Building Safety Manager-2

Northeastern University•Boston, MA

5d•$76,335 - $107,824•Onsite

About The Position

The Building Safety Manager (BSM) serves as an embedded environmental health and safety professional for research and teaching laboratories in assigned buildings on Northeastern University’s Boston campus. The BSM provides guidance, oversight, and support across chemical, biological, and radiation safety, advising Principal Investigators, laboratory personnel, Department Safety Officers, and College Safety Officers on safe practices and regulatory compliance. Through building walkthroughs, laboratory inspections, and ongoing engagement with research groups, the BSM identifies hazards, recommends corrective actions, and helps laboratories meet applicable city, state, and federal requirements. The role also supports hazardous-material inventory management within defined control areas in coordination with laboratory staff and Facilities, and coordinates hazardous-waste handling with the ECOS team as needed. The BSM is a key contact for the local research community and supports building-level emergency planning, incident response, and investigations. The position requires strong interpersonal skills, sound judgment, clear risk communication, and the ability to build trust and foster a collaborative, non-punitive safety culture. The BSM contributes to OARS projects and programs, maintains documentation to support continuity, participates in professional development, and supports laboratory start-up and decommissioning. The role includes participation in a rotating on-call emergency response team.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in physical science, life science, environmental science, engineering, occupational safety, or another applicable area.
At least five years of demonstrated work experience meeting EHS requirements in a laboratory setting.
Working knowledge of regulations governing laboratory operations, including OSHA, RCRA, Massachusetts DEP, NFPA, and related standards, and ability to translate requirements into practical guidance.
Experience conducting laboratory inspections, hazard and risk assessments, and tracking corrective actions through completion.
Ability to negotiate and influence safety behavior while building credibility and trust with Principal Investigators and researchers.
Experience fostering a collaborative, non-punitive safety culture across research groups with varying levels of safety maturity.
Experience with laboratory safety data-management and tracking platforms.
Ability to coordinate across internal stakeholders, including Facilities, Department and College Safety Officers, ECOS, and other OARS programs.
Experience responding to and participating in investigations of laboratory incidents and emergencies, including coordination with emergency responders.
Ability to assist with hazardous-material emergencies and post-event remediation.
Ability to operate instrumentation used to monitor personnel chemical exposures and evaluate monitoring results.
Strong time-management, organizational, and project-management skills, including the ability to plan, prioritize, schedule multiple projects, and work independently and with a team.
Demonstrated ability to work with a diverse population and foster a collaborative work environment.
Must be medically qualified to wear respiratory protection and other personal protective equipment.
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and move up to 500 pounds of materials using rolling carts or drum carts.

Nice To Haves

Employment experience within higher education.
Experience in hazardous-material emergency planning.
Experience in laboratory process safety.
Master’s degree in one of the listed fields.
Background in laboratory research and environmental health and safety compliance in research laboratories.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary safety advisor for Principal Investigators, laboratory managers, and research staff in assigned buildings.
Conduct regular laboratory inspections and building walkthroughs to identify hazards and unsafe practices.
Work with laboratory personnel to develop corrective action plans, document inspection findings, and follow up through the General Lab Inspection Program and related OARS workflows.
Advise on risk assessments, hazard analysis, and appropriate personal protective equipment use.
Support laboratory design projects related to safety and build working relationships with Department and College Safety Officers, College Directors, and Principal Investigators.
Help laboratories understand and comply with Maximum Available Quantities storage thresholds within defined control areas, coordinating with laboratory personnel and Facilities to address potential issues.
Coordinate hazardous-waste handoffs and routing with Northeastern’s ECOS team.
Help develop and maintain Emergency Action Plans for assigned buildings with Emergency Management, laboratory supervisors, and other stakeholders.
Maintain awareness of building hazards, equipment, and research activities to support emergency responders.
Participate in a rotating on-call emergency response team and in incident investigations; help identify and implement corrective actions.
Contribute to OARS projects and programs, including writing guidance and leading working groups as directed.
Maintain current documentation of building assignments, ongoing work, and key contacts to support team continuity.
Participate in OARS programs related to assigned buildings and support engagement at the college and laboratory levels.
Assist with laboratory start-up and decommissioning.
Provide regulatory information to laboratory personnel and perform other technical or administrative duties as directed.
Pursue ongoing professional development through conferences, training, and certifications.