Overview:
The EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) Manager – Japan is responsible for establishing, implementing, and managing EHS programs in compliance with Japanese regulatory requirements and corporate standards.
This role supports all Waters sites (except manufacturing) across various cities within Japan, and plays a key role in building and strengthening EHS systems in a business environment where dedicated EHS resources are limited. This role will be based in Waters Tokyo office.
The EHS Manager will ensure legal compliance under Japanese regulations while working closely with internal stakeholders and external service providers to promote a strong safety culture, occupational health management, and sustainable operations.
Responsibilities:
Key Responsibilities:
1. Regulatory Compliance Management
- Ensure compliance with Japanese environmental, occupational health, and workplace safety regulations
- Interpret and implement requirements under:
- Industrial Safety and Health Act (ISHA)
- Fire Service Act
- Air Pollution Control Act
- Water Pollution Control Act
- Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act
- PRTR Law (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register)
- Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL)
- Liaise with local authorities, labor bureaus, environmental agencies, and fire departments
- Maintain permits, licenses, inspections, and statutory reporting
2. Occupational Health & Safety Management
- Develop and implement site safety programs
- Conduct workplace risk assessments (Method Statement / JSA)
- Investigate incidents, near misses, and occupational injuries
- Implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)
- Monitor contractor safety and permit-to-work systems
- Manage emergency response and evacuation planning
- Lead safety committees and toolbox meetings
- Manage ISO 45001 Safety Management Systems (if any)
3. Environmental Management
- Monitor emissions, waste management, wastewater discharge, and chemical handling
- Ensure proper hazardous waste segregation and disposal
- Track environmental KPIs and sustainability targets
- Support carbon reduction and ESG initiatives
- Manage ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems (if any)
4. Health Management
- Lead & coordinate employee medical surveillance and annual health checks
- Lead & manage industrial hygiene exposure programs
- Lead & manage stress check compliance (mandatory in Japan)
- Coordinate ergonomics and mental wellness initiatives
- Work with occupational physicians (産業医 / Sangyoi)
5. EHS Management Systems & Audits
- Implement and maintain the following ISO systems (if any):
- ISO 14001
- ISO 45001
- Conduct internal audits and support external certification audits
- Develop SOPs, risk registers, and compliance documentation
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives
- Lead and manage external HSE compliance audits
6. Training and Safety Culture
- Conduct EHS induction training
- Deliver emergency drills and fire response exercises
- Train employees on hazardous materials, lockout/tagout, biosafety, risk assessment, etc.
- Promote behavioural safety and safety culture programs – BBS Awareness Training, Safety Observer Training, Good Catch / Near miss initiatives
7. Reporting & Stakeholder Coordination
- Prepare EHS reports for management and regional/global HQ
- Coordinate with commercial, operations, HR, legal, and facilities teams
- Support customer audits and insurance inspections
8. Regional Collaboration
- Align EHS strategies and share best practices within APAC/GRC region
- Participate in regional EHS initiatives and continuous improvement programs
- Support standardization of EHS processes across the region
- Support facility management related tasks where required
- Any other EHS/ESG related task as assigned by the Supervisor
Qualifications:
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Science, Engineering, or related field;
- At least 6+ years of EHS-related experience (laboratory, manufacturing, or corporate environment preferred).
- Professional Certifications such as Safety Officer, Hazardous Materials Handler, ISO 14001/45001 Lead Auditors, NEBOSH, Certified Safety Professional (CSP) preferred;
- Prior experience in laboratory Bio-Safety (BSL-2,3,4) management;
Competency & Skills:
- English literacy – Able to speak and write in fluent English language;
- Strong documentation and reporting discipline;
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a resource-limited environment;
- Practical, logical and hands-on problem-solving approach;
- Ability to work effectively with indirect resources & stakeholders (external parties, other internal BUs)
- Able to perform regional travel as and when required
Company Description:
Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) is a global leader in life sciences and diagnostics, dedicated to accelerating the benefits of pioneering science through analytical technologies, informatics, and service. With a focus on regulated, high-volume testing environments, our innovative portfolio harnesses deep scientific expertise across chemistry, physics, and biology. We collaborate with customers around the world to advance the release of effective, high-quality medicines, ensure the safety of food and water, and drive better patient outcomes by detecting diseases earlier, managing routine infections, and combating antibiotic resistance. Through a shared culture of relentless innovation, our passionate team of ~16,000 colleagues turn scientific challenges into breakthroughs that improve lives worldwide.
Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our core values at Waters Corporation. It benefits our employees, our products, our customers and our community. Waters complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to sex, race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, marital status (including civil unions), military service, veteran status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, legally recognized disability, domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Waters is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.
