Health, Safety, and Environment Lead

UL Research Institutes; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 123,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus program

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401k match

Paid time off

Flexible work

Job summary

UL Research Institutes seeks a Health, Safety, and Environment Lead for the Skokie, IL office. You will serve as the subject matter expert and embedded safety lead for MDRI operations, providing advanced technical guidance on safety, risk management, and compliance across research, laboratory, and pilot-scale activities.

You will partner with researchers, engineers, Facilities, and corporate HSE teams to integrate safety requirements into work planning, training, and execution, while fostering a

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related safety/science field.
• Minimum of 8 years of professional HSE experience in a research, lab, or R&D environment.
• Experience with OSHA regulations and safety program delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead, support, and document key HSE activities across MDRI operations.
• Lead hazard identification, risk assessments, and risk-control strategies.
• Conduct operational readiness reviews for controls and training.
• Investigate incidents and drive corrective actions.
• Partner with leadership, researchers, facilities, and vendors to integrate HSE requirements.
• Develop and deliver HSE training and safety communications.
• Oversee safe facility, laboratory, and contractor operations.
• Lead HSE compliance and management systems with inspections and audits.
• Promote a positive safety culture and proactive intervention.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Occupational safety

Industrial hygiene

Environmental compliance

Laboratory safety

Risk assessment

Staff training

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related safety/science

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description We have an exciting opportunity for a Health, Safety, and Environment Lead at UL Research Institutes, based in our Skokie, IL office. The Health, Safety, and Environment Lead will be responsible for serving as the subject matter expert and embedded safety lead for UL Materials Discovery Research Institute (MDRI) research, laboratory, engineering, and pilot-scale operations. The role provides advanced technical expertise and strategic guidance on complex HSE matters, partnering across functions to proactively identify risks, influence operational decisions, and implement best practices that support safe, compliant, and efficient research activities. The position operates with a high degree of autonomy and serves as a trusted advisor to researchers, engineers, Facilities, and leadership on HSE programs, policies, and risk management initiatives.

UL Research Institutes: At UL Research Institutes (ULRI), we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking the tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge. Build a safer, more secure, and sustainable future with us. Join us and work with our Chemical Insights Research Institute, teams who conduct the research required to produce that knowledge and put it into practice.

Materials Discovery Research Institute: The Materials Discovery Research Institute (MDRI) works to develop and deploy new materials with the potential to address current global safety challenges. Pursuing materials that will help produce transformational safety breakthroughs, MDRI harnesses the power of advanced computing and high-throughput experimental methods to create innovative materials that will produce resilience for a sustainable future and protect individual and societal health. We focus on today’s critical challenges, working to create new and better materials that will support renewable energy and environmental sustainability. Among our top priorities is research into materials capable of carbon capture and energy storage, with an eye toward reducing the adverse impacts of humanity’s reliance upon fossil fuel resources and enabling a transition to renewable energy sources. Above all, our research builds on our commitment to a safer, more sustainable future.

What you’ll learn and achieve:

• Lead, support, and document key HSE activities across MDRI operations, including active participation in work planning and day-to-day research, laboratory, engineering, and pilot-scale activities.
• Lead and support hazard identification, risk assessments, multidisciplinary reviews, and practical risk-control strategies that protect personnel, facilities, and the environment while supporting research and engineering objectives.
• Conduct operational readiness reviews to verify that appropriate controls, training, and safeguards are implemented and maintained.
• Investigate incidents and near misses, identify causes, drive corrective actions, and support continuous improvement in HSE performance.
• Partner with MDRI leadership, researchers, engineers, Facilities, Corporate HSE teams, vendors, contractors, and site partners to integrate HSE requirements into work planning, design, startup, and execution.
• Develop and deliver HSE training, onboarding, coaching, and safety communications that promote safe work practices.
• Lead safe facility, laboratory, and contractor operations through HSE coordination, infrastructure oversight, and emergency preparedness activities.
• Lead HSE compliance and management systems through inspections, audits, records, corrective-action tracking, emergency preparedness, and environmental programs.
• Promote a positive safety culture that encourages hazard recognition, risk awareness, open communication, and proactive intervention.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What you’ll experience working at UL Research Institutes:

We have pursued our mission of working for a safer, more secure, and sustainable world for nearly 130 years, embedding conscientious stewardship into everything we do. People: Our people make us special. You’ll work with a diverse team of experts respected for their independence and transparency and build a network, because our approach is collaborative. We collaborate across disciplines, organizations, and geographies to build the global scientific response that today’s global challenges require. Interesting work: Every day is different for us here. We see what’s on the horizon and use our expertise to build the foundations of a safer future. You’ll have the opportunity to push the boundaries of human understanding as part of a team working to advance the public good. Grow and achieve: We learn, work, and grow together through targeted development, reward, and recognition programs. Values. Four core values guide our work: collaboration, respect, integrity, and beneficence. By living our values, we inspire the trust essential to fulfilling our mission and foster the partnerships that enable us to pursue a beneficent future in which we all can thrive.

What makes you a great fit:

• Strong understanding of occupational safety and health principles in research, laboratory, engineering, or R&D environments.
• Advanced knowledge of laboratory safety, chemical safety, industrial hygiene, engineering safety, emergency preparedness, and environmental compliance practices.
• Ability to identify hazards, evaluate risk, and recommend practical risk-control measures.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical requirements into clear operating expectations.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with researchers, engineers, facilities professionals, vendors, contractors, and all levels of management.
• Excellent organization, follow-through, project coordination, and documentation skills.
• Analytical problem-solving capability, sound professional judgment, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic research environment.
• Customer-service orientation, constructive coaching style, and commitment to continuous learning and professional development.

Professional education and experience requirements for the role include:

• Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Health, Industrial Hygiene, Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, Physical Sciences, Public Health, Environmental Science, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 8 years of professional HSE, occupational safety, laboratory safety, engineering safety, industrial hygiene, facilities safety, manufacturing safety, or environmental compliance experience in a research, laboratory, engineering, pilot-scale, prototype development, or R&D environment.
• Experience conducting workplace inspections, hazard assessments, audits, incident reviews, corrective action follow-up, or compliance activities.
• Working knowledge of OSHA regulations and occupational safety principles.
• Experience delivering training or communicating technical safety information to non-HSE stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and the ability to use electronic systems for documentation, reporting, and tracking.

Total Rewards:

• All employees at UL Research Institutes are eligible for bonus compensation.
• We offer comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans and a generous 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay.
• Moreover, we invest an additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment.
• Depending on your role, you may be able to discuss flexible working arrangements with your manager.
• We also provide employees with paid time off, including vacation, holiday, sick, and volunteer days.

Salary Range: $89,602.01-$123,202.76 Pay Type: Salary

UL Research Institutes is a leading independent safety science organization with global reach. Dedicated to exploring vital questions related to public safety, we sense and act on risks to humanity and our planet. Since 1894, our trusted research has engaged the ingenuity of top minds across scientific disciplines to engineer a safer and more sustainable world. Science builds the knowledge required to mitigate increasingly urgent safety problems like environmental and chemical pollution or artificial intelligence inequities — and our rigorous, objective investigations uncover that knowledge. In collaboration with a global network of scientists and safety professionals, we define the safe and sustainable use of things ranging from legacy materials to new and emerging technologies. Our discoveries support the development of practical standards and policies by UL Standards & Engagement. Together, we are advancing safety science for the greater good.

To learn more, visit our websites UL.org and ULSE.org.