Environmental Compliance and Hazardous Materials Manager

Cornell University; City of Ithaca (NY); On-site; USD 113,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care options

Retirement contributions

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Cornell University is seeking an Environmental Compliance and Hazardous Materials Manager to lead the EHS program for hazardous waste across campus and related facilities. You will oversee contracts, regulatory filings, and documentation, while guiding staff and contracted services.

The role requires a PE-level oversight mindset with strong regulatory knowledge, project leadership, and collaboration with external agencies. Ithaca-based position with comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering with an environmental focus required.
• 5–7 years of experience in environmental compliance, remediation, or related fields.
• Experience with regulatory permits, reports, and site audits.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience and project management.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work with external agencies.
• Valid NYS driver’s license and potential for HazMat oversight.

Responsibilities

• Supervise staff and contractors for hazardous waste handling and disposal across campus.
• Provide strategic and operational oversight for chemical, biological, and radiological waste.
• Oversee regulatory deliverables, permits, renewals, and compliance documentation.
• Develop metrics and ensure audit readiness and accountability.
• Serve as Engineer of Record for remediation sites and provide engineering oversight.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Excellent communication

Microsoft Office Suite

Supervisory experience

External agencies liaison

Regulatory knowledge

Driver's license NYS

Hazardous materials expertise

Education

Bachelors in engineering with environmental focus

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Environmental Compliance and Hazardous Materials Manager

Cornell University is widely admired as one of the world’s most respected research and teaching institutions. The Department of Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) provides comprehensive programs and services to support healthy, safe, and environmentally responsible practices for our world-class faculty, staff, students, and university community. EHS assists the campus community with compliance and promotes health, safety, and environmental stewardship.

The Environmental Compliance & Hazardous Materials Manager will supervise and manage the staff and contractor services for hazardous waste handling and disposal for the entire university and outlying facilities. Provide strategic operational and technical oversight to develop, implement, and ensure processes are in place where chemical, biological, and radiological waste is legally and safely managed across campus. Select and manage the contracts for the safe and legal disposition of hazardous waste. Oversee and develop submission of regulatory deliverables (permits and renewals, compliance reports, etc.) and maintain comprehensive documentation to ensure compliance, audit readiness, and accurate accountability. Collection & compilation of appropriate metrics to support program operations & compliance. Schedule staff to ensure the campus waste program is adequate to satisfy business processes and legal requirements. Ensure adequate handling and storage facilities are available and properly maintained. Serve as a backup member to the hazardous materials technicians and waste operations. Respond to hazardous materials emergencies.

Provide primary engineering and operational oversight for the chemical and radiological remediation sites in the Town of Lansing. Provide overall management of closed chemical and radioactive waste disposal sites and associated groundwater remediation systems. Work with operations and maintenance personnel to meet regulatory requirements, budgetary requirements, and other annual goals and objectives for the sites. Work with external regulatory agencies to negotiate and determine ongoing regulatory requirements and ensure goals and objectives for the sites are met. When applicable, work with private consultants, negotiate scope, fees, and schedule, and work with the Contracts and Capital Projects Office and/or Procurement to enter into professional agreements with the same. Serve as Engineer of Record for the remediation sites and provide engineering oversight and signatory support, or coordinate to obtain PE signatory as required. Serve as a backup to site operations and maintenance personnel.

Supervise hazardous waste staff, inactive hazardous waste site manager, and environmental program specialist for chemical and petroleum bulk storage. Duties involve managing staff activities, delegation of assignments, coaching, staff development, and advising staff on proper actions to take and encouraging teamwork for enhanced provision of services in all areas of responsibility. Ensures that staff maintain active direction and management of EHS programs. Conducts an annual Personal Dialogue and prepares an Individual Development Plan.

Provides time-critical project support for assessment of required environmental design and approvals. Provides technical and regulatory analyses for projects as a member of a project team. Analysis types may include, but are not limited to, project waste hazard assessments, storm-water design calculations, sanitary discharge calculations, and air impact analyses. Project managers will include both members of the assigned office (EHS) and numerous other Cornell entities. Review proposed projects to determine applicability vis-à-vis environmental and EH&S requirements. Assess the comprehensive environmental aspects and compliance status of university facilities, projects, and operations. Provide timely documentation of such assessments.

