The Senior Specialist, Research Safety position is part of the Research Safety Division of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS). This position reports to the Associate Director of Research Safety and is responsible for the daily execution of laboratory safety programs. The position is primarily based on the Medical Campus while remaining flexible in assignments across all areas and departments served by EHS. While promoting a culture of safety, this position is responsible for wide range of research safety programs including; required safety inspections, reviewing construction and design plans, conducting risk assessments of research experiments, reviewing activities involving hazardous materials (biologicals, recombinant DNA, hazardous chemicals, toxic gases, controlled substances), developing emergency action plans, developing and delivering health & safety training, providing training and facilitating the shipping of biological materials and chemicals, conducting incident investigations, and facilitating regulatory inspections.
The Opportunity:
- Join a face-paced work environment providing service across all university and hospital operations.
- Be part of a diverse EHS team with over 500 years of combined experience across all EHS disciplines.
- Collaboratively work with other departments to develop and implement safety plans.
- Have the benefits of working within a large university, which includes generous medical, dental, retirement, and tuition remission benefits. See link to tuition remission information. https://www.bu.edu/hr/learningbu/tuition-remission/
- Salary and position level are commensurate with the candidate’s educational background, training and experience
Job Responsibilities:
- Promote the university’s culture of safety.
- Conduct health and safety inspections and risk assessments of research activities in Boston University Medical Campus research and teaching laboratories including at Boston Medical Center.
- Conduct follow-up inspections to ensure identified safety and compliance issues are resolved.
- Assess risks associated with hazardous chemicals, biologicals, recombinant DNA, hazardous toxic gases, and controlled substances. including
- Conduct incident investigations.
- Report inspection and incident information using an EHS information management system to analyze data for tracking and trending, and risk mitigation.
- Implement, evaluate, and continually improve health and safety programs and assess compliance.
- Conduct health and safety training.
- Provide training on and facilitate the shipping of biological materials and chemicals used in research.
- Collaboratively review laboratory construction and design plans with project teams.
- Participate in regulatory site inspections with local, state, and federal inspectors.
Required Skills
- B.A./B.S. in a related field. Direct experience may substitute for a degree.
- 3-5 years of environmental health and safety experience for the Specialist level position (grade 47); 5+ years of related experience for the Senior Specialist level position (grade 48) or a Master’s degree and 3+ years of experience.
- Experience in conducting health and safety audits.
- Familiarity with building code and systems.
- Experience with regulatory inspectors.
- OSHA HAZWOPER 40-hour Certification.
- Valid driver’s license.
- Basic computer skills (business systems, Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Proficient communicator and safety trainer.
- Successful completion of a pre-placement physical.
Preferred Experience
- Works towards an advanced degree in related field.
- Health and safety experience in the academic, research, or healthcare industry.
- A health and safety certification (ASP, CSP, CHSP, CIH, CHMM).
- Experience in laboratory facilities.
- Experience in laboratory safety regulations, standards, and best practices.
- Experience in compliance inspections with external regulators.
- Experience in incident and accident investigations.
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.
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Required Experience