Executive Director (0475U) #71269

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity, and ensures that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world's leading institutions of higher education, distinguished by its combination of internationally recognized academic and research excellence; the transformative opportunity it provides to a large and diverse student body; its public mission and commitment to equity and social justice; and its roots in the California experience, animated by such values as innovation, questioning the status quo, and respect for the environment and nature. Since its founding in 1868, Berkeley has fueled a perpetual renaissance, generating unparalleled intellectual, economic and social value in California, the United States and the world.

We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at Berkeley, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice that requires broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students and community partners. In deciding whether to apply for a position at Berkeley, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, our Principles of Community, and our Strategic Plan.

At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. To find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley, visit grow.berkeley.edu.

The Office of Environment, Health & Safety's (EH&S) mission is to provide guidance and services to the campus community that promote health, safety, and environmental stewardship.

EH&S is a highly dynamic, fast paced, committed organization focused on promoting workplace safety and environmental protection for the campus community. We are comprised of many scientific, technical, and administrative professionals, working in an evolving, learning, and sometimes challenging environment with a unified goal of supporting the University's mission of teaching, research and public service. EH&S strives to be an inclusive, service oriented, and operationally excellent organization and is seeking highly motivated individuals who want to learn, be creative, seek continuous competency development, and contribute to our mission.

For more information, visit http://ehs.berkeley.edu

Position Summary

The Executive Director of the Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) is responsible for providing innovative and strategic leadership for a comprehensive campuswide environment, health and safety and emergency management program (Program) at the University of California, Berkeley. The Program impacts the teaching and research mission of the campus, the campus community and its physical plant.

The Executive Director (ED) has oversight and lead responsibility for campus compliance to applicable laws and regulations; key environmental, health and safety and emergency management programs; and direct services to manage hazardous waste and prevent pollution, fire and accidents. This campuswide Program has political and public implications and is constantly impacted by external constraints due to federal and state regulation. The ED maintains extensive and frequent interaction with campus executive management and UC systemwide leadership; members of the national environment, health and safety directors' community; risk management and emergency management communities, representatives of federal and state agencies that have a vested interest in environment, health, safety and emergency management issues; the campus community; and the surrounding municipalities. The ED provides leadership and encourages collaboration on EH&S issues amongst campus departments, UC campuses and universities throughout the nation.

The ED ensures managers and staff understand and support the EH&S mission and vision. The ED models leadership that is open to input, decisive, proactive, communicates vision, and provides employees with the support and feedback they need to do their best work. They promote and contribute to a successful team-oriented work environment ensuring interdependence and cooperation, constructive and positive communications, and mutual support. They demonstrate, promote, and recognize campus, divisional, and departmental high standards for excellent customer service, effective use of resources, workplace safety, professional development, personal accountability, and continuous improvement.

This position reports to both the Vice Chancellor for Research (research safety) and the Vice Chancellor for Administration (campus safety and emergency management). Note that the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) currently reports outside of EH&S, but will move under EH&S to report to the Executive Director when hired. The position currently oversees an annual average budget of $11M with 69 employees (7 direct reports).

Applications will be reviewed on/after August 21, 2024.

Serves as the top campus Environment, Health and Safety official, and leads the EH&S and OEM offices in their mission to promote health, safety and environmental protection in research, teaching, public service and administrative activity by providing expertise, programs, direct services and compliance assistance and support the shared office vision.

Directs the overall operation of the EH&S and OEM Offices, including management of regulatory compliance and overall program management. Directs and has lead responsibility for campus compliance requirements or programs to implement applicable environment and health and safety laws, and regulations for:

• Biosafety
• Chemical Safety
• Controlled Substances
• Construction Compliance
• Emergency Preparedness, Response, Business Continuity, and Disaster Recovery
• Environmental Impacts to Air, Soil, and Water
• Field Safety
• Fire Prevention and Life Safety, Title 19
• Hazardous Materials Management and Waste Disposal
• Injury and Illness Prevention
• Laboratory and Research Safety
• Radiation Safety, including laser use, radiofrequency (RF) fields and high intensity magnetic field devices
• Occupational Safety
• Sanitation
• Shop Safety

Special Projects: Contaminated Site Remediation, Workers Compensation Cost Reduction, Other Projects

Partners and influences satellite departmental safety organizations that may have specific technical needs.

