Director of Environment, Safety, and Health (ESH)

Position Description

Come join our team at Jefferson Lab, where great minds matter.

Posting Date: 09/24/2024

Work Location Type: Dedicated On-Site (Working 100% on-site)

What your job will be like:

The Director of Environment, Safety, and Health (ESH) and Chief Safety Officer leads Jefferson Lab’s commitment to maintain a safe and healthy workplace for all employees, laboratory users, contractors and visitors. This position directs all ESH programs including, industrial safety, radiation protection, occupational medicine, industrial hygiene, and emergency management. This includes development, implementation, and evaluation of ESH initiatives, injury and illness prevention strategies, safe work practices, event investigation, program and policy development, and all ESH education and training.

Jefferson Lab, located in Newport News, Virginia, is a renowned nuclear physics research and development center. It houses a dedicated team of more than 850 scientists, engineers, and support staff who work on advanced superconducting radio frequency accelerators. The Lab is managed by Jefferson Science Associates, LLC under a long-term contract with the United States Department of Energy.

The ESH Director reports to the COO and is part of the Lab’s senior management team. They have access to the Lab Director and DOE leadership, and represents Jefferson Lab in the DOE ESH community. They manage a team of 40+ ESH professionals and a $5M annual budget.

In this role you will:

• Serves as Jefferson Lab’s chief safety officer and provides active leadership and foresight to maintain and improve an ESH program critical to the safe and effective conduct of the Lab’s mission. 
• Promote a culture where ESH success is a shared responsibility of all employees, measured by trust, ownership, engagement, and positive actions.
• Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of Jefferson Lab’s integrated ESH management system in line with 10 CFR 851, 10 CFR 835, and other contract and regulatory requirements.
• Be a visible and accessible leader that engages employees at all levels to promote safe work planning and execution, feedback and improvement, and organizational learning.
• Manages ESH training by integrating subject matter expertise into curriculum development and delivery to all Jefferson Lab employees, users, and contractors.
• Integrate ESH into the planning of Jefferson Lab activities including scheduling of major operations and projects, design and modification of systems, resource planning, risk management and leadership decisions.
• Lead emergency management planning, rehearsal, and coordination of internal resources with the DOE and local authorities. Serve as the Operations Manager on the emergency management team during simulations and real-world emergencies.
• Implement effective injury and illness case management, ensuring appropriate reporting and investigation of injuries and illnesses, and the development of corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Support Jefferson Lab’s environmental sustainability initiatives by maintaining required permits and overseeing the collection, measurement and interpretation of operating data to minimize environmental impact.
• Provide mentorship, development, and career progression counseling to a staff of ESH professionals. Assign tasks, establish accountability, conduct performance management/appraisals and salary administration, and guide their growth and development.
• Create, build and implement processes that measure ESH performance through program assessments, compliance audits, inspections, and incident reports that drive continuous improvement.
• Establish and manage budgets for the ESH organization, covering operating, expense, and capital expenses. Contribute to strategic discussions to identify and project ESH needs, guaranteeing the allocation of adequate resources to fulfill organizational requirements.

Qualifications We Require:

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Health Physics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Environmental, Mechanical Engineering, Risk Management or closely related field from an accredited college or university. 

Experience:

• 15 years of relevant experience that includes at least 7 years developing, leading, maintaining and sustaining ESH programs in a research and development or high consequence operations environment.
• Experience managing relevant policy/program functions, e.g., industrial safety, radiation protection, occupational medicine, industrial hygiene, and emergency management.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to exercise executive level leadership for programs, budget, and facilities responsibilities.
• Proven ability to exercise independent judgment in situations of ambiguous or unforeseeable outcomes or emergencies.
• Demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills; present information clearly to a wide range of audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without straight-line organizational authority.
• Strong visionary, communication and leadership skills. Ability to speak effectively with large audiences about ESH subjects, trends, and lessons. learned. Ability to organize and write clear and succinct policy, plans, reports, and business communication.

Qualifications We Desire:

Education:

• Master’s Degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Health Physics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Environmental, Mechanical Engineering, Risk Management or closely related field.

Experience:

• Experience leading in a 24/7 operations and complex research and development environment.
• ESH leadership experience within the Department of Energy National Lab Complex or other highly regulated environment.
• Experience implementing and assessing ESH DOE orders and policies.
• Experience fostering a culture of innovation in an ESH organization.
• Experience integrating Human Performance Improvement principles into an organization’s work practices­­.

Certifications:

• Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Certified Safety Manager (CSM) or other related professional certifications.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to attract, develop and retain high performing staff.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively lead and manage change throughout an organization.
• Experience developing and maintaining partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and effectively utilize available resources to meet deadlines and adjust to changing priorities.
• Demonstrates strategic perspective, problem solving, critical thinking, and comfort with change.

About Jefferson Lab

Join a community with a common purpose of solving the most challenging scientific and engineering problems of our time. The Jefferson Lab campus is located in southeastern Virginia amidst a vibrant and growing technology community.

A career at Jefferson Lab is more than a job. You will be part of “big science” and work alongside top scientists and engineers from around the world unlocking the secrets of our visible universe. Managed by Jefferson Science Associates, LLC; Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility is entering an exciting period of mission growth and is seeking new team members ready to apply their skills and passion to have an impact. You could call it work, or you could call it a mission. We call it a challenge. We do things that will change the world.

Total Rewards at Jefferson Lab

At Jefferson Lab, we believe that a comprehensive employee benefits program is an important and meaningful part of the compensation employees receive. Our benefits program includes, but is not limited to:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Care Plans
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Paid Time-off and Leave Programs (Paid Parental, vacation, holidays, and sick leave)
• 401(k) Plan – 9% Lab Contribution; 100% vested
• Flexible Work Arrangements (Remote & Alternate Work Schedules available)
• Tuition Assistance, Training and Professional Development Programs
• Live near the waterways of the Chesapeake Bay region with access to nearby beaches, mountains, and all major metropolitan centers on the East Coast

Jefferson Science Associates, LLC (JSA) manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab). JSA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, or veteran status or on any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law. As part of the JSA’s equal employment opportunity policy, we also take affirmative action as called for by applicable laws and Executive Orders to ensure that minority group individuals, females, disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, other protected veterans, Armed Forces, and qualified disabled persons are introduced into our workforce and considered for promotional opportunities.

JSA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities (unless doing so will result in an undue hardship). If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to employment @ jlab.org or call (757) 269-7598 to provide the nature of your request. Reasonable accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Employment with JSA is conditional upon DOE approval if at any time during your employment you are participating in a Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Program or Affiliated activity. Generally, such programs/activities include any foreign-state-sponsored attempt to acquire U.S.-funded scientific research through programs run or funded by the government that target scientists, engineers, students, academics, researchers, and entrepreneurs of all nationalities working or educated in the United States. This includes positions or appointments, both domestic and foreign, titled academic, professional, or institutional appointments whether or not remuneration is received and whether full-time, part-time or voluntary.

Read Full Description