Lead EHS Engineer

About Mach Industries

Founded in 2023, Mach Industries is a rapidly growing defense technology company focused on developing next-generation autonomous defense platforms. At the core of our mission is the commitment to delivering scalable, decentralized defense systems that enhance the strategic capabilities of the United States and its allies. With a workforce of approximately 350 employees, we operate with startup agility and ambition.

Our vision is to redefine the future of warfare through cutting-edge manufacturing, innovation at speed, and unwavering focus on national security. We are dedicated to solving the next generation of warfare with lethal systems that deter kinetic conflict and protect global security.

The Role

We are seeking a knowledgeable and proactive Lead Environmental Health & Safety Engineer to provide technical leadership and hands-on execution of EHS programs across our engineering, manufacturing, prototyping, testing, and operational environments.

This role will serve as a senior technical EHS resource, partnering directly with Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Facilities, and site leadership to identify hazards, evaluate risk, develop engineering and administrative controls, and ensure compliance with applicable environmental and occupational safety requirements.

The Lead EHS Engineer will be highly engaged in day-to-day operations and is expected to spend significant time in manufacturing, laboratory, prototype, test, and other operational areas. The ideal candidate is comfortable operating in rapidly evolving environments where new equipment, processes, materials, and hazards are regularly introduced.

The successful candidate will combine strong regulatory knowledge with an engineering mindset; focusing on eliminating or reducing hazards through design and practical risk controls rather than relying solely on procedures or administrative compliance.

Key Responsibilities

EHS Technical Leadership & Risk Management

• Serve as a technical subject matter expert for environmental, health, and safety matters across Mach operations.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate occupational and environmental hazards associated with manufacturing, engineering, prototyping, testing, maintenance, and facility operations.
• Lead and support Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs), Job Safety Analyses (JSAs), risk assessments, and task-specific hazard evaluations.
• Apply the hierarchy of controls to eliminate or reduce hazards, prioritizing engineering controls and inherently safer solutions wherever practical.
• Partner with engineering teams during equipment, tooling, process, and facility design to integrate safety requirements early in the design process.
• Review new and modified equipment, processes, materials, and operations prior to implementation.
• Support operational readiness and pre-startup safety reviews for new equipment and higher-risk processes.
• Identify high-consequence hazards and develop practical risk-reduction strategies.

High-Hazard & Manufacturing Safety

• Provide technical EHS support for manufacturing and high-hazard activities, including electrical systems, machinery, hazardous energy, chemicals, pressure systems, hot work, material handling, lasers, robotics/automation, and other production hazards.
• Develop and maintain machine safety, guarding, lockout/tagout (LOTO), electrical safety, confined space, fall protection, hot work, and other applicable safety programs.
• Support process safety evaluations for operations involving hazardous materials, energetic materials, flammable materials, compressed gases, or other high-consequence hazards.
• Participate in Process Hazard Analyses (PHAs), What-If analyses, FMEAs, or similar structured risk-assessment activities where appropriate.
• Partner with Engineering and Operations to ensure safety controls remain effective as prototype processes transition into higher-rate production.

Industrial Hygiene & Occupational Health

• Identify and evaluate employee exposure to chemical, physical, and environmental hazards.
• Develop and support industrial hygiene assessments and exposure-monitoring strategies for noise, airborne contaminants, chemicals, welding fumes, particulates, and other workplace exposures.
• Coordinate third-party industrial hygiene monitoring and interpret results to determine appropriate corrective actions.
• Develop or support respiratory protection, hearing conservation, PPE, ergonomics, and other occupational health programs.
• Maintain appropriate exposure records and documentation in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements.

Environmental Compliance & Management

• Lead and support environmental compliance programs across Mach facilities, ensuring adherence to applicable federal, state, and local environmental regulations.
• Manage hazardous materials and hazardous waste programs, including proper identification, classification, labeling, storage, handling, transportation, and disposal in accordance with EPA, DTSC, RCRA, and applicable California regulations.
• Oversee environmental permitting, compliance monitoring, and reporting requirements associated with air emissions, wastewater discharge, stormwater management, and hazardous materials storage.
• Develop and maintain Hazardous Materials Business Plans (HMBPs), chemical inventories, Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), and applicable reporting requirements through the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS).
• Coordinate environmental compliance activities with applicable regulatory agencies, including local Certified Unified Program Agencies (CUPAs), DTSC, Regional Water Quality Control Boards, and Air Quality Management Districts.
• Support environmental assessments for new manufacturing processes, equipment installations, facility modifications, and operational expansions to identify potential permitting requirements and environmental impacts.
• Establish and maintain hazardous waste accumulation areas, inspection protocols, waste manifests, disposal documentation, and waste minimization initiatives.
• Develop and implement spill prevention, containment, and emergency response procedures, including Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans where applicable.
• Conduct routine environmental compliance inspections and audits, identify deficiencies, and drive corrective actions through closure.
• Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Facilities, and Operations to incorporate pollution prevention, responsible material management, and environmental risk mitigation into operational planning.
• Maintain environmental compliance calendars, permit conditions, inspection records, and reporting deadlines to ensure timely regulatory submissions.

