Associate Director, Environmental Health and Safety

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU’s benefits here.

VCU's Safety & Risk Management team has an exciting opportunity for an Associate Director, Environmental Health and Safety!

 Position Summary/Overview:

Reporting to the Director of Environmental Health and Safety, the Associate Director is responsible for the operations, quality, and management support of VCU's EHS programs. This role ensures the university complies with federal, state, and local regulations related to environmental health and safety, fosters a culture of safety, and reinforces VCU's commitment to maintaining a safe working, learning, and research environment.

Key Responsibilities:
- Leads the strategic planning and management for assigned areas and assists the director in developing and implementing the overall departmental strategic plan.

- Document and communicate SRM program performance to senior management, regulators and customers, and ensure programs are accurately tracking relevant metrics and meeting goals and objectives.   Maintain and update the SRM data dashboard(s).

- Advises director and SRM leadership on resource allocations to ensure performance and function of the EHS team.  Ensures the accuracy and validity of EHS data and field performance.

- Assist in the development, implementation, and maintenance of comprehensive EHS programs, policies, and procedures.

- Liaise and collaborate with key partners across the university and health system to promote and integrate EHS programs.

- Assist in the development of emergency response plans and support the university's incident command team (ICT) and liaise with Emergency Management staff..

- Develop job descriptions, conduct interviews, and train new EHS staff.

- Provide EHS guidance and participate in the design, construction, and renovation of all VCU spaces involving hazardous material use.

- Provide leadership and mentorship to EHS staff, fostering a collaborative and proactive team environment.

- Performs other duties as assigned by the Director or AVP.

Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in basic sciences or a related STEM field.
- A minimum of five (5) years of experience in Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) within a healthcare or academic research environment.
- Proven experience in implementing programs in at least two of the following EHS disciplines: laboratory safety, hazardous waste management, industrial hygiene, biological safety, or radiation safety.
- Experience in data management and creating dashboards to track and report on key EHS metrics.
- Ability to set priorities, oversee a diverse team of specialists, manage projects, meet deadlines, take initiative, and work independently.
- Excellent organizational, analytical, interpersonal, verbal, written, and personal communication skills.
- Strong ability to work effectively in a team-oriented environment.
- Demonstrated experience in working within and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications:
- Ten (10) years of experience in environmental health and safety within healthcare, or academic research environments.
- Ability to influence and lead effectively from within an organization.
- Strong negotiation skills with the ability to engage effectively with customers, regulatory agencies, government representatives, industry stakeholders, and professional organizations.
- Demonstrated capacity for team building and leadership, with a proactive approach to fostering a culture of safety that supports world-class patient care and research.
- Familiarity with higher education and EHS professional associations to provide benchmarking and professional development resources for the EHS team.