Associate Director - Makerspace Safety

Northeastern University • Boston, MA

38d

About The Position

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. Job Summary: We are seeking a full-time Associate Director of Makerspace Safety to join the team of a growing makerspace ecosystem at Northeastern University. This position, which reports to the Executive Director - Makerspace, will serve as safety leader for Northeastern, leading the way to develop new policies and procedures and provide oversight for safe use of all makerspaces on Northeastern's campuses. Successful candidates will have a deliberate approach to safety, strong documentation skills, and an interest in formulating and implementing innovative improvements to the campus makerspace policies. Successful candidates will also be self-motivated and highly driven to spearhead real change. The Global Makerspace Ecosystem: The Global Makerspace Ecosystem is a transdisciplinary teaching and learning innovation ecosystem, intended to be a crossroads of creativity, camaraderie, and safety for every student, staff, and faculty member from all Northeastern University colleges. With a focus on internal and external outreach, innovation, and collaboration, the makerspaces support the Northeastern community in producing everything from personal passion projects to new ventures and course assignments while fostering an experiential learning community that extends beyond the spaces themselves. The Global Makerspace Ecosystem is a highly visible and accessible resource for the Northeastern University community. The staff of the makerspaces are leading the charge on collaboration within Northeastern's network-including building out new infrastructure to improve student access to making spaces on Northeastern's campus.

Requirements

• Master's degree or equivalent work experience in occupational safety, environmental health and safety, engineering, science, design, arts, fabrication, manufacturing technology, or a related field is required.
• Teaching, mentoring, interpersonal, presentation, and written communication skills and ability to work with, receive and implement feedback from a broad spectrum of people.
• 3-7 years' experience working as a safety or fabrication specialist with diverse groups of students, faculty, and staff in an academic environment.
• Demonstrated intellectual curiosity that goes beyond a primary field of study
• Demonstrated success with safety, documentation, and policy development, especially with regard to shops and makerspaces.
• Strong organizational and time management skills and ability to handle multiple workstreams.
• Current certification or willingness to acquire certification in Crane/Lift operation.
• Knowledge and deep understanding of current Environmental Health and Safety practices within makerspaces or shops.

Responsibilities

• Drive the modernization and development of university-wide safety policies and best practices for safe use of cross-disciplinary makerspaces
• Collaborate with the Office of Academic Research Safety, Environmental Compliance and Occupational Safety, Office of the General Council, and other campus teams to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local safety laws for the entirety of the global makerspace ecosystem
• Develop, manage, and execute an annual audit plan across all makerspaces, ensuring protocols align with federal, state, and local regulations (e.g., OSHA, EPA).
• Conduct on-site inspections, facility audits, and program assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of makerspace management systems.
• Gather data through direct observation, document review, and interviews with employees and management to assess compliance.
• Collaborate with makerspace managers and technicians to foster an environment of student safety awareness
• Travel may be required
• Deliver training on equipment operation as needed
• Assist the Executive Director in other duties as needed

Benefits

• Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Industry: Educational Services
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees