Biosafety Specialist

Virginia Commonwealth University; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Tuition benefits

Retirement planning

Well-being resources

Job summary

Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia is seeking a Biosafety Specialist to ensure compliance with federal and state biosafety requirements, review research protocols, and inspect facilities. This role collaborates with researchers, provides biosafety training, and supports institutional safety programs to foster a strong safety culture.

The specialist will participate in committees such as IACUC and IBC, review protocols for new research involving biohazardous agents, and help

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in physical or biological sciences or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge of governmental licensing and credentialing requirements for research with biohazards is preferred.
• Proficient writing and reporting skills for inspection documents and other compliance materials.
• Experience with laboratory safety and health concerns related to biohazards is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Conduct annual inspections of university laboratory facilities and review new protocols for compliance and safety.
• Interface with principal investigators, lab staff, and animal care personnel.
• Provide biosafety training through in-person inspections and online platforms.
• Support respirator training, hazardous waste management, and incident response procedures.
• Serve on safety committees (IACUC, IBC) and contribute to safety initiatives.
• Review new research involving biohazards and animal studies for regulatory precursors.

Skills

Communication skills

Customer service

On-call availability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in physical or biological sciences

Tools

MS Office

Google Suite

Job description

Advertising Summary

VCU has an exciting opportunity for a Biosafety Specialist! This position plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the university maintains compliance with federal and state requirements that apply to research involving biohazardous agents, rDNA, and hazardous chemicals. The Biosafety Specialist conducts laboratory biosafety oversight by inspecting facilities, reviewing research protocols, training personnel, supporting institutional safety programs and committees, and collaborating with researchers to ensure regulatory compliance and a strong safety culture.

Unit: Occupational Health & Safety

Department: Occupational Health & Safety

Responsibilities

Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) partners with the VCU community to promote and facilitate a positive, campus-wide attitude of safety excellence and environmental stewardship to protect university assets and reduce risks. The primary mission of Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Health & Safety is to advance and support a safe and healthy environment at VCU and VCU Health through surveys, consultation, teaching, advising, auditing and environmental monitoring. As the University liaison for safety and compliance we work with outside agencies and organizations to address all applicable standards.

• Conduct comprehensive inspections of university laboratory facilities on an annual basis and review new research protocols to identify potential compliance and safety issues and provide recommendations for correction.
• Interface heavily with principal investigators, laboratory staff, and animal husbandry workers.
• Provide training through direct interaction during facility inspections and through platform and virtual instructional courses, ensuring that university staff and students are adequately versed in the fundamentals of laboratory biosafety.
• Provide support to other OHS programs including respirator training/fit-testing, hazardous waste management, laboratory closeout procedures, and response to incidents involving biological, rDNA, and/or hazardous chemical agents.
• Serve as a member and/or OHS representative on multiple safety‑oriented committees and subcommittees, including the Institutional Animal Care Committee (IACUC), Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), and play a vital role in strategic committee initiatives.
• Review institutional protocols for new research involving biohazardous agents, rDNA, and animal studies involving chemical and/or biological hazards.
• Ensure documentation of all specific regulatory pre‑approval (NIH, CDC, DoD, et al.) is included within the proposal package.
• Conduct Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) reviews in collaboration with the Office of Research (OVPRI) to ensure that hazardous materials are registered accordingly to ensure regulatory compliance and a safe work environment.
• Serve as instructor for biosafety training courses.
• Maintain accurate records, inspection reports, and training data using shared drives, spreadsheets, and the EHS‑OHS management system (e.g., SciShield).
• Respond to incidents involving chemical and biohazardous agents.
• Promote a positive safety culture by learning about VCU’s research programs and using a risk‑based approach to safety evaluations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in physical or biological sciences or equivalent experience.
• Basic understanding or ability to learn governmental licensing and credentialing agency requirements applicable to research involving biohazardous agents.
• Considerable knowledge and experience using up‑to‑date software programs and possession of technical writing skills required for producing inspection reports and other documents.
• Experience with laboratory procedures and health and safety concerns involving potentially biohazardous agents.
• Ability to provide on‑call coverage during off hours, weekends, and holidays as designated.
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Demonstrated excellent customer service skills.
• Proficient skills in MS Office and Google Suite.
• Possess a valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3–5 years related work experience
• Registered Biological Safety Professional (ABSA) Certification
• Certification in 40‑hour HAZWOPER course

Salary Range: $55,000 – $68,000

Benefits: All full‑time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax‑deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well‑being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: No

Flexible Work Arrangement: Fully Onsite

University Job Title: 16211N - Specialist ES 1

Contact Information

Contact Name: Bryce Fountain
Contact Email: [e-mail]