Associate Director of Facilities, SHE

AstraZeneca • Boston, MA

2d • $127,216 - $190,824 • Onsite

About The Position

The SHE Associate Director – Site Operations Safety will lead facility safety, contractor governance, project safety, and built-environment assurance for AstraZeneca’s strategic R&D facility in Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The role will provide SHE leadership across building systems, utilities, laboratories, shared spaces, construction, renovations, facilities operations, contractors, and outsourced service providers. It will ensure that site activities align with Global SHE standards, R&D operations, applicable U.S. regulatory requirements, and AstraZeneca’s sustainability ambitions. The successful candidate will lead the implementation and continuous improvement of the facilities SHE strategy and management system, including controls for high-risk work, site-related Management of Change (MoC), contractor governance, incident prevention, assurance, emergency preparedness, environmental performance, and operational readiness. The role will also provide SHE oversight for a portfolio of construction, commissioning, laboratory modification, and renovation projects from design through operational handover. The site safety approach will be informed by Core OSHA principles, Human and Organizational Performance (HOP), and prevention of potential Serious Injuries and Fatalities (pSIF).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Safety, Occupational Health, Environmental Science, Engineering, Facilities Management, Construction Management, or a related discipline; or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• At least 5 years of significant SHE experience in a complex facilities, construction, life sciences, laboratory, R&D, manufacturing, healthcare, or similarly regulated environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading safety across building systems, utilities, laboratories, maintenance, projects, contractors, and shared spaces.
• Experience with SHE management systems, assurance programs, Management of Change, incident investigation, CAPA, audit management, and performance reporting.
• Working knowledge of applicable U.S. workplace safety requirements, including relevant OSHA standards.
• Practical experience with permit-to-work, LOTO and energy isolation, confined space, hot work, working at height, pressure systems, electrical safety, lifting operations, and critical assets.
• Experience with environmental management, waste controls, energy and water efficiency, sustainability metrics, and performance improvement.
• Familiarity with laboratory processes and the ability to communicate effectively with scientists and technical specialists.
• Experience supporting or leading change projects and delivering initiatives to agreed timelines, quality standards, and budgets.
• Strong influencing, communication, stakeholder-management, coaching, and risk-based decision-making skills.
• Good technical and IT skills, with the ability to use digital tools and emerging technologies to improve SHE performance, assurance, communication, and decision-making.
• Comfortable working autonomously, exercising sound judgment, and making decisions in situations where information may be incomplete or evolving.

Nice To Haves

• LEED Platinum and WELL v2.0 objectives support
• Experience with Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) principles
• Experience with prevention of potential Serious Injuries and Fatalities (pSIF)

