Health Safety Manager Jobs in Elgin, IL (NOW HIRING)

Primient is a century old company with an entrepreneurial spirit. We are a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources. We deliver value through deep technical, commercial, and operational excellence that is backed by our long-standing corn wet milling heritage. Wherever we are in the process, from field to customer, our priorities are focused on ensuring we produce the safest, highest quality products through practices that uphold both our responsibility and commitments to the challenge and drive for excellence, our people and our planet. We are a privately held company with locations across the US, Mexico, Poland, and Brazil. We're investing in our plants and people to unlock our potential in the industrial and food sectors. Guided by our values of Safety, Excellence, Integrity, and Growth, we're focused on growing our business, our reputation, and the career of every teammate.

We list "Safety" first in our values because our greatest priority is caring for our people and the environment. Our Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) team is leading on wide-ranging initiatives to make Primient an industry leader in all aspects of EHS- from switching away from coal power to providing a psychologically safe working environment.

The Corporate Health & Safety Manager provides enterprise-wide guidance, expertise, and strategic direction to support local plant initiatives and ensure a strong, standardized health and safety culture across all Primient manufacturing sites. This individual will work closely with plant leadership, site safety teams, and corporate stakeholders to drive compliance, risk reduction, and continuous improvement in workplace health and safety programs.

While local site teams are responsible for daily execution of safety initiatives, this role will serve as a key resource and advisor, ensuring plants have access to best practices, regulatory guidance, and enterprise-wide safety strategies. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this position plays a vital role in fostering a safe, compliant, and proactive safety culture across all Primient operations.

The Corporate Health & Safety Manager provides enterprise-wide guidance, expertise, and strategic direction to support local plant initiatives and ensure a strong, standardized health and safety culture across all Primient manufacturing sites. This individual will work closely with plant leadership, site safety teams, and corporate stakeholders to drive compliance, risk reduction, and continuous improvement in workplace health and safety programs.

While local site teams are responsible for daily execution of safety initiatives, this role will serve as a key resource and advisor, ensuring plants have access to best practices, regulatory guidance, and enterprise-wide safety strategies. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this position plays a vital role in fostering a safe, compliant, and proactive safety culture across all Primient operations.

Key responsibilities: Corporate Health & Safety Manager

• Enterprise-Wide Health & Safety Leadership & Support:

• Serve as a resource and mentor to site safety teams, assisting them in implementing and improving their health and safety programs.
• Act as a strategic partner to plant leadership, providing guidance, training, and expertise to support local safety initiatives.
• Facilitate best practice sharing across all manufacturing locations to drive consistency and operational excellence in safety performance.

• Regulatory Compliance & Auditing Support:

• Work with plant teams to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, providing guidance on OSHA, PSM, and environmental health standards.
• Support internal and external auditing efforts, helping sites identify compliance gaps and develop and implement corrective actions.
• Stay informed on regulatory updates and industry best practices, proactively communicating changes and requirements to local sites.
• Develop and implement corporate-wide health & safety standards, ensuring alignment with OSHA, EPA, FDA, USDA, and ISO 45001 regulations.

• Incident Investigation & Risk Reduction:

• Lead corporate-wide reviews on incident investigation reports out for best practice sharing and ensuring required layers of protection are communicated effectively across all Primient plants.

• Safety Training & Culture Building:

• Develop and implement corporate-level training programs to supplement plant-led safety training efforts.
• Provide resources for new employee safety orientation, refresher training, and leadership development in safety management.
• Support site teams in fostering a proactive, engaged safety culture, ensuring employees take ownership of safety at all levels.
• Lead efforts to standardize safety policies, procedures, and reporting frameworks across all sites.
• Foster a culture of proactive hazard identification and risk reduction, ensuring employees across all locations are engaged in safety initiatives.

• Performance Monitoring & Reporting:

• Track and analyze enterprise-wide safety performance metrics (KPIs), ensuring leadership visibility into trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Take the lead role in reporting EHS metrics to all stakeholders, including KPS, executive leadership, and plant management, on a monthly basis.
• Utilize EHS digital tools (e.g., Gensuite, SAP) to support local teams in tracking compliance, incidents, and safety performance.

• Emergency Preparedness & Crisis Support:

• Assist plant teams in developing, testing, and refining emergency response plans, ensuring alignment with corporate standards.
• Provide enterprise-wide resources and training materials for crisis management and emergency response planning.
• Work with external agencies and emergency responders to ensure sites are prepared for fire, chemical, and natural disaster scenarios.
• Provide expert guidance and tools to local sites for incident investigations, root cause analysis (RCA), and corrective actions.
• Assist plant teams in developing risk mitigation strategies, including job hazard analysis (JHA), ergonomics assessments, and exposure reduction programs.
• Offer support for workers' compensation case management, ensuring proper reporting and injury response practices.

Experience & Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in occupational health & Safety, Engineering, Environmental Science, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in health and safety leadership, preferably in manufacturing, food processing, or chemical industries.
• Expertise in OSHA regulations, PSM, machine safety, ergonomics, and industrial hygiene.
• Experience with EHS digital tools (e.g., Gensuite, SAP, Intelex) for tracking compliance and reporting.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in data-driven safety decision-making and reporting to executive leadership.
• Ability to influence and collaborate across multiple locations, balancing corporate guidance with local site needs.

• Certifications preferred: Certified Safety Professional (CSP), ISO 45001 Lead Auditor, OSHA 30/General Industry, or equivalent.

Key Relationships:

This role requires strong collaboration with various stakeholders, including:

• Executive Leadership Team (COO, CFO, HR, and Operations Leaders)
• Plant & Facility Leadership Teams
• Site Health & Safety Managers
• Corporate Environmental & Sustainability Teams
• External Regulatory Bodies & Compliance Auditors

Travel Requirement:

• 20-40% travel to Primient's manufacturing plants, corporate offices, and potential partner sites.
• Occasional travel for regulatory compliance meetings, industry safety conferences, and training events.

• Competitive Pay

• Multiple Healthcare plan choices

• Dental and vision insurance

• A 401(k) plan with company and matching contributions

• Short- and Long-Term Disability

• Life, AD&D, and Voluntary Insurance plans

• Paid holidays & vacation

• Floating days off

• Parental leave for new parents

• Employee resource groups

• Learning & development programs

• Fun culture where you have an opportunity in shaping our future

We are believers in the power of difference. We strive to represent the communities in which we operate and to provide an inclusive, welcoming environment for all. We want Primient to be a place where every employee feels they belong and knows they are seen, heard, valued and safe to speak up. Our aspiration is to unlock the full potential in diverse perspectives, while offering everyone an equal chance to grow,

Primient is an equal opportunity employer, committed to the strength of an inclusive workforce.

California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA")

The Company is committed to complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA") and all data privacy and laws in the jurisdictions in which it recruits and hires employees. We collect the following categories of personal information for the purpose of hiring the best qualified applicants and to comply with applicable employment laws: Name and contact information; Job preference and work availability; Social Security Number and/or other identification information; Education and qualifications; Employment history and experience; Military service; Reference and background check information, including relevant criminal history and credit history; Social media information; Pre-employment test results; Post-offer medical examination information and results, including drug test results; Voluntary self-disclosure information regarding minority, veteran, and disability status; and Information provided by you during the hiring process.