Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Lead

MAKING THE METALS POWERING THE WORLD

Solcoa is building the next generation of American metalmaking, starting with rare earths - the metals of power and motion. We've developed a new chemistry that converts rare earth oxides into high-purity metals - the materials inside every EV, fighter jet, wind turbine, and data center - cleaner, cheaper, and faster than any conventional process. Now we're scaling it to thousands of tonnes of annual production.

THE ROLE

The EHS Lead will own environmental, health and safety across Solcoa’s research, fabrication and production operations. You’ll work directly with engineers, chemists, technicians and operators to identify hazards, implement practical controls and build the safety systems we need as we scale.

This is a hands-on role. You’ll spend time on the floor, understand how our equipment and processes work, and help the team execute safely around high-temperature reactors, molten metals, reactive powders, vacuum systems and industrial gases. You’ll also work with engineering to build safety into new equipment and the design and commissioning of Solcoa One, our first commercial plant.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Own site safety. Walk the facility, identify unsafe conditions and work with the team to resolve them. Establish clear operating expectations, stop unsafe work when necessary and verify corrective actions before work resumes.
• Lead hazard reviews. Evaluate new experiments, equipment and process changes with engineering and operations. Identify credible failure scenarios, define safeguards and verify readiness before startup.
• Build practical safety programs. Develop and maintain procedures for hazardous energy isolation, hot work, chemical handling, reactive powders, compressed gases, machine guarding, lifting and contractor activities. Make procedures clear, usable and part of daily operations.
• Control workplace exposures. Assess risks from metal dust, fumes, chemicals, heat, noise and oxygen-deficient atmospheres. Coordinate exposure monitoring and work with engineering to improve containment, ventilation and other controls; define appropriate PPE.
• Own environmental compliance. Maintain chemical inventories, safety data sheets and hazardous waste procedures. Coordinate applicable permits, inspections, reporting and corrective actions with regulators, consultants and facility teams.
• Train the team. Deliver onboarding, task-specific training and regular safety discussions. Work alongside operators and technicians to verify that procedures are understood and followed.
• Prepare for emergencies and investigate incidents. Develop response plans and drills for fires, spills, exposures and equipment emergencies. Investigate incidents and near misses, identify root causes and follow corrective actions through completion.
• Support scale-up. Bring safety requirements into equipment specifications, facility layouts, design reviews and commissioning plans. Build the records, inspection schedules and systems needed to support a growing operation.

WHAT YOU BRING

Required

• 5+ years of hands-on EHS experience in chemical processing, metals, advanced materials, industrial manufacturing or a comparable environment.
• Experience owning safety programs in an operating facility and working directly with engineers, technicians and production teams.
• Practical knowledge of Cal/OSHA requirements, hazardous materials management and environmental compliance.
• Experience conducting hazard assessments, investigating incidents and implementing corrective actions.
• Ability to understand unfamiliar equipment and processes, identify significant risks and work with technical teams to develop effective controls.
• Clear communication, sound judgment and the confidence to intervene when work is unsafe.
• Strong follow-through and comfort building systems in a fast-moving startup.

Preferred

• Experience with high-temperature processing, molten metals, reactive or combustible powders, vacuum equipment or inert gas systems.
• Experience supporting pilot plants, new facility construction or manufacturing scale-up.
• Familiarity with process hazard analysis, management of change and pre-startup safety reviews.
• Experience coordinating industrial hygiene assessments, environmental permitting and hazardous waste disposal.
• Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or relevant technical education.

BENEFITS

• Competitive base salary
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
• Company-provided lunch daily
• Visa sponsorship available if needed