EHS Lead

Purpose:

Provide technical and operational EHS leadership across a complex pharmaceutical manufacturing site. The Site EHS Lead translates the priorities and strategy established by the Site EHS Manager into effective day-to-day execution, manages the EHS Engineers and partners with manufacturing, engineering, laboratory and project teams to identify, assess and control health, safety and environmental risk. The role provides a strong technical pathway for a Chemical Engineer or equivalent professional to apply engineering judgement to chemical and process risk, containment, occupational exposure, capital projects and the introduction of new technologies. Accountability for overall site EHS strategy, regulatory ownership, environmental and process safety governance, budget ownership and final escalation remains with the Site EHS Manager. 

Responsibilities: 

• Provide technical and operational EHS guidance to manufacturing, engineering, laboratory and project teams, using risk-based and engineering-led approaches to improve controls. 

• Lead the daily operation of the EHS Engineer team, set work priorities, allocate activities, coach team members and monitor delivery against agreed site EHS objectives. 

• Lead or support complex risk assessments involving chemical hazards, potent compounds, containment, occupational exposure, equipment and process interfaces. 

• Provide EHS input to capital projects, design reviews, management of change, commissioning, technology transfer and new product or process introduction, and verify that agreed EHS actions are progressed. 

• Provide business perspective, strategic and tactical direction to support the development of EHS initiatives for the EHS Long Range Plan.  

• Maintain working knowledge of applicable Irish and European EHS legal requirements, relevant site licences and permits, and AbbVie EHS standards within the role’s assigned areas of responsibility. 

• Triage operational EHS escalations, assess risk and urgency, coordinate the response and escalate significant matters to the Site EHS Manager.  

• Coordinate incident investigations, audit readiness, corrective actions and EHS programmes, ensuring technically sound and sustainable solutions.  

• Support a positive site safety culture through visible field engagement, coaching, consultation and partnership with operational leaders and employees. 

• Coordinate routine EHS performance information, action tracking and technical updates for review by the Site EHS Manager and relevant site governance forums. 

• Act as delegated operational backfill for the Site EHS Manager when formally assigned. This delegation does not transfer permanent ownership of site EHS strategy, regulatory accountability, environmental governance, process safety governance or budget accountability. 

• Environmental and Process Safety roles continue to report directly to the Site EHS Manager. The Site EHS Lead collaborates with these roles but does not approve, direct or own their programmes unless specifically delegated for a defined activity. 

• The Site EHS Lead is accountable for day-to-day coordination of the EHS Engineers, technical quality of assigned work, operational triage, delivery of assigned programmes and timely escalation to the Site EHS Manager.