EHS Research Support Specialist - Environmental Health & Safety

The Environmental Health & Safety Department at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for an EHS Research Support Specialist.

About the Opportunity:

The EHS Research Support Specialist position supports and guides the WVU HSC campus towards environmental health & safety compliance and supports research compliance.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What you'll do:

• With minimal supervision, incumbent oversees planning, designing, developing, and administration of WVU HSC institutional policies relating to employee and student safety and health
• Continually evaluates regulatory developments, technological advances, and scientific research that may impact WVU health and safety programs or operations and personnel.
• Based upon changes at WVU, the regulatory climate, technology, and current research information, incumbent develops and redesigns health and safety programs, makes recommendations to WVU administration and personnel, and develops and implements policies needed to ensure program(s) effectiveness.
• Reviews submitted research projects and grant proposals in the WVU Research Administration Portal (WRAP) system, standard operating procedures, plans, specifications, designs, and purchases to anticipate hazards to persons or the environment and for compliance with environmental health and safety. Incumbent maintains positions on relevant committees such as the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), Institutional Animal Care (IACUC) and Use Committee and HSC Campus Building Safety Committee.
• Provides extensive review of research protocols and standard operating procedures, and makes recommendations for regarding OSHA, EPA, NFPA, ACUC etc. compliance issues. Conducts facility inspections for safety, health and IACUC compliance related issues.
• Maintains and establishes relationships with persons, committees, and organizations within and external to WVU HSC to facilitate problem solving and information acquisition needs for planning and administering health and safety programs.
• Attends collaborative meetings with WVU HSC departments and regulatory officials to create and facilitate relationships with representatives from these entities. Contacts are assisted with solutions and answers to their problems and concerns in a timely manner. Meetings are followed up with information research, correspondence and phone calls as appropriate. Corrective action is coordinated.
• Acts as a source of information for all WVU HSC supervisors/managers, administrators, faculty, staff, or students.
• Maintains documentation and references for federal, state, and local regulations. The incumbent interprets and standardizes information for safety and health programmatic usage or policy formation.
• As needed the incumbent responds to requests from outside federal, state, and local safety and health agencies for informational statistics and requests.
• Lead, guide, and direct the activities and assignments of graduate assistants.
• Design, develop policies, implement, and manage programs related to animal research safety management at WVU HSC.
• Provide training related to animal research safety.
• Interact with various institutional staff, administrative offices, researchers, service providers and regulatory agencies as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Health, Environmental Health, Animal Science or other related discipline.
• A minimum of four (4) years of professional experience in occupational safety, laboratory research, environmental management, hazardous materials, research compliance and animal care and use.
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in oral and written format.
• Demonstrated ability to utilize a computer and software.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and interpret federal, state, and local health and safety regulation and communicate quantitative and qualitative information.
• Demonstrated ability to use, interpret and apply appropriate regulations to the WVU HSC environment.
• Demonstrated ability to be creative and to solve complex problems.
• Demonstrated ability to complete assigned tasks frequently in a very limited time frame.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with all levels of personnel within and out of the teaching, research and Clinical setting, utilizing skills to negotiate, explain and persuade.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to a wide variety of work environments.
• Demonstrated ability to establish rapport and maintain a good working relationship with various local, state and federal regulatory agency personnel.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and work effectively within project teams and committees.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and administrate assigned health and safety programs as necessary for WVU HSC to maintain a safe and healthy environment on HSC campus.
• Demonstrate ability to lead and reason logically and strategically.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Health, Environmental Health, Animal Science or other related discipline preferred

• Valid Driver's License - incumbent must drive throughout the state and beyond to perform assigned tasks
• Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) certification required within one year. The incumbent must provide expertise for emergency response incidents on campus.
• National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) ICS-200 and 15-700 certification requires within one year. The incumbent must be equipped with the tools necessary to assist the local, state, and federal agencies during emergency response incidents on campus.

West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community. We take pride in our profound impact on the state of West Virginia and committed to the personal and professional growth of our employees.

From the groundbreaking R1 research at our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs at WVU Potomac State in Keyser, and the technology-intensive programs at WVU tech in Beckley, the contributions of WVU employees resonate across the state, touching lives and shaping futures.

At WVU, you will discover a supportive community that champions work-life balance and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Our core values - service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation - unite us as Mountaineers.

Join us at West Virginia University, where your work will make a lasting impact. To learn more about WVU, visit wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We invite all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or Veteran status.