Responsibilities

• Lead the site facilities safety strategy, aligning it with Global SHE standards, R&D operations, site risk priorities, and sustainability.
• Establish and embed safe systems of work for facilities operations, maintenance, laboratories, utilities, projects, and shared spaces.
• Establish and chair facilities safety governance forums, ensuring clear ownership, effective decision-making, and timely escalation of significant risks.
• Develop and maintain policies, standards, procedures, and operational controls for facilities, engineering, projects, and laboratory infrastructure.
• Partner closely with Facilities, Engineering, Project Management, Laboratory Operations, Procurement, Property Management, contractors, service providers, and Global SHE.
• Serve as a visible and influential SHE leader who promotes proactive risk management, embedded safe practice, operational discipline, and continuous improvement.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve the site SHE management system, with a strong emphasis on practical risk control, regulatory compliance, and operational effectiveness.
• Translate applicable U.S. workplace safety requirements, including relevant OSHA standards, and AstraZeneca requirements into clear and practical site standards.
• Ensure the safe, reliable, and compliant operation of building systems, utilities, pressure systems, critical assets, laboratory infrastructure, and other safety-critical equipment.
• Maintain effective internal controls, assurance processes, documentation, performance measures, and management reviews.
• Apply a proportionate, risk-based approach that balances safety, compliance, sustainability, operational delivery, and business continuity.
• Own and enforce controls for permit-to-work, lockout/tagout (LOTO) and energy isolation, confined space entry, hot work, working at height, electrical safety, lifting operations, and other high-risk activities.
• Review risk assessments, method statements, permits, work plans, and control arrangements for facilities activities, projects, contractors, and service providers.
• Conduct inspections, field verifications, and safety observations to confirm that controls are understood and effectively implemented.
• Stop or escalate work where risks are not adequately controlled and ensure that corrective actions are completed before work resumes.
• Liaise with Property Management and other relevant parties to ensure that appropriate safety standards and operating arrangements are established and maintained in shared areas.
• Lead the SHE MoC process for changes to buildings, utilities, equipment, laboratories, occupancy, work practices, and site operations, in lock step with the Facilities Management Team.
• Ensure changes are appropriately screened, risk-assessed, approved, communicated, implemented, and documented.
• Confirm that required training, procedures, permits, inspections, emergency arrangements, documentation, and readiness activities are completed before changes are introduced.
• Track temporary changes through closure or formal extension, complementary to the Site Operations Change Review Board.
• Ensure that residual risks, control measures, ownership, and maintenance requirements are clearly transferred into business-as-usual operations.
• Provide SHE leadership for construction, tenant fit-out, commissioning, laboratory modifications, and minor-to-medium renovation projects.
• Integrate SHE requirements into project design, procurement, construction, execution, commissioning, and handover.
• Partner with architects, engineers, construction managers, contractors, project teams, and Property Management to control construction, interface, and operational risks.
• Review project risk registers, construction plans, contractor arrangements, commissioning activities, and readiness documentation.
• Support safe transition to operations through residual-risk management, documentation, training, inspections, emergency planning, and operational readiness reviews.
• Establish and maintain effective SHE governance for contractors, vendors, and outsourced service providers.
• Verify qualifications, competencies, risk assessments, method statements, permits, insurance, training, and other required documentation.
• Communicate AstraZeneca’s SHE expectations and ensure that contractors understand site requirements before work begins.
• Monitor compliance through inspections, audits, safety walks, field verifications, performance reviews, and event analysis.
• Escalate nonconformances and ensure timely and effective corrective action, including suspension of work where necessary.
• Design and deliver first-line assurance through audits, safety walks, inspections, field verifications, and control effectiveness reviews.
• Support second- and third-line audits, regulatory inspections, and ORD SHE Leadership Team and Global SHE assurance activities.
• Oversee reporting, investigation, root-cause analysis, corrective and preventive action (CAPA), and trend analysis for facilities-related events.
• Use findings, observations, events, and performance data to drive continuous improvement, standardization, and prevention of recurrence.
• Apply Human and Organizational Performance principles to understand how work is performed and to strengthen systems, processes, and controls rather than relying solely on individual compliance.
• Support facilities-related emergency response plans, preparedness arrangements, and site resilience measures.
• Coordinate evacuation drills and other emergency exercises, ensuring that lessons learned and corrective actions are completed.
• Maintain oversight of fire safety systems, equipment, signage, inspections, testing, and associated records.
• Provide oversight of the floor warden program, including role definition, training, communications, and periodic review of coverage.
• Oversee waste segregation, recycling, compliant disposal, and environmental controls across facilities, laboratories, and shared spaces.
• Support energy and water efficiency, resource conservation, waste reduction, and sustainability campaigns.
• Track environmental KPIs and conduct performance forecasting to establish, monitor, and adjust targets.
• Align facility operations and employee engagement with Ambition Zero Carbon and applicable site sustainability objectives.
• Develop practical initiatives that encourage sustainable behaviors and translate environmental objectives into measurable operational improvements.
• Lead the design of SHE systems, safety principles, and operational requirements for shared facilities at the Cambridge site.
• Partner with architects, engineers, project teams, and certification specialists to support LEED Platinum and WELL v2.0 objectives.
• Ensure that building design and operating practices support safety, wellbeing, maintainability, resilience, energy efficiency, and Ambition Zero Carbon objectives.
• Embed SHE and sustainability considerations from design and construction through commissioning, occupancy, maintenance, and future modifications.
• Define and monitor SHE and sustainability KPIs, goals, objectives, and targets.
• Report performance, significant risks, trends, and improvement priorities to site leadership, governance forums, and Global SHE.
• Develop communication strategies that build awareness of SHE requirements, sustainability priorities, learning from events, and expected behaviors.
• Deliver or coordinate training for employees, leaders, facilities teams, project personnel, contractors, floor wardens, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Coach and influence stakeholders at all levels, building capability and accountability for safe and sustainable operations.

Benefits

• qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]
• paid vacation and holidays
• paid leaves
• health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director