Regulatory Compliance

• Maintain working knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local EHS regulations, including OSHA, Cal/OSHA, EPA, and other relevant regulatory requirements.
• Ensure EHS programs, policies, and operational practices align with applicable regulatory standards and company requirements.
• Maintain required regulatory documentation, inspection records, permits, and compliance reports.
• Serve as a technical resource during regulatory inspections, agency inquiries, audits, and enforcement-related activities.
• Monitor regulatory changes, assess operational impacts, and implement necessary compliance measures in partnership with Engineering, Manufacturing, Facilities, and Operations

Incident Investigation & Corrective Action

• Lead or support investigations of injuries, illnesses, near misses, spills, releases, property damage, and other EHS events.
• Apply structured root-cause analysis methodologies to identify underlying system, process, equipment, and behavioral contributors.
• Develop corrective and preventive actions that address root causes rather than symptoms.
• Track corrective actions through closure and verify effectiveness.
• Communicate lessons learned and help deploy applicable corrective actions across other Mach operations.
• Support required incident notifications, recordkeeping, and regulatory reporting.

Inspections, Audits & Continuous Improvement

• Conduct routine EHS inspections and operational audits across manufacturing, engineering, laboratory, test, and support areas.
• Identify unsafe conditions and behaviors and work directly with operational teams to implement corrective actions.
• Develop risk-based inspection programs focused on higher-consequence hazards.
• Support internal EHS compliance assessments and external audits.
• Analyze leading and lagging EHS indicators to identify trends and prioritize improvement activities.
• Develop practical metrics for hazards, near misses, incidents, corrective actions, inspections, and other EHS performance indicators.

Contractor & Vendor Safety

• Support contractor safety requirements for construction, maintenance, equipment installation, commissioning, and other work performed at Mach facilities.
• Review contractor work plans and higher-risk activities for appropriate EHS controls.
• Participate in contractor onboarding, pre-job planning, permitting, and field safety observations.
• Identify contractor safety deficiencies and coordinate corrective actions with project and operational owners.

Training & Safety Culture

• Develop and deliver EHS training for employees, contractors, supervisors, engineers, and operational teams.
• Translate regulatory and technical requirements into clear, practical expectations that can be implemented on the floor.
• Coach employees and leaders on hazard recognition, risk assessment, incident prevention, and regulatory requirements.
• Promote proactive reporting of hazards, near misses, and safety concerns.
• Build strong relationships with Engineering and Operations so EHS is viewed as an enabling technical partner rather than solely a compliance function.
• Reinforce a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health & Safety, Occupational Safety, Engineering, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Science, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 5+ years of professional EHS experience in manufacturing, aerospace, defense, automotive, energy, chemical processing, industrial operations, or another high-hazard technical environment.
• Demonstrated experience implementing and maintaining occupational safety and environmental compliance programs.
• Strong working knowledge of OSHA and Cal/OSHA regulations.
• Experience performing hazard assessments, risk assessments, incident investigations, and root-cause analysis.
• Experience supporting manufacturing equipment, industrial processes, laboratories, test environments, or other technically complex operations.
• Working knowledge of hazardous materials and hazardous waste management requirements.
• Ability to interpret technical drawings, equipment documentation, SDSs, engineering specifications, and regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to work directly with engineers, technicians, operators, contractors, and leadership.
• Ability to independently identify hazards and drive corrective actions through closure.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of EHS experience within aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, energetics, automotive, energy, or other high-reliability/high-hazard industries.
• Professional certification such as CSP, ASP, CIH, CHMM, or equivalent.
• Experience with Process Safety Management (PSM), process hazard analysis, or high-hazard manufacturing operations.
• Experience with industrial hygiene sampling and exposure assessment.
• Experience with electrical safety and NFPA 70E.
• Experience with machine guarding, robotics/automation, laser safety, pressure systems, combustible materials, and hazardous energy control.
• Experience with hazardous waste requirements, including applicable RCRA and California hazardous waste regulations.
• Experience supporting prototype-to-production or New Product Introduction (NPI) environments.
• Experience developing EHS programs or systems within a rapidly growing organization.
• Familiarity with ISO 45001, ISO 14001, AS9100, or similar management systems.
• Experience with EHS software, incident-management systems, corrective-action tracking, and data analytics.

Additional Requirements

• Available to work extended hours and weekends as needed

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Pay Range$125,000-$175,000 USD

At Mach, we believe that compensation is more than just a paycheck. It's a comprehensive package designed to reward the time, skills, and expertise you bring to our team. We are committed to offering competitive compensation that is equitable, transparent, and aligned with market trends.

Key Elements of Our Compensation Philosophy:

• Competitive Salaries: We continuously research market rates to ensure our salaries are competitive with those in our industry and geographic location.
• Performance-Based Incentives: Our bonus structure is tied to both individual and company performance, creating a win-win scenario that motivates our team members to excel.
• Equity Participation: We offer stock options or equity to employees, ensuring that you share in the success and growth of the company.
• Benefit Packages: Our benefits include healthcare, dental and vision plans, retirement savings, and paid time off, because we understand that your well-being extends beyond the office.
• Professional Development: We allocate funds for continuing education, training, and career growth.
• Transparency: We are committed to openness about our compensation tiers and how decisions are made, ensuring trust and mutual respect.

By joining Mach, you’re not just accepting a job - you’re becoming a key part of a team that values your contributions and invests in your growth. Together, we aim to create a rewarding environment that sets the stage for long-term success.

Data Privacy
To view Mach Industries candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://machindustries.com/privacy-policy.

Disclosures

This position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Please note that any offer for employment may be conditioned on authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these U.S. export control laws and regulations without sponsorship for an export license.

Mach participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offers may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and training, critical skills, and business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in most offers and are considered part of Mach’s total compensation package. Mach offers benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and opportunities for professional development.

Mach is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws. If you’d like to defend the American way of life, please reach out!