VP of Environmental Health and Safety

Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms. JOB OVERVIEW Saronic Technologies is seeking a highly experienced Vice President of Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) to lead, scale, and globalize our EHS organization as we expand from a domestic defense and maritime manufacturing base into an international leader in AI-driven autonomous maritime systems. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in defense, shipbuilding, and advanced manufacturing, with exposure to AI-enabled, robotics, or autonomous vehicle technologies. This individual will have a proven record of designing and implementing world-class EHS programs in high-risk, high-technology, safety-critical maritime environments. This role will be responsible for scaling the EHS organization, establishing a unified EHS management system across global operations, and achieving key certifications including ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management), and compliance with ASTM 2920-24 (Environmental Sustainability for Defense Systems and Manufacturing). RESPONSIBILITIES - Strategic Leadership & Organizational Development - Develop and execute a global EHS strategy that supports the rapid growth of defense, maritime, and AI/autonomous manufacturing programs. - Scale the EHS organization across multiple international sites, ensuring regional compliance, consistent standards, and operational excellence. - Coordinate with Security, Legal, and Compliance in all strategic planning, including facility expansion, technology integration, facility and operational controls, and entry into new international markets. - Regulatory Compliance & Certification - Lead efforts to achieve and maintain ISO 14000 and ISO 45001 certifications and ensure compliance with ASTM E2920-24, DoD/NAVSEA standards, ISM, and other applicable defense and maritime environmental and health and safety regulations. - Oversee audit programs, risk assessments, and corrective action plans across all operations, including those integrating AI, robotics, and autonomous technologies. - Operational Excellence & Risk Management - Develop and implement scalable, data-driven EHS management systems. - Drive advanced risk management initiatives. - Oversight of serious incident investigations, regulator engagement, and executive communications. QUALIFICATIONS - Education & Credentials - Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Safety Engineering, Industrial Hygiene, or related field (Master’s preferred). - Professional certifications such as CSP, CIH, CHMM, ICS, PE, or CPEA preferred. - Preferred Experience - Minimum 15+ years of progressive EHS leadership experience in a global EHS program in defense, maritime, shipbuilding, or advanced manufacturing industries. - Experience in high hazard environments including shipbuilding or ship repair, aerospace or defense manufacturing, offshore oil & gas, heavy industrial manufacturing, large-scale energy. - Maritime experience in shipyard safety, pier-side and at-sea testing, vessel commissioning and sea trials. - Experience managing EHS for autonomous or remotely operated systems, robotics or unmanned platforms, complex software-hardware integration. - Proven track record in achieving ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications and ensuring ASTM E2920-24 compliance.d - Proven expertise in offshore EHS and safety compliance, leveraging industry standards such as API recommended practices, ISO 14001/45001, ISM-based safety management systems, and class-verified marine safety and environmental requirements. - Skills & Attributes - Strategic, visionary leadership with deep operational and technical EHS expertise. - Strong understanding of risk management frameworks for autonomous and AI-enabled systems. - Excellent cross-functional collaboration skills across engineering, software, and m