Head of Environmental Health and Safety

About this role

At Reflect, you will be expected to move fast, have a lot of ownership and, most importantly, be able to effect change. If this excites you, we are interested in hearing about your best work and accomplishments across any domain and from any points in your life.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Reflect Orbital is seeking a Head of Environmental Health & Safety to build and own our EHS function across satellite manufacturing, assembly, integration, test, offices, and launch activities. You will create practical systems that protect our team, keep our facilities compliant, and enable us to grow safely as our hardware, headcount, and operating footprint scale.

This is a builder role, not a desk-only compliance role. You will spend meaningful time on the floor alongside engineers and technicians, reviewing new equipment and processes, writing JHAs, leading incident investigations, preparing permits, delivering training, and closing corrective actions. You will partner closely with engineers, technicians, our facilities team, HR, and company leadership, to establish the systems and team Reflect needs as we grow.

RESPONSIBILITIES

- Be responsible for operating safely.

- Build, implement, and continuously improve Reflect’s EHS management system, including programs, policies, procedures, ownership, metrics, documentation, and corrective-action tracking.

- Own compliance with federal, state, and local workplace-safety requirements, including OSHA and Cal/OSHA Title 8; maintain the Injury and Illness Prevention Program, required recordkeeping, and postings.

- •Develop and run programs for hazard communication and SDS management, lockout/tagout, machine guarding, electrical safety, hot work, fall protection, confined space, powered industrial trucks, ergonomics, respiratory protection, hearing conservation, PPE, and other hazards relevant to our operations.

- Own environmental and hazardous-materials compliance, including applicable EPA and RCRA requirements, CalEPA/DTSC, CUPA/CERS and Hazardous Materials Business Plans, hazardous and universal waste, spill prevention, stormwater and wastewater, air permitting and South Coast AQMD, and local fire-code requirements.

- Lead risk assessments, PPE hazard assessments, pre-task planning, and safety reviews for new and existing processes, equipment, facilities, and high-hazard work.

- Partner with Engineering, Technicians, and Facilities to embed safety into design, commissioning, work instructions, and change management before hardware or processes reach the floor.

- Provide direct EHS support for assembly, integration, test, and launch operations, including hazards associated with machining, composites manufacturing, batteries, high voltage, lasers, compressed gases and cryogens, vacuum systems, vibration, thermal-vacuum, lifting operations, and field work, as applicable.

- Alongside HR, lead investigations of injuries, illnesses, near misses, spills, and property-damage events; determine root causes and drive corrective and preventive actions to verified closure.

- Establish a practical inspection and audit program; maintain inspection-ready records, lead internal audits, host regulatory inspections, and ensure findings are resolved quickly and permanently.

- Create and deliver role-specific EHS training, new-hire orientation, toolbox talks, and recurring refreshers; build a culture in which every employee is expected and empowered to identify hazards and stop unsafe work.

- Own emergency preparedness and response plans for fire, spill, medical, evacuation, severe weather, and other site scenarios; maintain response equipment and coordinate drills with internal teams and public agencies.

- Plan and coordinate industrial hygiene and occupational-health monitoring for chemical, noise, ergonomic, and other exposures.

- Define leading and lagging indicators, communicate risk and performance to leadership, and use data and field observations to prioritize improvements.

IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS

- 5+ years of progressive EHS experience, including meaningful program leadership in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, hardware development and test, or another high-hazard industrial environment.

- You have built, rebuilt, or materially scaled an EHS program and can create the right amount of process for a fast-growing company.

- •Strong working knowledge of OSHA and Cal/OSHA requirements and the judgment to translate regulations into clear, practical controls for engineers, technicians, and operators.

- Hands-on experience with California environmental and hazardous-materials compliance, permitting, agency reporting, hazardous-waste management, and fire/life-safety requirements.

- Demonstrated success leading JHAs, process and equipment risk assessments, incident investigations, root-cause analysis, audits, and corrective actions.

- Experience supporting manufacturing and test operations involving machinery, hazardous chemicals, compressed gases or cryogens, electrical systems, lasers, lifting and rigging, or other complex technical hazards.

- You understand industrial hygiene fundamentals and can scope monitoring, interpret results, and implement effective controls.

- You can work effectively with regulators, fire authorities, consultants, contractors, and cross-functional teams, and you communicate risk clearly to both floor-level operators and company leadership.

- You are comfortable moving between strategy and floor-level execution and are willing to personally write programs, conduct inspections, teach training, and respond to incidents.

- Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Science or Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

- Professional certification such as CSP, CIH, CHMM, ASP, or equivalent, and training such as OSHA 30/510 or HAZWOPER, are strong pluses.

- Experience supporting multiple sites, remote test locations, or launch campa

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