Department Safety Officer

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering is seeking a full-time Safety Officer to lead and coordinate laboratory safety efforts across research and teaching spaces. This role serves as a key partner in supporting a safe, collaborative, and compliant environment for faculty, staff, researchers, and students engaged in innovative materials science and engineering work.

In this role, you will work closely with research and teaching laboratories to provide hands-on safety guidance, training, inspections, hazard assessments, and operational support across a wide range of laboratory environments and equipment. You will help strengthen departmental safety programs, support safe research and teaching practices, and contribute to a culture where safety is integrated into everyday learning, discovery, and innovation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and coordinate departmental laboratory safety programs across research and teaching spaces
• Conduct laboratory inspections, audits, hazard assessments, and follow-up corrective actions
• Partner with faculty, principal investigators, and lab leaders to develop safety plans, SOPs, and risk mitigation strategies
• Support chemical inventory management, hazardous materials guidance, and laboratory access/security processes
• Coordinate safety onboarding, training, compliance documentation, and offboarding activities
• Serve as the primary instructor and coordinator for departmental safety education and training initiatives
• Support safe operation of shared teaching laboratories, undergraduate lab courses, outreach programs, and student projects
• Collaborate with Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), departmental committees, and university partners on safety and compliance initiatives
• Assist with incident response, emergency preparedness, and continuous improvement of departmental safety practices
• Lead departmental safety communications, outreach efforts, and annual safety engagement events
• Provide guidance on new equipment, laboratory processes, and safety infrastructure improvements
• Supervise student workers and temporary staff supporting departmental safety operations

If you are someone who enjoys building relationships, supporting others in hands-on environments, improving processes, and helping create spaces where research and learning can thrive safely, we encourage you to apply.

Minimum Experience/Education:

Relevant post-baccalaureate credentials required; bachelor's degree plus alternative or equivalent professional training and experience may be substituted for the advanced degree on an exceptional basis.

Required Qualifications:

• Working knowledge of laboratory safety regulations, policies, and compliance requirements in research or technical environments
• Experience supporting or coordinating safety programs in laboratories, industrial settings, or similarly safety-critical environments
• Ability to communicate safety requirements clearly to diverse audiences through training, presentations, and written guidance
• Strong organizational skills with demonstrated success managing documentation, inspections, training records, and competing priorities
• Proven ability to build effective working relationships across faculty, researchers, students, and staff while supporting a culture of safety and accountability
• Capacity to rapidly learn and apply knowledge of laboratory hazards (e.g., chemicals, electrical systems, pressure systems, fire risks, and equipment-related risks) to support safe operations

Preferred Qualifications:

If not already certified, the Safety Officer will be supported in obtaining these certifications: OSHA HazCom 29 CFR 1910.1200; OSHA HAZWOPER 24 or 40 hr 29 CFR 1910.120; laser safety training (Class 3B or 4); biosafety training; radiation safety training; AHA First Aid /CPR/AED training.