Health, Safety, and Environment Lead

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

Job summary

UL Research Institutes in Skokie, IL seeks a Health, Safety, and Environment Lead. You will act as the embedded safety lead for MDRI research, laboratory, and pilot-scale operations, delivering advanced HSE expertise and guidance across functions.

The role partners with researchers, facilities, and leadership to integrate safety into planning, design, startup, and execution. You will develop and deliver HSE training, drive incident investigations, and lead compliance programs while promoting a

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of occupational safety and health principles in research, lab, and engineering settings.
• Experience implementing risk controls and safety programs in a research environment.
• Ability to lead investigations, incident reviews, and corrective actions.

Responsibilities

• Lead HSE activities across MDRI operations including planning and day-to-day research activities.
• Identify hazards, perform risk assessments, and develop risk-control strategies.
• Conduct safety training, onboarding, and communications to promote safe practices.
• Coordinate inspections, audits, and environmental programs to ensure compliance.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to researchers, facilities, and leadership on HSE matters.

Skills

Occupational safety

Laboratory safety

Industrial hygiene

Safety training

Education

Bachelor’s degree in safety/environ. health

Tools

Microsoft Office

Documentation systems

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:

As the Health, Safety, and Environment Lead, you will play a key role in the rapid growth of UL as you:

• 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.
• 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.

What makes you a great fit:

While no one candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional competencies and personal attributes:

• 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.

About UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing safety science research through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well-being.

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

Salary Range:

$89,602.01-$123,202.76

Pay Type:

Salary