Assistant Director, Environmental Health and Safety

Occidental College; Firestone Park (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

Occidental College seeks an Assistant Director of Environmental Health and Safety to advance a safe, compliant, and sustainable campus. You will lead program development, regulatory compliance, training, and risk management across labs, classrooms, and facilities.

Reporting to the AVP of Facilities Management, you will supervise EH&S staff, coordinate audits, manage hazardous materials, and partner with HR on accommodations and safety culture. Strong communication and leadership are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biology or industrial hygiene or equivalent.
• FEMA ICE 100 certified.
• HAZWOPER 24-Hour Operations Level certification or higher within three months.
• Two years of experience in environmental health field.
• Valid California driver’s license.
• Proficiency with MS Office and Google apps; strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• EH&S program management and compliance across campus with OSHA, EPA, and other regs.
• Develop, deliver, and manage EH&S training for faculty, staff, and students.
• Conduct safety inspections and incident investigations; lead corrective actions.
• Collaborate with faculty and lab managers on lab safety and chemical hygiene.
• Support sustainability initiatives and campus environmental stewardship.
• Prepare reports and manage EH&S documentation and budgets.
• Act as EH&S lead during emergencies and drills.

Skills

Leadership

Training ability

Communication

Organization

Detail oriented

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree (Chemistry, Biology or Industrial Hygiene)

FEMA ICE 100 certified

HAZWOPER 24-Hour Operations Level

2 years EH&S experience

Valid CA driver’s license

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Adobe Acrobat

Web Editing

General safety software

Job description

About Occidental College

Founded in 1887, Occidental is a nationally recognized, privatecollege of the liberal arts and sciences, dedicated to providing agifted and diverse group of students with a total educationalexperience of the highest quality -- one that prepares them forleadership in an increasingly complex, interdependent andpluralistic world.

What makes Occidental special? An intellectually rigorous academicenvironment. Small classroom settings where students collaboratewith professors and their peers while pursuing or discovering theirpassion. A beautiful residential campus that offers studentshands-on engagement with the cultural and intellectual resources ofLos Angeles. A community open to stimulating conversation anddivergent points of view. Some 2,100 students from 46 states and 28countries choose from 41 majors and minors and participate in onethe country’s top undergraduate research programs. Oxy studentsroutinely win top awards and fellowships; its first Rhodes Scholarwas named in 1907. Dedicated to excellence and equity, Occidentalalso is one of the country’s most economically diverse campuses,according to the New York Times. Some 71 percent of Oxy studentsreceive some form of financial aid; 20 percent are Pell Grantrecipients; and 19 percent are the first in their family to attendcollege

Title:

Assistant Director, Environmental Health and Safety

Department:

Environmental Health and Safety

Duration:

Indefinite

Employment Status:

Exempt, Full-Time

Job Summary

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President, Facilities Management, the Assistant Director of Environmental Health and Safety promotesa safe, healthy, and environmentally responsible campus by managingcompliance, training, and risk management programs across academic, residential, and operational areas. The Assistant Director ensurescompliance with federal, state, and local regulations whilefostering a culture of safety that aligns with the College’smission.

Job Duties

• 35% - EH&S Program Management and Compliance -Develop, implement, and maintain programs to ensure compliance withOSHA, EPA, Cal/OSHA, CUPA, AQMD, and other applicable regulations.Manage hazardous waste disposal, chemical safety, indoor airquality, and environmental reporting. Maintain accurate records,permits, and documentation for audits and inspections. Directtraining for a variety of EH&S programs, including the Injuryand Illness Prevention Program, Hazard Communication, ChemicalHygiene Plan, Exposure Control, Lockout/Tagout, Confined Space, andRespiratory Protection. Oversee the inspection, testing, andmaintenance of fire and life safety systems, including fire alarms,sprinklers, suppression systems, stored electrical systems, firehydrants, and wet standpipes. Supervise regular inspections ofemergency response equipment to ensure proper function, includingemergency showers/eyewash stations, emergency lighting, and fireextinguishers. Collaborate with Human Resources to manage ergonomicassessments and disability accommodations for employees. Managecampus mold, lead, and asbestos surveys, records, and abatementefforts. Supervise and direct part-time workers, including studentemployees. - (Essential)
• 15% - Training, Outreach, and Education - Develop anddeliver EH&S training for faculty, staff, and students (e.g.,lab safety, hazardous materials handling, emergency response).Support departments in understanding and applying safety practices.Promote a campus-wide culture of safety through education andeffective communication. - (Essential)
• 15% - Risk Assessment and Incident Response - Conductsafety inspections, hazard assessments, and job safety analyses.Lead or assist in the investigation of accidents, incidents, andnear-misses; recommend corrective actions. Serve as a resource foremergency response planning and drills (e.g., fire, chemicalspills, earthquakes). - (Essential)
• 15% - Laboratory and Research Safety - Collaborate withfaculty and lab managers to ensure laboratory safety protocols areestablished and followed. Manage chemical hygiene plans, fume hoodcertifications, and laboratory waste disposal procedures. Supportcompliance with Institutional Biosafety and Chemical Hygieneregulations. - (Essential)
• 10% - Sustainability, Environmental Stewardship, and CampusCollaboration - Partner with sustainability and facilitiesteams on programs that reduce environmental impact. Supportinitiatives such as energy efficiency, waste reduction, and greenpurchasing. Assist in integrating EH&S principles into broadercampus planning and operations. - (Essential)
• 5% - Administrative and Reporting Duties - Preparereports for internal leadership and regulatory agencies. MaintainEH&S documentation systems and software platforms. ManageEH&S budget planning and procurement for safety equipment andsupplies. - (Essential)
• 5% - Emergency Management and Preparedness - Serve as akey stakeholder on the College’s Emergency Response Team (ERT),contributing to preparedness planning and response coordination.Assist in developing and maintaining emergency plans, businesscontinuity procedures, and disaster response protocols. Act as theEH&S representative during emergencies or major incidents -(Essential)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Biology or Industrial Hygieneor equivalent combination of experience and education.
• FEMA ICE 100 certified.
• HAZWOPER 24-Hour Operations Level certification or higher ormust be obtained within three months of employment.
• Two years of experience in the environmental health field.
• Valid California driver’s license and must be able to maintainthe College’s designated driver status.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel,PowerPoint), Google drives/folders/forms, Adobe Acrobat, WebEditing, and social media applications or any combination ofproductivity programs applicable to position responsibilities.
• Demonstrated ability to be detail-oriented and thorough;skilled at anticipating and preventing potential problems andhandling a wide variety of tasks with efficiency and accuracy.
• Strong commitment to a quality work product.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate verbally, inwriting and electronically.
• Effective interpersonal skills as evidenced in the ability tocollaborate with a variety of constituencies.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, inclusion &diversity.
• Demonstrated skill in adapting to and performing workeffectively in high-volume, high accountability, confidentialenvironment with multiple and changing priorities.
• Effective organizational, logistical, time management andplanning skills with the ability to manage and prioritize multipletasks/projects simultaneously, prioritize and fulfill the functionsof an office in a timely manner.
• Ability to self-motivate and work independently.
• Ability to provide effective leadership and training, and towork effectively and professionally across functions, disciplines,levels, and with diverse groups

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in chemistry, Biology or IndustrialHygiene.
• Advanced FEMA NIMMS training, demonstrating proficiency inemergency management and response coordination.

EXPECTED HIRING RANGE: $70,304/yr-$92,000/yr

If you are offered this position at Occidental College, your finalbase salary compensation will be determined based on factorssuchas skills, education, experience, and/or geographic location. Inaddition to those factors, Occidental complies with applicable payequity laws and considers internal equity among current employeeswhen developing the final offer. Please keep in mind that the rangementioned above is the base salary range for the role. Hiring atthe maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow forfuture and continued salary growth. We also offer a generouscompensation and benefits package.