Sr Environmental Specialist

Sims Metal (Sims) is a global leader in metal recycling. With facilities across the globe, Sims plays an intrinsic role in the circular economy by making resources available for future use. As a responsible corporate citizen, we continuously seek new ways to broaden our participation in the environmental sector, ensuring that our future is as bright, safe, and secure as at any time in our long history.

Position Summary:

Provide West Region facilities (California, Nevada, and Vancouver) with environmental leadership, guidance and support for appropriate control measure, environmental testing/assessment, and implementation efforts. Position can be located in any of the following CA locations and travel as necessary: Sacramento, Richmond, San Jose, Redwood City, Rancho Cordova, Hayward, or Stockton.

 Primary Focus:

• To advance a culture of environmental stewardship by providing leadership, guidance, training, and hands-on support to comply with environmental corporate, regulatory and permitting requirements.
• Facilitate the determination and implementation of appropriate environmental practices in response to facility-specific and regional requirements and issues, consistent with the company’s commitment to its social license to operate.

Principal Accountabilities:

• Support permitting & compliance (P&C) team in West (California & Nevada) region, working with national P&C management, regional leadership, and environmental counsel.
• Lead environmental permitting program for West (including non-air quality applications for new permits and renewals).
• Lead environmental compliance program for West region (including managing regulatory visits and responses to NOVs/SOVs and fire risks), in coordination with regional/facility operations management and national environmental management and enviro legal counsel.
• Support proactive regional environmental/regulatory objectives (working with regional and facility management and environmental resources).
• Lead review, modification, preparation, and implementation of regional and site level environmental operating procedures (SOPs) as necessary.
• Lead implementation of the West environmental program, including California and Nevada programs for fugitive and other emissions, storm water, hazardous materials, waste, wastewater, petroleum above-ground storage tank and inbound source control.
• Support environmental remediation programs under environmental counsel direction.
• Support implementation of national environmental SOPs.
• Support the Environmental Management System for environmental-related Standards, Compliance/Permit requirements, delivery systems, training, tools, and communication.
• Drive implementation and monitoring of environmental strategic plans considering California-specific standards aligned with corporate and regulatory requirements. These include storm water, air emissions, hazardous waste, hazardous materials, petroleum above-ground tanks and wastewater.
• Assist with the development, monitoring and adjustment of company-wide environmental key performance indicators designed to measure continual progress with environmental goals.
• Promote and facilitate company related environmental standard conformance, regulatory and legal compliance, external and internal standard conformance requirements.
• Provide guidance and support to regional EHS teams to track, manage, and report compliance activities and results.
• Support environmental assessments of facilities and interface with environmental legal counsel, national environmental management, and key audit personnel on compliance activities.
• Support environmental legal counsel, regional management, and corporate environmental team regarding management of remediation projects. 
• Collaborate with operational management/EHS teams as subject matter experts to provide guidance and support for environmental aspects of the business (and compliance with environmental regulations).
• Monitor environmental regulations and industry standards to support business units with implementation.
• Act as the escalation point of contact for operations to coordinate environmental regulatory inquiries and mitigation actions.
• Facilitate the management of waste reporting, profiling, handling, storage, and shipping (i.e., hazardous and non-hazardous wastes).
• Oversee the data entry into the EHS system of regulatory inspections.
• Work in coordination with regional management and community relations personnel, engage with stakeholders within the community, as necessary and directed, to address proactive environmental initiatives and/or concerns raised with business activities.
• Affiliate with trade and environmental associations to keep informed of trends in environmental regulations, technologies, and innovations for potential company application.
• Liase as part of team with governmental stakeholders to drive environmental activities responsive to California and Nevada regulations.
• Lead review of regional/site operations to ensure that current and planned activities are in conformance with applicable environmental permit, regulatory and SOP requirements.
• Assist in addressing environmental concerns related to facility operations.
• Remain current on training requirements (e.g., Air Emissions, Storm Water, Hazardous Materials, Solid/Hazardous Waste, Petroleum ASTs, and Spills Prevention Control Countermeasures, etc.).
• Lead the development, review, revision of required environmental plans (e.g., SWPPP, SPCC, Haz Mat Business Plan, etc.).
• Assist in data gathering and generation of environmental reports as assigned.
• Support programs for testing and monitoring of environmental parameters.
• Ensure day-to-day environmental compliance obligations are being met at each facility; routinely visit all yards within the region.
• Other duties as assigned.

Experience Required:

• 5+ years' experience in environmental compliance management (in corporate setting, with California-focused regulatory background a plus)
• Industrial facility or California-regional experience in environmental compliance requirements
• Experience implementing industrial facility environmental regulations and standards
• Experience with engagement with California environmental regulators
• Experience with California storm water, hazardous materials, waste, wastewater, and petroleum above-ground storage tank requirements
• Experience with California air emissions requirements a plus
• Experience with California regulations affecting recycling industries a plus
• Experience in metal recycling or related industry a plus
• Environmental 14001 ISO standard management experience a plus
• Electronic environmental reporting and tracking experience

Formal Education, Skills, and Competencies:

• 5+ years' experience in environmental compliance/management (in corporate setting, with California-focused regulatory background a plus)
• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in environmental engineering or technical/earth sciences (or below):
  • ­      Ecology
  • ­      Geology
  • ­      Chemical Engineering
  • ­      Environmental engineering
  • ­      Chemistry or physics
  • ­      Environmental sciences
  • ­      Environmental management
  • ­      Environmental health
• Technical and/or professional certifications a plus (QISP Preferred)
• Strong writing and oral communications skills a must (regulatory- and operations-focused)
• Microsoft Office software skills
• Experience with CA-specific websites (e.g., CERS and SMARTS)

A career with Sims provides you with the opportunity to work with an organization whose goal is to be the world’s safest and most responsible recycling company. Our people achieve this by creating a zero-harm workplace, being exemplary members of the communities in which we operate, and being responsible stewards of the environment. We also offer competitive pay and a range of attractive benefits.

Sims is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value the diversity of all of our employees and are committed to creating an inclusive working environment where everyone can contribute, advance on merit, and realize their full potential. Sims does not discriminate with regard to race, sex, religion, color, national origin, citizenship status, disability, age, marital or familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, housing status, source of income, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. This applies to any employment decision, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.  qualified applicants with a disability in need of a reasonable accommodation may request such without fear of reprisal or discrimination. 

To achieve our purpose to create a world without waste to preserve our planet, we are guided by our Principles of Purpose: Be Safe + Well, Band Together, Be Accountable + Transparent, Consistently Innovate, Inspire with Purpose, Celebrate + Have Fun.