Senior Safety Specialist, Regulatory Compliance & Biosafety

Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Inc; Olivette (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Danforth Center seeks a Senior Safety Specialist for Regulatory Compliance & Biosafety to provide advanced expertise in biosafety, regulatory affairs, and safety programs across laboratories, greenhouses, and field sites.

The role mentors staff, leads investigations, conducts risk assessments, and collaborates with institutional committees and regulatory agencies to strengthen safety culture and compliance.

Qualifications

• Ability to work independently and apply sound professional judgment.
• Collaborate within interdisciplinary research teams.
• Strong organizational and multitasking skills.
• Punctual, reliable and service-oriented.
• Experience with regulatory compliance or biosafety preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in environmental/biological/regulatory related field.
• 5–10 years of experience in safety-related roles.

Responsibilities

• Leads assigned projects and functional areas within regulatory compliance and biosafety programs.
• Serves as the primary contact for regulatory agencies, organizes records, and submits reports.
• Participates in regulatory inspections and audits; documents outcomes and supports actions.
• Conducts audits of campus, greenhouse, and field sites for hazards and compliance.
• Develops training materials, SOPs, and program documents; delivers center-wide training.
• Leads investigations of incidents and performs root cause analyses.
• Performs risk assessments and implements mitigation strategies.
• Serves on Institutional Biosafety Committee and related groups.
• Analyzes trends to improve regulatory and biosafety programs.

Skills

Independent work

Organization

Communication

Training

Leadership

Risk assessment

Audits & inspections

Regulatory compliance

Biosafety

Project leadership

Education

Environmental science

Biological sciences

Regulatory affairs

Occupational Health

Industrial Hygiene

Biosafety coursework

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

DescriptionThe Senior Safety Specialist for Regulatory Compliance & Biosafety, is a senior, highly independent role that provides advanced technical expertise and leadership in regulatory compliance and biosafety, with broader responsibility across safety and stewardship programs. Working with minimal supervision, this position exercises professional judgment to ensure regulatory compliance across research activities including biosafety, agricultural, chemical, and environmental regulations while promoting a proactive safety culture across laboratories, greenhouses, field sites, and office areas. The role serves as a key liaison to regulatory agencies and institutional biosafety and compliance committees, mentors junior staff, and delivers both routine and advanced service and training related to regulatory compliance, biosafety, and general safety.As a member of the Environmental Health & Safety and Biosafety team, this role works collaboratively with colleagues, sharing expertise and knowledge to strength the team's collective capability and support the Center's safety and compliance goals. The ideal candidate is self-directed, organized, detail oriented, and capable of managing diverse compliance responsibilities while continuing to build leadership skills.Responsibilities:Leads assigned projects and functional areas within regulatory compliance and biosafety programs, working independently with limited supervision.Serves as the primary contact for regulatory agencies, organize and maintain regulatory records and submit reports as needed.Serve as a key participant in regulatory agency inspections and audits; documents outcomes and support response actions as assigned.Supports and coordinates institutional regulatory compliance processes, including review, tracking and updating of biological and agricultural permits and related signage throughout the Center.Conducts audits and inspections of main campus, greenhouse, and field sites to identify environmental, chemical, and biological hazards and to ensure regulatory and stewardship compliance; documents findings and ensure corrective actions are implemented and tracked to completion.Develops, updates, and delivers training materials, SOPs, program documents, and manuals for regulatory compliance, biosafety, and general safety topics; routinely provides center wide training across these programs.Leads and co-lead investigations of incidents, near misses, and unsafe or non-compliant conditions; performs root cause analysis and recommend corrective and preventive actions.Performs risk assessments for research activities, regulated materials, equipment, and new processes; recommends and implements effective risk mitigation and compliance strategies.Serves on the Institutional Biosafety Committee and other safety- or compliance-related committees and working groups as assigned, providing technical expertise and institutional perspective.Contributes to the development, evaluation, and continuous improvement of regulatory compliance, biosafety, and safety programs, procedures, and institutional policies; analyze trends in incidents, inspections, permits, and training data to recommend improvements.Performs other duties as assigned in support of Safety and Regulatory Compliance.Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:Demonstrated ability to work independently and apply sound professional judgment in complex or ambiguous situations.A positive, service-oriented approach with the ability to collaborate effectively within interdisciplinary research teams.Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines.Reliable, responsible, and punctual.Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and ability to quickly learn and support additional software systems.Working knowledge of applicable regulatory and biosafety frameworks (e.g., NIH Guidelines for Recombinant/Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules, USDA-APHIS regulated articles and permits, OSHA, EPA, RCRA, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act) as they apply to research environments, is a plus.Ability to communicate technical information clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.Commitment to living the Danforth Center values: Collaboration, Diversity & Inclusion, Innovation, Integrity & Respect, Environmental Sustainability, and StewardshipBachelor’s degree in Environmental science, Biological sciences, Regulatory affairs, Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene, or a related scientific field required; coursework or experience in biosafety or regulatory compliance preferred.5 to 10 years of experience in safety-related roles, preferably including regulatory compliance or biosafety responsibilities in a laboratory, greenhouse, or field research environment.