Senior Specialist, Environmental Health & Safety

Merck•Billerica, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

This role is for a Senior Specialist in Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) at the EMD Serono Billerica Campus. The position involves ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, as well as corporate standards for all operations. The role primarily focuses on research laboratory operations (approximately 75%), which involve hazardous chemicals, radioactive materials, and biohazardous materials, and secondarily on facilities operations (25%). The company emphasizes innovation in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics, with a purpose in Healthcare to help create, improve, and prolong lives. They foster a diverse, inclusive, and flexible working culture with opportunities for personal development and career advancement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Health & Safety, Occupational Safety, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or other Science or Engineering discipline.
4+ years of experience in an Environmental Health & Safety role.
1+ years of experience navigating and applying federal, state, and local laboratory safety regulations (e.g., OSHA Laboratory Standard, EPA, local EH&S codes) within a laboratory or research environment.

Nice To Haves

5+ years of direct EHS experience, including laboratory safety operations, in a biotech/pharmaceuticals research laboratory environment.
Excellent analytical, problem solving and response management skills.
Safety or Environmental certifications (ASP, CSP, etc.).
Working experience implementing risk management programs, performing complex risk assessments, etc.
Licensed as a MA Industrial Wastewater Operator.
Completed and current with the following trainings: OSHA HazWOPER, RCRA, DOT Haz-Mat, First Aid/CPR/AED.
Working experience implementing Facilities safety programs (Hot Work, Lockout / Tagout, Work at Heights, Confined Space, etc.).

Responsibilities

Manage the laboratory audit program to drive corrective actions.
Lead the Chemical, Biological, and Institutional Biological Safety Committees.
Develop, update, and conduct annual laboratory safety refresher trainings, new employee and contractor health and safety orientations, and specialized program trainings.
Assist with the Radiation Safety program, including wipe surveys, audits, and recordkeeping.
Review and approve vivarium protocols to ensure compliant operations.
Conduct thorough, documented investigations of near misses, injuries, and incidents.
Maintain complete occupational health, permitting, and training records.
Oversee environmental compliance programs, including hazardous waste management, wastewater operations, sustainability initiatives, and SPCC/ISO 14001 alignment.
Support broad EHS program compliance across Facilities Safety (LOTO, Fall Protection, Confined Space, Fire Safety), Construction/Contractor Safety, and OSHA 300 reporting.
Serve as the liaison between R&D staff and the EHS Team.
Assist in supervising contracted EHS staff.
Provide periodic EHS compliance support at the Boston Seaport office.
Support metrics reporting, operational program needs, and regular EHS communications back to internal teams, Corporate EHS, and key stakeholders.