Occupational Safety Specialist I

Iowa State University; Ames (IA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Onsite childcare

Life insurance

Long-term disability

Flexible Spending

Job summary

Iowa State University seeks an Occupational Safety Specialist I to strengthen campus emergency preparedness, incident response, and safety programs. You will collaborate with faculty, staff, students, leadership, and external responders to advance preparedness, training, inspections, and safety initiatives across the university.

The role focuses on developing procedures, coordinating exercises, and ensuring compliance with life safety standards while supporting operations on a large campus

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Experience conducting safety inspections and hazard assessments.
• Knowledge of OSHA, NFPA, NIMS, or ICS concepts preferred.
• Ability to supervise student employees and coordinate safety programs.

Responsibilities

• Support Emergency Operations Plan documents and preparedness activities.
• Develop and deliver emergency preparedness training, drills, and after-action reports.
• Conduct life safety and occupational safety inspections and recommend corrective actions.
• Assist fire and life safety programs through inspections, evacuations, and signage reviews.
• Administer campus fire extinguisher program and coordinate maintenance.

Skills

Safety inspections

Emergency preparedness

Training delivery

Collaboration with public safety

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Position Title:

Occupational Safety Specialist I

Job Group:

Professional & Scientific

Required Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree

Job Description:

Iowa State University is seeking an Occupational Safety Specialist I to play a vital role in campus emergency preparedness, emergency response, and occupational safety programs. In this position, you will help strengthen the University's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies while promoting a safe learning, research, and work environment.

Working closely with faculty, staff, students, campus leadership, and external emergency responders, you will support preparedness initiatives, lead training and exercises, conduct safety inspections, and contribute to programs that protect people, property, and University operations. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is passionate about emergency management, safety, and public service and wants to make a meaningful impact across a large and diverse campus community.

What You'll Do

• Support the University's Emergency Operations Plan by maintaining emergency planning documents, coordinating preparedness activities, and assisting campus stakeholders in emergency readiness efforts.
• Develop, coordinate, and deliver emergency preparedness training, tabletop exercises, drills, Emergency Operations Center training, after-action reports, and corrective action plans.
• Conduct life safety and occupational safety inspections to identify hazards, evaluate compliance, and recommend corrective actions.
• Support fire and life safety programs through building inspections, fire pump testing, evacuation planning, emergency drills, and safety signage reviews.
• Administer the campus fire extinguisher program, including inspection, maintenance coordination, inventory management, recordkeeping, and compliance tracking.
• Supervise and direct student employees who assist with fire extinguisher inspections and related program activities.
• Collaborate with university departments to assess emergency planning needs and prepare for incidents involving fire, chemical, biological, radiological, compressed gas, and other hazards.
• Develop and maintain emergency procedures, guidance documents, compliance materials, and safety resources.
• Respond to campus emergencies and support emergency operations in coordination with university leadership, public safety personnel, and external emergency response agencies.
• Participate in after-hours emergency response activities and serve in an on-call duty officer capacity as assigned.

Additional Information

• This position is 100% on-site and based in Ames, Iowa with no opportunity for remote work.
• Standard work hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Due to the nature of emergency preparedness and response operations, occasional evening, weekend, holiday, and after-hours work may be required.
• This position serves as a departmental Duty Officer for designated periods throughout the year and is responsible for coordinating emergency response activities outside of normal business hours during assigned rotations.

Why Iowa State?

Your work will directly contribute to the safety, preparedness, and resilience of one of the nation's leading public research universities. From coordinating emergency response efforts to helping departments prepare for potential hazards, you will have the opportunity to make a visible impact while building strong partnerships across the University community.

Preferred Qualifications :

• Education in Emergency Management, Occupational Safety, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), Fire Protection, Public Safety, Homeland Security, or a related field.
• Experience participating in emergency preparedness activities, drills, exercises, emergency response operations, or incident management.
• Experience conducting safety inspections, hazard assessments, compliance reviews, or risk identification activities.
• Knowledge of emergency management, occupational safety, or fire and life safety principles, including familiarity with OSHA, NFPA, NIMS, orICS concepts.
• Experience maintaining records, databases, reports, or documentation related to safety, compliance, emergency management, or operational programs.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Why Choose Iowa State University?

Iowa State Employees enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental, as well as:

• Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
• Generous vacation, holiday, and sick time and leave plans
• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
• Life insurance and long-term disability
• Flexible Spendin