Senior HS&E Specilaist

Position

If you have a passion for health, safety, and environmental compliance and are looking to join a company who is leading the charge to decarbonize the electricity grid in New England, we’d love to have you join our amazing and dedicated team at FirstLight!

Reporting to the Health, Safety, and Environmental (HS&E) Manager, this position is responsible for providing HS&E leadership and technical support to ten Hydro South stations and one kerosene fired peaker. The position builds and maintains trust and confidence with the Hydro South operation team and inspires change through comprehensive risk assessments, data analysis, and coaching. Supports local staff and management to achieve environmental, health and safety compliance requirements. Works with the HS&E Manager to develop and implement HS&E initiatives for FirstLight.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Ensure the facilities are in compliance with applicable regulatory areas from OSHA, USEPA, CT DEEP, USDOT, and other regulatory agencies.
• Identify, develop, and implement procedures and programs in compliance with the local, state, and federal rules and regulations.
• Provide guidance and oversight to ensure compliance with FirstLight HS&E requirements.
• Prepare and submit internal and external HS&E regulatory and non-regulatory reports.
• Manage the disposal of regulated waste across the Hydro South stations.
• Assist with the reporting of incidents and lead and/or coach during investigations.
• Ensure all corrective actions identified during investigations are completed and closed out in timely manner.
• Identify, conduct and/or provide oversight for needed HS&E training for company personnel.
• Track, analyze, and report HS&E metrics to Hydro South Managers to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Assist in the development of HS&E objectives and employee performance evaluations with respect to HS&E.
• Continuously improve and enhance the environment, health and safety practices and procedures.
• Maintain confidentiality of all the information available to the position.
• Manage all applicable regulatory documentation in accordance with good practices and regulatory agency requirements.
• Assist in developing and overseeing the annual budget and business plan related to environmental, health, and safety activities.
• Maintain and build proactive relations with all HS&E vendors and contractors.
• Supervise contractors, government inspectors, and auditors as required.
• Carryout other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications / Skills Sought

• Bachelor's degree in environmental health and safety, engineering, or related discipline.
• Ability to work effectively with managers, supervisors, and employees under stressful conditions.
• Advanced education and training preferred including OSHA, EPA, RCRA, DOT, and Emergency Response Preparedness.
• Experience with governmental reporting related to Tier II, annual air emission inventories, netDMR, CAMD, etc. are preferred
• Experience having a working relationship with regulatory agencies such as OSHA, EPA and CT DEEP preferred
• 10 - 15 years of experience in Environmental Health and Safety required HS&E field. Experience in the power industry and/or construction industry is a major plus.
• Ability to work independently to implement and develop HS&E goals and strategies.
• Strong analytical skills with demonstrated problem-solving ability.
• Demonstrated ability conducting incident investigations and utilizing root cause analysis methods.
• Valid driver’s license with ability/willingness to travel locally as needed and with little notice within the South Hydro service area.
• Experience working in a unionized setting is a plus.
• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)

Physical Requirements

• Approximately 70% of the work is performed indoors and 30% is performed outdoors. Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Capable of frequent standing, walking, balancing, sitting, climbing (ladders, stairs, ramps, catwalks, stacks and the like as required), stooping, squatting, crouching, crawling, kneeling, reaching, grasping, pushing, pulling and lifting (min. 30 lbs.).
• Required to have eyesight corrected to 20/40 to accurately read and interpret such as but not limited to instruments, gauges and manuals.
• Must be physically capable to entering and working in a confined space (crawl spaces, shafts, small enclosed areas, pipes and the like) as required.
• Must be physically capable of performing demanding work at various heights and in adverse conditions during operations, shutdowns, and in fire/emergency activities.
• Must be physically capable of wearing protective equipment (PPE) including but not limited to half and full face respirators, fall protection equipment, hardhat, safety shoes, safety glasses, etc.
• Ability to pass a respirator physical and respirator fit test (if applicable)
• Ability to be physically mobile (stand, walk, reach, climb, bend) and also the ability to sit for prolonged periods throughout the day/work hours.
• Manual dexterity sufficient to operate keyboard, copier, telephone, and the ability to write and/or type.
• Must be able to occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 lbs.

About Us

FirstLight is a leading clean power producer and energy storage company with a portfolio that includes nearly 1.4GW of pumped-hydro storage (including Northfield Mountain, the largest energy storage facility in New England), battery storage, hydroelectric generation, and solar generation—the largest clean energy generation portfolio operating in New England today. We have approximately 125 employees based in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and our corporate headquarters are located in Burlington, MA.

Our mission and vision is to accelerate the decarbonization of the electric grid by owning, operating, and integrating large-scale renewable energy and storage assets to meet the region’s growing clean energy needs and to deliver an electric system that is clean, reliable, affordable, and equitable.

Building upon our industry-leading experience in operating large-scale renewable energy and storage assets, FirstLight’s vision and commitment to leading the energy industry transformation makes us uniquely positioned to navigate rapidly evolving market conditions and grow our portfolio in New England and other US markets in the years ahead.

Our Values

FirstLight provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetics, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by state, federal and local laws. In addition to federal law requirements, FirstLight complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

In addition, FirstLight values the following characteristics and behaviors in our team members:

• Respect: Showing respect for each other and the environment, fostering an inclusive and diverse team of employees, and providing a strong commitment to social responsibility
• Integrity: Exemplifying integrity in all business decisions highlighted through honesty, transparency, and trust.
• Safety: Providing a safe environment for our employees and for all visitors to our recreational facilities.
• Excellence: Continually striving to achieve the greatest level of operational excellence so that we produce the highest quality output and consistently deliver results.
• Innovation: Dedication to creating new market-leading solutions to stay ahead of unprecedented changes in the energy industry.
• Team: Creating an inspiring workplace that fosters open communication, collaboration, and accelerates personal growth. We seek to attract, retain, and develop the best talent in the industry to fuel our success. Diversity is a strategic advantage we need to cultivate.

Why Work for FirstLight?

We consider our employees to be our most valuable resource and we strive to provide a challenging, collegial, and rewarding workplace. FirstLight embraces a company-wide commitment to recruit, develop, and retain a dedicated, diverse, and engaged workforce that is motivated to be ever better both professionally and personally.

Joining the FirstLight Team is an opportunity to experience a unique and exciting culture. Some of our benefits include:

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health Savings Account
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Account
• 401(k) and employer matching
• Paid time off
• Professional Development
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Short & Long-Term Incentive Plans
• Vision insurance
• Charitable Matching Program
• Employer-Sponsored Volunteer Program
• And so much more!

JOIN OUR TEAM!