Job Description

Join the Teknova Team and Help Shape the Future of Health

When you join the Teknova team, you’re helping to create the future of health. Our customers are working to discover novel therapies that will help people everywhere live longer, healthier lives. We make sure they have a reliable supply of the essential ingredients they need to succeed, and every member of our team plays an important role.

The Director of Environment, Health, and Safety (EH&S) provides strategic, organizational, and technical leadership for the Company’s environmental, health, and safety programs across multiple facilities. Serving as a key member of the site leadership team, the Director ensures full regulatory compliance with Cal OSHA, Cal EPA, San Benito County, and all applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations.

The Director, EH&S, is accountable for developing, implementing, and sustaining comprehensive EH&S systems, processes, and programs supporting manufacturing, laboratory, administrative, waste, wastewater, and emergency response operations. The Director leads the EH&S team, drives a proactive safety culture, and guides the Company in achieving operational readiness, regulatory robustness, and continuous improvement in risk reduction and incident prevention.

The Director partners cross-functionally to contribute to high-level decision-making in facility design, operations, and process changes, ensuring the effective application of the hierarchy of controls and alignment with business goals. The person in this role serves as the primary interface for regulatory inspections and leads the Company’s efforts to maintain audit readiness, safety excellence, and sustained environmental compliance.

Through effective leadership, technical guidance, and direct collaboration with the Company’s senior-most leadership, the Director builds EH&S organizational capability, fosters a culture of accountability and engagement, and both proposes and advances strategic initiatives that support business continuity, employee well-being, and long-term operational success.

The Director, EH&S, is on-site at the Company’s headquarters and reports to the Company’s General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer.

Our Culture

At Teknova, our culture is all about creative problem solving, and our default answer is “Yes.” We’re customer-obsessed and go all in for them and each other. We aren’t interested in the status quo—we want to discover what’s possible. We’re bold and built to change. We go above and beyond to develop novel products that help our customers get reliable results, engineer formats that fit their systems, and find ways to ship out their orders one day sooner. Every time we help our customers work more efficiently; we bring them a step closer to that big breakthrough.

Our Values

We value the unique personality and background of everyone on our team—we want you to be you. By working together and sharing our skills, we find new and better solutions for our customers. The people on our team are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re here to support them.

Requirements

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

REGULATORY & COMPLIANCE LEADERSHIP

• Provides strategic leadership to ensure full compliance with Cal OSHA, Cal EPA, San Benito County, and all applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations.
• Serves as the primary liaison for all regulatory inspections, leading the organization in maintaining continuous audit readiness and strong relationships with regulatory agencies.
• Anticipates changes in regulatory requirements and proactively adjusts compliance strategies to maintain operational readiness.

EH&S MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS & GOVERNANCE

• Develops, implements, and governs the site’s comprehensive EH&S management system, ensuring robust processes, programs, and documentation across all facilities.
• Defines EH&S strategic priorities, roadmap, and performance metrics in partnership with site and executive leadership.
• Benchmarks internal and external best practices to strengthen the maturity, efficiency, and scalability of the EH&S program.

INCIDENT MANAGEMENT, CAPA, & RISK REDUCTION

• Provides strategic leadership and oversight for incident response, corrective and preventive action (CAPA) programs, and change control processes.
• Influences teams to apply the hierarchy of controls and reduce risks of injury, strengthening overall site risk-management maturity.

ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMS & OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

• Oversees environmental compliance programs, including waste and wastewater operations, recordkeeping, and reporting.
• Provides environmental, industrial hygiene, and operational safety support across manufacturing, labs, administrative areas, and emergency response operations.

LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, & ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Builds and leads a high-performing EH&S organization, ensuring capability, career development, and succession planning.
• Partners cross-functionally with Operations, Facilities, Engineering, and Executive Leadership to integrate EH&S priorities into decision-making and implementation.
• Fosters a proactive, accountable compliance and safety culture that supports business continuity, engagement, and sustained excellence.

PROJECT, STARTUP & CROSS-FUNCTIONAL LEADERSHIP

• Serves as the principal EH&S stakeholder in facility design, process changes, and project execution, ensuring safety and environmental controls are embedded early.
• Supports operational readiness, startup planning, and contractor safety for new or expanded operations.

DATA REPORTING & EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATION

• Ensures accurate, timely reporting and recordkeeping in alignment with regulatory standards and internal policies.
• Escalates critical EH&S issues to the Company’s senior-most leadership and provides transparent communication on performance, risks, and progress.

EDUCATION

• Master’s degree in Environmental Science, Occupational Health & Safety, Engineering, Industrial Hygiene, or related technical discipline strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required, with extensive leadership experience in EH&S, risk management, or environmental compliance.
• Relevant professional certifications such as CHMM, CSP, or CIH strongly preferred as indicators of advanced technical and professional competence.
• Relevant safety certifications (e.g., OSHA 30-hour, 40-hour HAZWOPER) preferred.
• Additional credentials in process safety, industrial hygiene, emergency management, or ISO management systems are advantageous.
• Experience supporting multi-site operations, complex manufacturing, chemical handling, biotechnology, pharma, life-sciences, or GMP environments preferred.
• Proven ability to lead in environments regulated under Cal OSHA, Cal EPA, county agencies, or equivalent regulatory bodies.

KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / EXPERIENCE

• Proven strategic leadership of EH&S programs and management systems within complex manufacturing or life sciences environments, including oversight of governance frameworks, risk-reduction strategies, and enterprise-wide initiatives.
• Demonstrated expertise in incident investigation and CAPA leadership, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and strengthen organizational risk-management maturity.
• Deep knowledge of federal, state, and local EH&S laws, rules, and regulations, with the ability to interpret changing requirements and shape compliance strategies that support business objectives.
• Strong technical leadership, including the ability to guide teams in environmental compliance, industrial hygiene, life-safety systems, and process safety (as applicable).
• Highly developed communication and presentation skills, with demonstrated effectiveness engaging executive leadership and associates across all levels of an organization.
• Demonstrable success building, leading, and developing high-performing EH&S teams, fostering accountability, engagement, and a proactive culture.
• Experience guiding GMP or similar manufacturing operations, creating alignment between EH&S requirements and production, quality, and engineering functions.
• At least 10 years of progressive EH&S leadership experience, including responsibility across multiple sites or within complex, high-risk operations.
• Proven ability to build strong partnerships at all organizational levels and within relevant functions, including operations, engineering, facilities, quality, and executive leadership.
• Experience implementing and governing environmental compliance programs, including reporting, recordkeeping, and regulatory engagement.
• Mature organizational influence skills, with the ability to “influence without authority” to drive initiatives across business units, adapt strategies to varied stakeholders, and translate EH&S requirements into business-aligned solutions.
• Experience leading EH&S engagement with senior and executive management, including risk communication, capital project input, and strategic planning.

From our scientists to our shipping department, the people who thrive here see beyond reporting lines—they are driven and open to learning something new. If you’re ready to make a difference and be part of a team that values creativity, collaboration, and customer obsession, we’d love to hear from you. Join us at Teknova and help shape the future of health.

Teknova is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other status or characteristic protected by law.