Merck KGaA Posted August 14, 2026

Head of Site Safety, Health and Environmental Compliance

Kankakee, Illinois, United States FULL_TIME
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Merck KGaA is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

Work Your Magic with us!  Start your next chapter and join MilliporeSigma.

Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us.

This role does not offer sponsorship for work authorization. External applicants must be eligible to work in the US.

Your Role:

The site Head of Environmental, Health, Safety & Security (EHSS) is a key leadership role responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining comprehensive EHS and security programs across the organization. This position ensures regulatory compliance, drives a culture of continuous improvement in safety and environmental stewardship, and oversees contracted security operations. The Head of EHSS will demonstrate expertise in management system standards, process safety, and physical security program oversight.

Key Responsibilities:

Environmental Management

Oversee and maintain the organization's ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS), ensuring ongoing conformance and continuous improvement.

Lead internal audits, management reviews, and third-party certification audits related to ISO 14001.

Identify and manage significant environmental aspects and impacts; develop and monitor environmental objectives and targets.

Ensure compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal environmental regulations.

Maintain environmental permits and manage reporting obligations (e.g., air, water, waste).

Health & Safety Management

Oversee and maintain the organization's ISO 45001 Occupational Health & Safety Management System (OHSMS), driving conformance and continual improvement.

Lead incident investigations, root cause analyses, and corrective/preventive action (CAPA) processes.

Develop and deliver EHS training programs for employees at all levels.

Conduct and facilitate risk assessments, job hazard analyses (JHAs), and safety inspections.

Monitor leading and lagging safety performance indicators and report to management.

Champion a proactive safety culture through employee engagement and behavioral safety initiatives.

Process Safety Management (PSM)

Oversee the facility's Process Safety Management (PSM) program in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements (e.g., OSHA PSM standard 29 CFR 1910.119 and/or EPA RMP).

Coordinate and manage PSM elements including Process Hazard Analyses (PHAs), Management of Change (MOC), Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSRs), Mechanical Integrity, and Operating Procedures.

Ensure PSM documentation is current, accurate, and audit-ready.

Collaborate with engineering and operations teams to identify and mitigate process safety risks.

Track and close PSM action items and recommendations in a timely manner.

Security Program Management

Oversee the day-to-day performance of contracted security officers, ensuring service delivery aligns with contractual obligations and site requirements.

Serve as the primary liaison between the organization and the contracted security provider.

Conduct regular performance reviews of the security contractor; escalate performance gaps and drive corrective actions.

Develop and maintain site security plans, access control procedures, and emergency response protocols.

Conduct security risk assessments and recommend improvements to physical security infrastructure and procedures.

Coordinate with local law enforcement and emergency response agencies as needed.

General EHSS Leadership

Serve as a subject matter expert and internal consultant on all EHSS matters.

Participate in and support emergency response planning, drills, and actual emergency events.

Maintain accurate EHSS records, metrics, and reports; present findings to senior management.

Stay current with evolving regulations, industry standards, and best practices.

Mentor and coach junior EHSS staff and cross-functional team members.

Primarily on-site role with regular presence on the plant/facility floor.

Reports directly to the Site Manager with dotted line reporting into regional EHS leadership.

May involve occasional off-hours availability for emergency response or security incidents.

May involve some travel for audits, training, or multi-site support.

Who You Are

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Occupational Health & Safety, Chemical Engineering, or other EHS field.

3+ years of experience in environmental, health, safety, and/or security roles.

1+ years of experience managing ISO 14001 and/or ISO 45001 management systems through certification and surveillance audits.

1+ years of experience with OSHA PSM and/or EPA RMP program management.

Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s degree in Environmental Science or Occupational Health & Safety.

Experience overseeing contracted security services.

Certified Safety Professional (CSP).

Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM).

ISO 14001 and/or ISO 45001 Lead Auditor certification.

Physical Security Professional (PSP) certification.

In-depth knowledge of federal, state, and local EHS regulations (OSHA, EPA, DOT, etc.).

Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to present complex topics to varied audiences.

Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously.

Proficiency in EHS management software and Microsoft Office Suite.

Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to influence without direct authority.

Pay Range for this position: $83,300 - $124,900/year.

The offer range represents the anticipated low and high end of the base pay compensation for this position. The actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, level of experience, education, skills, and other job-related factors. Position may be eligible for sales or performance-based bonuses. Benefits offered by the Company include health insurance, paid time off (PTO), retirement contributions, and other perquisites. For more information click here .

RSREMD

What we offer: We are curious minds that come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe that this variety drives excellence and innovation, strengthening our ability to lead in science and technology. We are committed to creating access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace. Join us in building a culture of inclusion and belonging that impacts millions and empowers everyone to work their magic and champion human progress!

Apply now and become a part of a team that is dedicated to Sparking Discovery and Elevating Humanity!

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Facilities & Administration
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Kankakee, Illinois, United States
Employment type
FULL_TIME

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Facilities & Administration role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 388 comparable Facilities & Administration roles across 89 biopharma companies.

388Comparable roles tracked
357Currently active
89Companies hiring similar roles
45Countries represented

Salary context

92 of 388 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function. This posting doesn't list a seniority level, so peers aren't narrowed by seniority either -- the range below may span more levels than usual.

This roleSubject $83,300/yr – $124,900/yr
Lowest disclosed · Administrative Assistant · Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. $37,000/yr – $73,000/yr
Peer group range $55,000 – $290,450 (median $110,975)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 388 comparable roles

United States163
Germany24
Ireland19
France18
China15
Japan13

+ 39 more countries

Seniority mix

165 of 388 peers have a known seniority level

Manager62
Senior42
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc35
Principal7
Associate7
Director5
Associate Director3
Executive/VP2
Senior Director2

Therapeutic area mix

6 of 388 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Immunology2
Vaccines & Infectious Disease2
Neuroscience1
Cardiovascular / CVRM1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

40%similar
Mylan Inc. Moon Township, United States
Same function Same country
40%similar
Mylan Inc. Canonsburg, United States
Same function Same country
40%similar
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) Renss, United States
Same function Same country
40%similar
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) Renss, United States
Same function Same country
40%similar
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) Rensselaer, United States
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40%similar
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) Rensselaer, United States
Same function Same country

Notify me about similar jobs

Get an email when we spot other openings like this one – same job function, comparable seniority, roles you'd actually want to see.

Or follow a whole field: get every new Facilities & Administration job in the United States, and choose locations and companies.

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

40%
Security Officer
Mylan Inc. · Moon Township, United States · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
HVAC Technician (Overnights)
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) · Renss, United States · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Manager, Safety and Occupational Health
Celgene - Summit (Corp) · Summit West, United States · Manager
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Administrative Coordinator
Amgen Inc. · South San Francisco, United States · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.