Director of Environmental Health & Safety

Brown University • East Bridgewater, MA

9h • Hybrid

About The Position

Position Purpose The Director of Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) provides strategic vision for a safe, compliant, and sustainable campus, directly enabling the university’s core mission of teaching, learning, and research. This pivotal role ensures that annual research expenditures are conducted in compliance with federal, state, and local environmental health and safety regulations, industry standards, and best practices. The Director oversees a broad spectrum of comprehensive safety programs, including but not limited to chemical hygiene, Biological and radiation safety, Industrial Hygiene, waste management, Construction Safety, Respiratory protection, Environmental protection (air, storm water, wastewater), and Occupational health & safety, This leadership position is instrumental in fostering a pervasive culture of safety, managing all aspects of regulatory compliance, and leading critical incident and emergency response efforts. Through collaborative partnerships across departments, active participation in various university committees, and serving as the primary liaison to external regulatory agencies, the Director supports the university’s mission and ensures a healthy, safe, and innovative academic and research environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Occupational Health & Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Physical Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of related job experience, including EHS experience in a higher education environment.
• Must maintain a valid, current driver's license.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations (OSHA, EPA, etc.), industrial hygiene, monitoring equipment usage, Indoor Air Quality principles, laboratory safety practices and design, sustainability, and incident investigation practices.
• Comprehension of risk management principles, risk assessment methodologies, hazard identification, and hazard control techniques.
• Understanding trends, issues, and accepted practices in a higher education environment.
• Knowledge of environmental protection regulations, remediation protocols, and waste management.
• Good technical skills, including proficiency in MS Office and Google.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to communicate EHS budget needs and technical challenges to senior administration.
• Ability to develop and manage budgets for programs; ability to manage a team.
• Ability to document and track trends; ability to create reports, summaries, etc.
• Ability to lead committees and provide background information on EHS issues.
• Ability to lead, influence, and inspire individuals and teams at all levels of the university.
• Ability to respond to campus hazardous material incidents and other emergencies.
• Ability to adapt to changing regulations, industry best practices, and organizational needs.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and other Brown and community stakeholders with diverse perspectives and demonstrated ability to contribute to an inclusive environment.
• Ability to influence and collaborate across a complex organization.
• Proven track record of building and leading high-performing teams.
• Demonstrated ability to translate regulatory requirements into practical, campus-wide initiatives.
• Experience in change management and fostering a proactive safety culture.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Eight (8) years of progressive experience in environmental health and safety is preferred.
• ASP/CSP, CIH, CCHO, and/or CHMM certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Fostering a pervasive culture of safety
• Managing all aspects of regulatory compliance
• Leading critical incident and emergency response efforts
• Collaborative partnerships across departments
• Active participation in various university committees
• Serving as the primary liaison to external regulatory agencies
• Directs and provides consultation to general contractors as well as Architects and Engineers engaged in university work, about the university's standards and requirements for environmental, health, and occupational safety issues
• Reviews construction plans for compliance with applicable laws, codes, regulations, policies, procedures, and best practices.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees