaceutical, biotech or similar industries required

• Experience with Federal, State, and local Worker’s Compensation law

• Program and Project Management - experience in development, implementation, and management of EH&S programs in the industries mentioned above, i.e. designing program strategy, developing and deploying SOPs, playbooks, etc.

• People Manager with significant experience leading and mentoring teams of direct reports

• Associate Safety Professional (ASP), Certified Safety Professional (CSP) or similar certification preferred

• Experience in managing/handling compliance issues, permitting for all media, OSHA/EPA programs, hazardous materials, emergency preparedness, regulatory reviews, permit preparation, reporting and record keeping

• Strong technical ability to work, collaborate and negotiate with government officials, consultants, and other third-party stakeholders

• Creativity in developing cost-effective, sensible solutions that deliver results

• Sound judgment, excellent analytical and problem-solving skills and not be afraid of rolling up the sleeves to deliver practical solutions

• Highly motivated/self-starter who is able to work autonomously

• Strong communication, organizational and planning skills, working in a fast-paced environment

• Required to be able to stand, sit, walk, and climb ladders in order to perform inspections of the facility and work in a manufacturing environment with extreme temperatures 

 

Type of role

Full-Time, Onsite

What we can offer 

• Compensation: we’ll pay you a competitive salary, give you a stake in the company via equity and contribute toward your 401K 
• Health & well-being: we’ll invest in your physical and mental well-being with comprehensive medical, dental, & vision benefits, in-office gyms, and an Employee Assistance Program to help with mental health, financial & legal matters 
• Food: in-office lunches, snacks and access to our leafy greens & new produce in development -- are you up for a side gig as a taste tester?
• Grow together: learning & development opportunities including unlimited access to our Upstart University platform, LinkedIn Learning, lunch & learns, training certifications, and more
• Equipment: we’ll provide you with the equipment you need to be successful, including $75/month toward your phone bill and $250 every 2 years to upgrade your phone
• Paid time off: we know you’ll do your best if you’re taking time to recharge, so we don’t cap the amount of days you can take off per year in addition to the paid holidays we observe
• Parental leave: 12 weeks off for all new parents - fully paid so you can focus your energy on your newest addition

Food safety requirements

• Comply with all Plant, State and Federal OSHA, EPA, FDA, HACCP, and SQF regulations
• Ensure appropriate allocation of resources for food safety and quality