Environmental & Sustainability Engineer
Who We Are:
Challenge Manufacturing’s mission is to manufacture with operational excellence by empowering our employee-owners. As a leading tier 1 supplier of complex metal assemblies for the global automotive industry, we drive innovative solutions for future mobility. We believe the best ideas come from individual unique perspectives. These ideas combined with the teamwork of industry leaders allow us to accomplish any challenge. Our team members take pride in the work we do and embody our core values of safety, ownership, and teamwork every day; they are the true driving force in our operations.
Challenge is proud to be one of the largest employee-owned automotive companies in North America. One of the many benefits of joining the Challenge team is the ESOP program. This program allows Challenge to give shares of the Company to all employee-owners annually. These shares are an additional retirement benefit that will continue to grow during your time at Challenge. Being part of an ESOP means our employee-owners share in Challenge’s success!
Challenge is #QualityDriven and #PeoplePowered!
Who We Want:
The Environmental & Sustainability Officer ensures Challenge Manufacturing’s full compliance with Federal, State, Local, and Tier 1 automotive customer environmental and sustainability requirements. This role leads the design, implementation, and oversight of programs that minimize environmental risk, ensure operational readiness, and align with OEM customer expectations, IATF 16949 principles, and ISO 14001 & 45001 standards across multiple U.S. facilities.
The Officer partners directly with plant leadership, corporate EHS, and senior management to develop strategic sustainability initiatives that support both regulatory compliance and long-term corporate environmental goals. This role is ideal for a hands-on professional who combines regulatory expertise, strategic vision, and Tier 1 manufacturing experience.
What You'll Do:
- Lead and manage environmental compliance and sustainability programs across multi-state, high-volume automotive manufacturing facilities.
- Develop, implement, and maintain systems that ensure full compliance with EPA, DEQ, OSHA, and customer-specific environmental standards.
- Direct investigations into environmental concerns, incidents, or customer findings; implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) to prevent recurrence.
- Serve as the ISO 14001 Management Representative and lead certification, surveillance, and improvement activities.
- Oversee and validate all required reporting, including Tier II, SARA 313, TSCA, Form R, hazardous waste manifests, and stormwater reports.
- Lead internal and external environmental audits, including those conducted by OEMs or government agencies.
- Support new program launches by reviewing process and material changes for environmental compliance and sustainability impacts.
- Champion corporate sustainability initiatives, including carbon reduction (Scope 1–3), waste minimization, energy management, and recycling programs.
- Partner with the EHS Director and executive leadership to create and communicate long-range sustainability strategies that align with customer scorecards and OEM sustainability requirements.
- Benchmark key environmental performance indicators (KPIs) and communicate performance results to leadership and stakeholders.
- Develop and deliver environmental and sustainability training to all levels of the organization, driving awareness and ownership.
- Stay current with emerging regulatory changes, industry trends, and customer sustainability frameworks (REACH, RoHS, EU directives, CDP, etc.).
- Build and maintain strong relationships with regulatory agencies, local communities, and Tier 1/OEM environmental representatives.
When and Where:
This position is located at our Corporate Office in Walker, MI.
Occasionally, this may require you to arrive early, stay late, or work on weekends, outside of our regular hours, to ensure we successfully meet customer needs, deadlines, or urgent requests.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, environmental or chemical engineering, or a related technical field.
- Minimum 5–10 years of experience in environmental and sustainability program leadership within a Tier 1 automotive manufacturing environment.
- Proven understanding of EPA, DEQ, and local environmental regulations (air, water, waste, stormwater).
- Hands-on experience with environmental permitting, SARA reporting, TSCA, Tier II, and hazardous waste management.
- Certified ISO 14001/45001 Lead Auditor with demonstrated experience maintaining system certifications.
- Knowledge of IATF 16949 environmental linkages and customer-specific sustainability expectations.
- Strong communication, analytical, and leadership skills with the ability to influence across multiple facilities.
- Must be comfortable in both office and plant-floor environments (with PPE as required).
- Willing and able to travel 50–75% to support audits, site visits, and program implementation.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Prior experience representing a Tier 1 supplier during OEM or regulatory environmental audits.
- Familiarity with global sustainability frameworks, including REACH, RoHS, ISO 50001, and GHG Protocol.
- Experience developing carbon neutrality roadmaps, energy reduction projects, or landfill diversion initiatives.
- Advanced certification such as Certified Environmental Professional (EP) or Certified Sustainability Practitioner (CSP).
- Demonstrated success driving continuous improvement and cross-functional sustainability initiatives within an automotive context.
What We Offer:
We’re excited to offer a range of awesome benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a Health Savings Account with annual employer contributions, Flexible Spending Accounts, company-paid Short-Term Disability and Basic Life Insurance, Voluntary Life and Long-Term Disability options, an Employer 401k Match, ESOP shares, tuition reimbursement, a Referral Bonus Program, Challenge Incentive Program, and paid time off.
Please note, while these benefits are part of what we offer, they may not all apply to this specific role. The details shared in this job description are intended to give you a general idea, but duties and responsibilities may evolve over time, with or without notice. And of course, we’re happy to provide reasonable accommodations to help individuals with disabilities succeed in their role.
