Head of EH&S

Kelly® Science & Clinical is seeking a Head of Environmental Health and Safety opportunity with one of our clients, a technology start-up in the San Francisco Bay Area market that builds AI scientists and autonomous physical laboratories . If you are driven by the prospect of translating cutting-edge scientific discoveries into tangible advancements and are poised to advance your career, join us as we pioneer progress in the biotechnology industry.

Workplace: Onsite in the San Francisco Bay Area

Position Title: Head of EH&S

Salary range: 250,000-325,000/year

About the Company

Our client is a rapidly growing, venture-backed company working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the physical sciences. Its team is developing AI-driven approaches to accelerate scientific discovery, with a focus on turning computational insight into experimentally verified results across materials, energy, and related fields.

The company is building an ambitious research and laboratory operation where advanced models, automated systems, and hands-on experimentation work together. It’s a chance to help shape how scientific research is conducted—and how it can be done safely—as the organization scales.

About the Role

We’re seeking an experienced EHS leader to make safety a foundational part of advanced, increasingly automated scientific research.

The company operates a high-throughput materials science laboratory involving hazardous chemistries, high-pressure and high-temperature processes, air-sensitive synthesis, toxic-gas risks, and a growing range of thin-film deposition technologies, including PVD and PLD. Experiments increasingly run overnight and with greater automation, and the laboratory’s capabilities—and risk profile—are evolving quickly.

You’ll build and lead the EHS and process-safety systems that enable this work. That includes shaping permitting strategy, strengthening life-safety and machine-safety systems, assessing new processes, and establishing operational readiness for complex and autonomous experiments. You’ll also work with AI and engineering teams to help bring safety considerations into experimental planning and execution.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can move comfortably between regulatory strategy, detailed hazard analysis, facility design, and day-to-day partnership with scientists and engineers.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the site EHS function, providing practical operational support while building a strong safety and environmental culture.

• Develop and continuously improve EHS programs that meet applicable regulatory requirements and support the company’s evolving research and operational goals.

• Build a unified digital EHS platform for inspections, training records, incident reporting, compliance tracking, KPIs, corrective actions, and audit workflows.

• Own environmental, hazardous-materials, and fire-safety permitting with local, state, and federal agencies. This includes coordinating with fire departments and CUPAs, managing CERS submissions, air permitting, and hazardous-waste vendors.

• Maintain chemical inventories, SDS records, and hazard-labeling systems, including controls for permitted maximum allowable quantities as new processes and materials are introduced.

• Lead HazCom and SDS training for laboratory staff, including teams supporting night-shift and autonomous overnight operations.

• Coordinate EHS inspections and maintain required documentation and postings across existing and new laboratory spaces.

• Design and review life-safety and process-safety systems, including fire suppression, emergency-stop networks, toxic-gas detection, interlocks, alarm interfaces, and emissions and waste-abatement systems.

• Lead and document HAZOPs, PHAs, FMEAs, and other risk assessments for new processes and equipment, including high-pressure furnaces, gloveboxes, and thin-film deposition systems.

• Establish operational-readiness and laboratory-reliability practices for automated operations, including PSSRs, commissioning validation, alarm rationalization, startup and shutdown procedures, and critical-equipment inspections.

• Partner with automation and controls teams on machine safeguarding, fail-safes, robotics controls, functional-safety validation, safety PLC reviews, and automated-motion hazard assessments.

• Collaborate with AI/ML engineers on ways to represent hazards, controls, and safety constraints in tools that support experimental planning and execution.

You’ll Thrive in This Role If You Have

• 10+ years of experience in EHS, process safety, or chemical operations in a laboratory, pilot-plant, or manufacturing environment.

• Experience in materials science, solid-state chemistry, advanced manufacturing, or laboratory automation.

• Strong working knowledge of applicable EHS regulations, standards, and safety practices.

• Hands-on experience conducting HAZOPs, FMEAs, or comparable risk assessments.

• Experience designing, implementing, or reviewing functional-safety systems.

• A practical, collaborative approach and the ability to work on-site in a fast-moving, technically complex environment where experiments may run around the clock.

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.

A Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or comparable certification is a plus.

Especially Relevant Experience

• Developing EHS systems for autonomous or semi-autonomous laboratories and processes that operate without continuous human supervision.

• Supporting a new laboratory or facility build-out, including permitting and safety-system design alongside construction.

• Applying AI or ML tools to risk assessment, safety documentation, or experimental planning—or a strong interest in exploring those applications.

• Contributing to technical committees or standards development related to OSHA, NFPA, IEC, or similar organizations.

• Accomplishments or contributions recognized by peers in your field.

#P1

As part of our promise to talent, Kelly supports those who work with us through a variety of benefits, perks, and work-related resources. Please note: The following benefits reflect Kelly's general offerings. Eligibility may vary by assignment, location, and job type. Kelly offers eligible employees voluntary benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, telemedicine, term life, whole life, accident insurance, critical illness, a legal plan, and short-term disability. As a Kelly employee, you will have access to a retirement savings plan, service bonus and holiday pay plans (earn up to eight paid holidays per benefit year), and a transit spending account. In addition, employees are entitled to earn paid sick leave under the applicable state or local plan. Click here (https://www.mykelly.com/help-support-working-with-kelly-us/#Benefits) for more information on benefits and perks that may be available to you as a member of the Kelly Talent Community.

Why Kelly ® Science & Clinical?

Kelly Science & Clinical is your connection to premier scientific and clinical companies looking to hire industry experts just like you. Our team creates expert talent solutions to solve the world’s most critical challenges. Every day, we match science professionals with dream jobs that fit their skills, interests, and career goals—it’s the way we think job searching should be. Nearly 100 percent of our science recruiters have a professional background and education in science, so we know a thing or two about the science market and how to get your expertise noticed.

About Kelly

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