Senior Director – Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE)

Position: Senior Director – Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE)

Organization: Eli Lilly and Company

Location: Katwijk, Netherlands

Work arrangement: On-site

Employment type: Full-time

Industry: Pharmaceutical manufacturing

Company overview

Eli Lilly and Company is a global healthcare organization involved in the discovery, development and manufacturing of medicines. The company is expanding its European manufacturing capacity through a new facility in the Katwijk area, near Leiden Bio Science Park. The project forms part of its broader manufacturing investment and aims to support the production of medicines across several therapeutic areas.

Role overview and responsibilities

The Senior Director will lead the site's Health, Safety and Environmental function, helping establish the systems, standards and culture required for safe, compliant and reliable manufacturing operations.

The position involves:

Developing and implementing the site's EHS strategy, objectives, priorities and budget.

Leading occupational health, industrial hygiene, process safety and environmental compliance.

Ensuring compliance with applicable Dutch and European health, safety and environmental legislation.

Supporting the facility through design, construction, commissioning and operational start-up.

Establishing robust EHS management systems, risk controls and performance-monitoring processes.

Overseeing process safety risks, including those associated with solvent management.

Working closely with site leadership and cross-functional teams to embed safety and environmental responsibility into operational decisions.

Building a proactive safety culture and ensuring that EHS considerations remain central to the site's long-term performance.

Leadership expectations

This is a senior site-leadership position requiring strategic direction, sound risk-based decision-making and the ability to influence operational priorities. The successful candidate would be expected to lead the EHS function, establish clear performance expectations, develop effective systems and work with senior stakeholders to ensure that safety, environmental compliance and operational readiness remain aligned.

The role also requires the ability to guide teams through the challenges associated with establishing and commissioning a new manufacturing facility.

Qualifications and experience

The published specification seeks a candidate with:

A bachelor's or master's degree in engineering or a related discipline.

At least seven years of progressive EHS experience in pharmaceutical or chemical manufacturing.

Strong knowledge of Dutch and European EHS legislation.

Experience with major capital projects, greenfield facilities or manufacturing start-up activities.

Process safety experience, including solvent management.

Strong leadership, stakeholder-management and communication capabilities.

Fluency in English; Dutch proficiency is advantageous.

Professional qualifications such as CSP, CMIOSH or an equivalent credential are preferred.

Compensation and benefits

A third-party listing has reported a salary range of €180,000–€240,000. However, I have not verified this range directly with the employer, and the official vacancy does not confirm the complete compensation package.

Given your stated current compensation of €240,000, I would want to establish whether there is scope for a package that meets your expectations before treating this as a financially suitable move. Details regarding bonuses, pension arrangements, relocation assistance and other benefits would also need to be confirmed.

Strategic priorities and potential relevance

The immediate priorities of this position are to establish a strong EHS framework for the new facility, manage risks during construction and commissioning, maintain regulatory compliance, and create a safety-focused culture capable of supporting sustainable manufacturing operations.

Your experience in HSE&Q management, quality systems, auditing and environmental standards provides relevant points of connection with the role's responsibilities. Nevertheless, the pharmaceutical manufacturing environment differs from your stated preference for the chemical industry, so I would like you to consider that distinction carefully.

Roelant, kindly review the job description and company information and let me know whether the responsibilities, location and overall direction of the opportunity are of interest to you. In particular, I would appreciate your thoughts on whether you would consider a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment, given your preference for the chemical industry.

I recognize that compensation is an important consideration, and I would not want to suggest that this opportunity meets your minimum requirement until the package has been verified.

Thank you again for your openness and trust. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.