Environment, Health and Safety Manager

About Us

Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada, an Asahi Kasei Company, is a pioneer in battery technology and a long-trusted supplier of lithium battery separators, which are polymer-based microporous membranes that are key components of lithium-ion batteries (LIB).

The company's HiporeTM brand of separators have been commercially available since the lithium battery market's inception in the early 1990s and they are found primarily in electric drive vehicles (EDVs) as well as in consumer electronics (CE) such as smartphones, tablets and personal computers.

HiporeTM membrane separators bring high porosity and excellent energy transfer, while contributing to battery safety and reliability and they are especially well matched for the high-capacity batteries required for power plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and full battery (BEV) vehicles.

Asahi Kasei is accelerating its next phase of global growth with proactive investment and capacity expansion in battery separators to meet increasing demand for electric vehicle applications.

Expansions have been announced at existing Asahi Kasei LIB separator facilities in the United States, Japan, and South Korea, with start-up scheduled in succession from the first half of fiscal year 2026.

Asahi Kasei will continue investing to further build its LIB separator infrastructure for automotive applications to meet growing demand in North America where significant expansion of electric vehicle production is forecasted.

We are now in the early phases of staffing our new greenfield site, in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada, that will have an investment of about 1.57 billion CAD$ to further build its LIB separator infrastructure for automotive applications to meet growing demand in North America where significant expansion of electric vehicle production is forecasted.

The Asahi Kasei Group is a diversified group of companies led by holding company Asahi Kasei Corp., with operations in the material, homes, and health care business sectors.

With more than 48,000 employees around the world, the Asahi Kasei Group serves customers in more than 100 countries. We are Creating for Tomorrow

About the Role

We are seeking an EHS Manager to be part of a new plant start-up based in Port Colborne, Ontario. The incumbent will have a high level of interaction with the operations and corporate EHS teams and Japanese counterparts. This position will lead the development and coordination of EHS programs within a modern, high tech manufacturing facility.

The role is responsible for planning, evaluating, implementing, and maintaining workplace EHS programs that are consistent with applicable regulatory and corporate requirements.

Reporting Relationships

This position directly reports to the Plant Manager and will have direct reports as the organization grows and the plant is commissioned.

There will be a matrix reporting line to the EHS sub team during construction.

Asahi Kasei and Hipore Values

• Sincerity – Being sincere with everyone
• Challenge – Bolding taking challenges, continually seeking change
• Creativity – Creating new value through unity and synergy

Key Accountabilities

• During the construction portion of the project, work with the current EHS team to ensure smooth implementation of site permits, and support locally.
• Provide oversite and input into construction contractor safety programs as needed.
• Actively participate as a valued team member of the site management team to provide EHS leadership, guidance, and technical support.
• Influence the EHS culture by partnering with site leadership and employees to drive a collective ownership of Environmental and Safety performance.
• Establish and manage annual EHS expenses and capital budget plans.
• Participate in the design and development of facilities, work areas, and work procedures to evaluate potential EHS risks and make recommendations accordingly.
• Establish an effective EHS Management System to track, assign, and verify EHS responsibilities and integrate them into the overall business operation.
• Establish strategic plans and annual EHS goals and objectives to improve overall EHS programs and performance.
• Maintain change management processes to ensure proper evaluation of new products, materials, and manufacturing work process for potential EHS concerns.
• Oversee a program to ensure proper incident investigation and rootcause analysis of EHS related events, including tracking and closure of identified actions.
• Develop and deploy training programs that reduce risk and maintain compliance with regulatory and company requirements.
• Lead and participate in EHS inspections, selfassessments, and audits.
• Monitor, measure and communicate EHS performance and trends.
• Ensure emergency management programs are developed and maintained in a state of readiness for anticipated emergencies including hazard assessments, personnel training, equipment, and alerting systems.
• Ensure programs that manage EHS risks associated with contracted services and critical suppliers.
• Coordinate with other functions to ensure the organization successfully implements EHS medical surveillance requirements and manages Worker's Compensation claims.
• Develop and maintain EHS programs consistent with applicable regulatory standards (ECCC, MECP, CCOHS, OHSA, MLITSD, etc.)
• Manage and maintain compliance with applicable environmental regulations and permitting programs (Air Quality, Noise Emissions, Waste Management, Wastewater, Stormwater, ECA, etc.)
• Build and maintain an effective regulatory engagement system to foster positive relationships with federal, province and local regulators
• Maintain awareness of federal, province and local environmental, safety, and health regulations, including potential changes that could affect the operation
• Ensure programs for contractors and construction projects are implemented consistent with company standards, regulatory requirements, and best management practices
• Communicate and collaborate with other onsite organizations to facilitate joint EHS programs where appropriate
• Participate on the training team to develop training content for operator and other staff for the new facility.
• Other tasks may be added according to future operation

Qualifications

Education Background:

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in environmental safety and health, chemistry, engineering, or the physical sciences
• Professional environmental or safety certification (CSP, CEP, CHMM, etc.) from a nationally recognized organization is preferred

Knowledge & Experience:

• Must have 7+ years of EHS experience in manufacturing facilities with progressively increasing responsibility
• Previous construction EHS experience is a plus
• Must have experience with technical writing including development of technical documents, procedures, sampling plans, job hazard analysis, and training presentations
• Intermediate level of knowledge using Microsoft desktop applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, & Outlook) is required. Experience with Visio & SharePoint a plus
• Ability to remain adaptive in a 24/7 manufacturing environment and flex the work schedule as necessary to oversee project work or engage various work shifts, or to respond to offhours emergency events is required
• Prior EHS functional leadership experience is required
• Prior experience managing environmental compliance programs in the province of Ontario is a plus
• Prior experience with EHS Management Systems such as ISO 14001 or 45001 certification is a plus
• Experience in a matrixed organization, preferred
• Experience working for a global organization with cross cultural interaction is strongly preferred
• Japanese and French language skills are a plus

Travel:

• Must be able and willing to travel up to 10% domestically and abroad for training and visiting other company locations

Schedule:

• The EHS Manager must have the ability to remain adaptive in a 24/7 manufacturing environment and flex the work schedule as necessary to oversee project work or engage various work shifts, or to respond to offhours emergency events.

Working Environment

This position will be based in a temporary structure on or near a construction site until the permanent office is built in 2026.

The final work environment will be at a 24/7 manufacturing operation. This position is in support of manufacturing and requires working in a production environment around chemicals.

The manufacturing facility will be a state of the art in terms of automation and being temperature and humidity controlled.

This will be a clean and comfortable environment due to the nature of the products being produced.

The incumbent will be required to work within an office environment for up to 60% of the time.

The other 40% of the time will be in manufacturing areas, which will require the ability to climb ladders and walk the plant in its entirety, including platforms at elevated levels.

Lighting and temperature are adequate.

This position also requires the ability to work for periods of time within the manufacturing environment including areas with hot or cold temperatures and areas that require the use of PPE, including use of a respirator.

You may be required to lift up to 35 pounds and/or force necessary to push, pull, or otherwise move objects.

In this role, you will work with cross cultural and cross functional teams. The incumbent will be required to spend 2 weeks in Japan learning the product and training on manufacturing processes. Occasional travel may be required to other Asahi Kasei facilities for training, learning and sharing. Visits to vendors to support equipment purchases may be required, and the ability to travel internationally is a must.

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