Safety Operations Associate (EHS)

Safety Operations Associate

We grow the world's BEST Strawberries & our Operations team is a major reason why!

Reporting to the Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Manager, the Safety Operations Associate supports Oishii's Environmental, Health & Safety programs through a combination of hands-on field work, daily safety inspections, hazard mitigation, engineering controls, corrective actions, and continuous safety improvements across the facility. This is a highly practical, field-based role requiring a proactive individual who is comfortable working with hand and power tools, installing and maintaining safety equipment, implementing physical safety improvements, performing inspections, and taking ownership of day-to-day safety initiatives. Success in this position requires versatility, initiative, and a willingness to both identify hazards and personally help eliminate them.

What you'll be responsible for:

• Hands-On Safety Improvements: Perform a wide variety of hands-on safety tasks throughout the facility, including installing safety signs, floor markings, protective padding, barriers, cable protection, emergency equipment, and other physical safety improvements using hand and power tools.
• Hazard Mitigation & Corrective Actions: Identify workplace hazards and take ownership of implementing practical corrective actions whenever possible. Complete minor repairs, install engineering controls, and support physical modifications that reduce workplace risks
• Safety Equipment Installation & Maintenance: Install, inspect, organize, maintain, and relocate safety equipment including fire extinguishers, first aid stations, spill kits, eyewash stations, and other safety related equipment and infrastructure.
• Facility Safety Inspections Conduct routine inspections throughout all operational areas, identify unsafe conditions, and promptly eliminate or correct hazards whenever possible. .
• Cross-Functional Field Support: Work closely with Operations, Engineering, Facilities, Maintenance, and contractors to complete safety-related projects, support equipment installations, improve work areas, and assist with day-to-day operational safety needs
• Incident Response & Investigation Support: Respond to workplace incidents, injuries, and near misses. Assist the EHS Manager with investigations, evidence collection, documentation, root cause analysis, and implementation of corrective actions.
• Emergency Preparedness: Support emergency preparedness activities by maintaining emergency equipment, assisting with drills, verifying evacuation routes, and helping ensure the facility remains ready to respond to emergency situations.
• Documentation & Continuous Improvement: Maintain accurate inspection records, safety checklists, corrective action logs, and equipment inventories. Continuously look for opportunities to improve workplace safety, efficiency, and organization through proactive observation and hands-on execution.

Qualifications

Who will love this job: Individuals who identify with our Core Values and exhibit skills within those values will thrive at Oishii.

• One Team, One Fight!

• Ability to quickly shift priorities to meet deadlines and effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, clearly, concisely and with purpose at various levels of the organization.

• Ability to work cross functionally at all levels including across locations, and collaborate with a focus on supporting & understanding the evolving business needs of a startup environment.

• Ability to lead through others and develop teams with a diverse level of experience to succeed.

• Focus.

• Ability to remove obstacles in order to prioritize which could include problem solving, working through ambiguity and using fact based or sound judgment in the absence of process or policy. We are building it, but need to manage through the process with good judgment and a bias for action.

• Ability to synthesize information quickly to aid in the troubleshooting process.

• GSD (Get Sh Done!)

• Possessing an entrepreneurial mindset with the tenacity to develop ideas, process, and policy and implement them rapidly.

• Capable of prioritizing tasks and considering the resources available when doing so.

• A bias for action! Ability to hold yourself accountable and take ownership of driving results that impact company outcomes.

• Track record of effectively handling complex employee relations issues, and addressing sensitive information and difficult situations with tact, discretion, and confidentiality.

What We Look For in a Safety Operations Associate:

• High school diploma or equivalent required (technical/trade school a plus)
• Experience in manufacturing, warehouse, construction, facilities, or maintenance preferred
• Mechanically inclined with basic hand/power tool skills
• Familiarity with workplace safety principles (OSHA 10/30 a plus) and basic food safety/GMP knowledge
• Basic understanding of food safety, sanitation, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is preferred.
• Comfortable with phones, computers and Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Forms) for documentation and tracking
• Comfortable using computers, mobile devices, and Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Forms) to maintain documentation, and track safety data.
• Self-motivated, dependable, and proactive with strong ownership and communication skills.
• Able to perform hands-on work in a fast-paced production environment; experience with automation, robotics, or controlled environment agriculture a plus

Additional Details & Physical Requirements:

This on-site role is located out of our Philipsburg, NJ facility

• Ability to perform the physical demands of the role, including lifting up to 30 lbs, climbing ladders, crouching, kneeling, reaching, stretching, and working safely in active operational environments.
• Comfortable performing hands-on work using basic hand and power tools to install, repair, maintain, and improve safety equipment, signage, barriers, and other workplace safety controls.
• Must not be allergic to bees.

Perks at Oishii:

• Compensation: $20/hr
• Medical, dental, vision, 401(K)
• 100% Employer Paid Life Insurance + Long Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Parental leave, Paid Time Off, Paid Sick Time
• Paid Training
• Office social events including happy hours, events, and parties
• Employee activity groups for basketball players, Yoga Enthusiasts, runners…

About Oishii:

Oishii (which means "delicious" in Japanese) is the innovative company behind the world's largest indoor vertical strawberry farm. On a mission to transform the agriculture industry through the power of smart farming, Oishii harmoniously marries nature with state-of-the-art technology to create the ideal elements-rain, air, heat, light, nourishment and natural bee pollination-for growing in-season produce all year round. Oishii's beloved Omakase, Koyo and Nikko Berries are grown in pesticide-free vertical farms in the U.S. and proudly bear the Non-GMO Project Verified seal. Founded in 2016, Oishii's investors include SPARX Group, NTT, Yaskawa, McWin Capital Partners and Resilience Reserve. Oishii was recognized as one of Fast Company's "World's Most Innovative Companies" in 2022.

Today, Oishii operates farms and research facilities across the United States and Japan, bringing together expertise from both countries to advance the future of agriculture. As a Japanese-founded company with global ambitions, we are building a world-class team dedicated to transforming how premium produce is grown and delivered. For more information, visit www.oishii.com.