Job Details

Director, EHS
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Position Number: 5917460
Location: Dallas, TX
Position Type: Business - Finance

Director, EHS

Salary Range:

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

About SMU

SMU's more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University's small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem - paired with entrepreneurial drive - creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU's relationship with Dallas - the dynamic center of one of the nation's fastest-growing regions - offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

About the Department:

The Office of Risk Management (ORM) advances the mission of Southern Methodist University by promoting a culture of readiness, and resilience. ORM is comprised of key functional areas, including Emergency Management, Environmental Health and Safety, Risk Operations, and International Safety and Security. Through professional services, technical expertise, training programs, and regulatory guidance, ORM strives to protect the University's people, assets, and reputation.

With a team of approximately 10 dedicated professionals, ORM also supports the University's strategic Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) initiatives. Led by the Associate Vice President and Chief Risk Officer (CRO), ERM fosters leadership engagement, cross-campus collaboration, situational awareness, and proactive problem-solving. Together, these efforts enhance the University's resilience and agility in an ever-changing environment.

About the Position:

This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

The Director of Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) reports to the Associate Vice President and Chief Risk Officer and is responsible for promoting, facilitating, and providing expert consultation and direction for EHS programs across the campus. This role manages the EHS functional group and develops, implements, and monitors health, safety, and environmental programs and policies to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The Director acts as a liaison to relevant external agencies and promotes a safety culture on campus, advising on health, safety, and environmental issues and corrective actions.

Essential Functions:

Plan, develop, implement, and maintain EHS programs, including training, within multiple disciplines including research and laboratory safety, occupational health and safety, radiation safety, industrial hygiene, hazardous materials management, biosafety, an environmental compliance.
Provide technical expertise and support to all university departments on regulatory compliance best practices in health, safety, and environmental issues. Ensure EHS representation on various committees, including the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Emergency Management Committee (EMC), and other assigned committees and task forces.
Act in various administrative roles and lead ORM projects and initiatives as requested. Collaborate closely with the Office of Research and Innovation, the Office of Facilities Planning and Management, and other relevant departments across the university. Provide coaching and mentoring to the EHS functional team to enhance their skills and effectiveness.
Direct occupational safety and health programs, including training for all university faculty and staff. Routinely interact with faculty, staff, students, and any department that may need support regarding safety and health concerns.
Direct laboratory and research safety programs, including training. Conduct inspections of all university-managed labs in accordance with federal and statutory laws. Collaborate with principal investigators and lab personnel, providing guidance for research efforts.
Direct investigations or inspections as needed to support compliance and risk mitigation. This includes responding promptly to incidents, performing root cause analysis to identify underlying issues, and implementing corrective actions to prevent recurrence. Address indoor air quality (IAQ) issues promptly and mitigate incidents as needed.
Provide metrics for tracking, trending, and reporting for institutional reporting, compliance and continuous improvement.
Support overall office functions, collaborate with colleagues to manage risk, and foster a culture of risk mitigation throughout the university. Provides support for emergency management as part of EHS or in conjunction with the university's emergency management function within the Office of Risk Management.
Perform other duties as required. Maintain a valid driver's license in accordance with the university's fleet policy if driving a university vehicle.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's is required.

A minimum of seven (7) years of experience is required. Candidate with master's degree is preferred.

Candidate must demonstrate comprehensive and thorough knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations relating to Environmental Health and Safety. Experience in hazardous material management and lab safety is required.

Candidate with professional certification (CSP, CIH and/or CHMM), or the ability to obtain is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Candidate with the ability to work with a wide range of people at varying levels of skill and authority-effectively-is required. The ability to multi-task, manage and prioritize day-to-day tasks combined with project management and strategic planning is required. Strong understanding of compliance is preferred. Candidate with experience in coaching/mentoring of direct reports is required.

Candidate with intermediate Microsoft Office skills is required. Candidate with proficiency in modern software programs for training, inspections, database management, and compliance tracking is preferred. Web page management is required.

Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University and develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of constituencies. Must also demonstrate strong written communication skills.

Candidate must possess strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions. Must also have strong organizational, planning and time management skills.

Physical and Environmental Demands:

Sit for long periods of time

Deadline to Apply:

Open until filled.

EEO Statement:

SMU will not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies and may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu.

Benefits:

SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.

SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.

The value of learning at SMU isn't just about preparing our students for the future. Employees have access to a wide variety of professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits.

Primary Location: USA-TX-Dallas

Job: Compliance, Risk and Legal

Organization: Risk Management

Schedule: Regular

Shift: Staff

Employee Status: Director

Job Type: Full-time

Job Level: Day Job

Travel: Yes, 25 % of the Time

Job Posting: Jan 8, 2025, 10:54:02 PM

To apply, visit https://smu.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=RIS00000032&tz=GMT%2B00%3A00&tzname=UTC