Building Safety Manager

Northeastern University•Boston, MA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Building Safety Manager (BSM) is an embedded environmental health and safety professional supporting research and teaching laboratories in assigned buildings on Northeastern University’s Boston campus. The BSM provides guidance, oversight, and support on chemical, biological, and radiation safety, and advises Principal Investigators, laboratory personnel, Department Safety Officers, and College Safety Officers on safe practices and regulatory compliance. Through inspections, building walkthroughs, 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 management of hazardous-material inventories within defined control areas in coordination with laboratory personnel and Facilities, and coordinates hazardous-waste handoffs with the ECOS team when needed. The BSM is a key contact for the local research community and contributes to building-level emergency planning, incident response, and investigations. The role requires sound judgment, strong interpersonal skills, clear risk communication, and the ability to foster a collaborative, non-punitive safety culture. The position also contributes to OARS projects and programs, maintains documentation supporting team continuity, assists with laboratory start-up and decommissioning, provides regulatory information, and pursues ongoing professional development. The role includes participation in a rotating on-call emergency response team.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a 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 and standards governing laboratory operations, including OSHA, RCRA, Massachusetts DEP, and NFPA, and the ability to translate requirements into practical guidance.
Experience conducting laboratory inspections, hazard and risk assessments, and tracking corrective actions to closure.
Ability to influence and negotiate safety behavior with Principal Investigators and researchers while building credibility and trust.
Ability to foster a collaborative, non-punitive safety culture among research groups with varying levels of safety maturity.
Experience with laboratory safety data management and tracking platforms.
Ability to coordinate with 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 coordinating with emergency responders.
Ability to assist with hazardous-material emergencies and post-event remediation.
Ability to operate instruments used to monitor personnel chemical exposures and evaluate monitoring results.
Strong time, organizational, and project-management skills, including planning, prioritizing, and scheduling multiple ongoing projects independently and as part of the BSM 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.
Collaborate with laboratory personnel to develop corrective action plans and support inspection workflows, including documenting findings and following up.
Advise on risk assessments, hazard analysis, and appropriate personal protective equipment.
Support laboratory design projects related to safety.
Build and maintain working relationships with Department Safety Officers, College Safety Officers, College Directors, and Principal Investigators.
Support laboratories in understanding and maintaining compliance with Maximum Available Quantities storage thresholds in defined control areas, coordinating with laboratory personnel and Facilities to resolve issues.
Coordinate hazardous-waste handoffs and routing with Northeastern’s ECOS team.
Participate in developing and maintaining Emergency Action Plans for assigned buildings.
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 relevant to assigned buildings and support college- and laboratory-level engagement.
Assist with laboratory start-up and decommissioning.
Serve as a source of regulatory information for laboratory personnel and perform other technical or administrative duties as directed.
Pursue ongoing professional development through conferences, training, and certifications.