Executive Director of Environmental Health & Safety

Oregon State University seeks an Executive Director of Environmental Health & Safety to lead and manage the Environmental Health and Safety Department. This role involves strategic leadership, program development, and compliance oversight to meet regulatory demands. The incumbent will coordinate with university stakeholders, manage EHS staff, and implement safety programs aligned with the university's mission and strategic plan. The position is based in Corvallis, OR.
Reporting directly to the Senior Associate Vice President for Administration (SAVPA), the Executive Director of Environmental Health & Safety effectively provides leadership, development, and oversees the administration of the Environmental Health and Safety Department and continuously improves practices, programs, policies, and procedures to meet changing regulatory demands that govern safety and health requirements and compliance responsibilities of the University. This position provides strategic leadership of Environmental Health & Safety in accordance with the strategic plan and mission of the University. To meet this responsibility, the incumbent is required to maintain effective and consistent coordination with university administrators; the Division of Research and Innovation; Office, the Office of Audit, Risk and Compliance; the Office of General Counsel; and deans and directors across all OSU locations.

In addition, the Executive Director of Environmental Health & Safety is responsible for the operational management of the Environmental Health & Safety functional groups, which consist of Lab Safety, Hazardous Waste, Biological Safety, Radiation Safety, Chemical Hygiene, Occupational Safety, Environmental Resource Protection, and Fire and Life Safety. Environmental Health & Safety provides leadership for the University and is responsible for developing, implementing, and administering comprehensive environmental health and safety programs for the University. The incumbent will perform all duties inherent to the managerial role, including, but not limited to, leading and participating in hiring, training, evaluations, and discipline of EHS staff in accordance with OSU policies. The Executive Director of Environmental Health & Safety is further responsible for addressing key program issues and risks and developing appropriate strategic plans, procedures and guidelines to ensure compliance with University policies and legislative and regulatory compliance.

The Executive Director of Environmental Health & Safety has considerable latitude in judgment on decisions relating to university standards, policies, procedures, environmental health and safety programs related to university-wide business and programs to satisfy university needs under the general guidance of applicable statutes, rules, and regulations. This position will effectively and collaboratively recommend environmental health and safety best practices to university stakeholders to help minimize university risk and exposure. The Executive Director of Environmental Health & Safety contributes to the decisions that have significant, broad implications for the management and operations of the division and the overall strategy of the University.

This position maintains a key role in the adherence to, and success of the OSU Strategic Plan. The incumbent is responsible for the strategic, transformational and tactical leadership to the OSU community to ensure the University’s safety program is incorporated into the development, operation, and success of the University. The incumbent must demonstrate a commitment to safety, fiscal responsibility, diversity, equity, inclusion, effective complex problem-solving and critical thinking to ensure academic, research, and administrative programs are supported.

Please visit https://savpa.oregonstate.edu/executive-director-environmental-health-and-safety-search to learn more about the position and the Department of Environmental Health & Safety.