Develop and lead the University Solid and Hazardous Waste and Petroleum and Chemical Storage compliance programs. Responsible for developing, implementing, maintaining, and promoting policies and procedures for these programs, and strategic training and education initiatives to university personnel regarding these environmental compliance program areas and EHS requirements, as needed. Work effectively with responsible managers/stakeholders/staff to ensure continuous compliance with applicable laws and regulations and to anticipate potential changes in order to maintain compliant university operations. Collaborate with other university departments and units to integrate these policies and procedures and leverage campus efforts to promote environmental, health, and safety programs to the Cornell University Community in a manner consistent with fiscal and environmental stewardship.

Respond to and oversee hazardous materials emergencies. Serves as a member of Cornell University’s EHS incident response team, providing support as a subject matter expert for incidents both during and after normal work hours. Participates in hazardous materials drills and training exercises. This position also serves as a member of EHS’s hazardous materials emergency spill response team, requiring 40-hour HAZWOPER training, hands‑on training, on‑site field experience, and annual 8-hour refresher training. Must be capable of serving as a Hazmat Technician/Specialist, mitigating hazardous materials releases, and completing HAZWOPER supervisor training.

Campus Collaboration: Stakeholders include facility and project managers, the Environmental Health & Safety Department, Cornell administration, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the US Environmental Protection Agency and other local, state, and federal agencies.

While position responsibilities vary greatly, the Skills for Success and Leadership Skills for Success are foundational to what is expected of every employee and leader working at Cornell. These skills are essential for individual and organizational success. Staff Skills for Success; Leadership Skills for Success

We are a value‑based organization where all employees are accountable for supporting the organization’s values of truth, respect, excellence, teamwork, and integrity. Facilities and Campus Services employees are required to attend staff development trainings and participate in the performance evaluation process.

We require these qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering with an environmental focus required.
• 5-7 years of experience required, or equivalent combination with an applicable advanced degree, demonstrated experience in site remediation, wastewater and industrial pre‑treatment programs, storm water permitting and inspections, and project management.
• Demonstrated use of Microsoft Office Suite products, at a minimum, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
• Proven track record of completing work on time and within budget.
• Two (2) years of supervisory experience.
• Experience working directly with external agencies.
• Strong working knowledge of applicable environmental regulations (EPA, NYSDEC, DOT, OSHA, NFPA, etc.)
• Must possess and maintain a valid NYS Driver’s License. Out-of-state employees must obtain and show proof of a NYS license within 30 days of starting employment.
• Ability to obtain a valid NYS commercial driver license with hazmat endorsement
• Ability to pass a pre‑employment physical and be medically cleared to wear respiratory protection equipment and other personal protective equipment for hazardous materials emergency responder work.
• OSHA 40‑hour HAZWOPER certification, annual 8 hr. refresher, 8 hr. HAZWOPER supervisor training.
• RCRA hazardous waste training
• DOT hazardous materials transportation and shipping training
• Demonstrated skill in understanding cultural differences.

You will be a top candidate with our preferred qualifications:

• New York State‑registered Professional Engineer (or ability to obtain same within 6 months).
• Work for a corporate environmental office, an environmental consulting firm, or a regulatory agency.
• Experience leading teams and managing projects involving environmental compliance activities.
• Ability to write corrective action plans.
• Interpret environmental regulations and apply them to compliance assurance at university facilities.
• Specific interest and demonstrated experience in environmental projects; demonstrated ability to produce technically sound documentation and communicate results regarding complex environmental assessment processes.
• Interest in developing a stewardship relationship with Cornell campus and its community.
• Experience with computation programs for air emissions and storm‑water calculations would be of benefit to this position.

Rewards and Benefits:

• This position is based in Ithaca, New York.
• Cornell receives national recognition as an award‑winning workplace for our health, well‑being, sustainability, and diversity initiatives.
• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell .
• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end‑of‑year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions, we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell
• Cornell’s impressive educational benefits include tuition‑free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children’s Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position. Relocation assistance will not be provided for this position.

University Job Title:

Environmental Compliance and Hazardous Materials Manager

Job Family:

Facilities & Safety Services

Level:

G

Pay Rate Type:

Salary

Pay Range:

$112,825.00 - $137,897.00

Remote Option Availability:

Onsite

Company:

Endowed

Contact Name:

Sara Capalongo

Contact Email:

[e-mail]

Job Titles and Pay Ranges:

Non-Union Positions

Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience

• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position

• Unique applicable skills

• Academic Discipline

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About Us

Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. With our main campus located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell's far‑flung global presence includes the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, as well as the Cornell Tech campus located on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.

We offer a rich array of services, programs and benefits to help employees advance in their career and enhance the quality of personal life, including: employee wellness, workshops, childcare and adoption assistance, parental leave, flexible work options.