Advises campus leadership on short- and long-term strategies regarding EH&S and OEM compliance.

• Develop long-range strategic planning and initiatives to ensure campus compliance with changing standards of environmental, health and safety regulation and law, and emergency preparedness practices.
• Propose new campus policy or revision to existing policy , if implemented, will help to prevent, mitigate, or abate environmental, and health and safety concerns.
• Monitor and assess statutory and regulatory environmental, health, and safety requirements that impact the campus with potential programmatic, policy, and budgetary implications.

Responsible for comprehensive personnel administration including selection, performance management, corrective action as required and providing leadership and direction to EH&S and OEM subordinate managers.

• Build and maintain a strong EH&S and OEM management team to effectively manage the array of specialized functional areas with differing regulatory and compliance drivers. Provide guidance to senior managers to effectively liaise with regulators, campus stakeholders, researchers, and university leadership in addressing emerging or ongoing issues.

Develops, prioritizes, and implements a complex budget portfolio and resources for EH&S and OEM functions. As recommended, seeks revenue generation as appropriate and maximizes current funding streams to support EH&S, OEM and campus priorities.

Develops and implements safety and preparedness, policy and training programs. Determines campus' compliance or non-compliance with new regulations and the best means by which the campus must or will comply.

• Holds interpretive and advisory responsibility on campuswide environment and health and safety subject matter.
• Ensures inclusion of the academic and research community in environment, health, and safety issues that directly impact their activities.
• Ensures development of robust policies and procedures to prepare and safeguard the campus community and infrastructure during emergencies.
• Completes and maintains compliance on campus/systemwide training requirements, as well as any training necessary per role.
• Maintains extensive and frequent communication with campus executive management
• Partners and collaborates with various campus departments including Facilities Services, Capital Projects, University Health Services, UC Police Department, Community Relations, People & Culture (HR), Office of Risk Management, and others to ensure effective campus organizational coordination in environmental and health and safety programs
• Represents the campus and has an active liaison role with UC Office of the President- Risk Services
• Ensures close coordination with campus leadership during emergencies
• Serves as the campus's environment, health and safety representative or respondent, acting for the chancellor or members of the executive branch in regulatory and legislative processes (e.g., hearings, policy or legislative development participation); with local, State, and federal bodies (examples below); in responses to the media and other information inquiries, and responding to citations, notices, or legal correspondence in coordination with appropriate legal affairs counsel.

Interfaces with local, state and federal agencies, including, but not exclusive to:

• Local/Regional: City of Berkeley (fire, public works, public health, and toxic management division), Certified Unified Protection Agency, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Bay Area Air Quality Management Board; Red Cross
• State: Cal/OSHA, Cal/EPA, Department of Toxic Substances Control, State Water Resources Control Board, California Air Resources Board, Office of the State Fire Marshal, California Department of Public Health-Radiologic Health Branch;
• Federal: Department of Energy, US EPA, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Drug Enforcement Agency

Directs the coordination of the risk assessment, emergency preparedness and chemical emergency response programs.

• Oversees investigation programs for accidents, fires, chemical, biological hazards and other relevant environmental, health and safety incidents.
• Oversees emergency response program to assure appropriate EH&S response to campuswide disasters, including ESF-10 Hazardous Materials (as part of campus Emergency Operations Plan), serving in the campus Emergency Operations Center, or, as a responder to off-hours emergency hazardous spill incidents.
• Oversees emergency preparedness program to ensure preparedness and response to campus, local and regional emergencies.
• In a campuswide disaster, serve as a key member of the EH&S Emergency Support Function (ESF-10) or campus Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

• Comprehensive and advanced knowledge and understanding of all relevant technical requirements, logistics, materials, operations, policies, rules, regulations, and compliance regulators in health and safety, environmental protection, environmental health and emergency preparedness disciplines.
• Advanced management skills to effectively lead and direct a comprehensive EH&S program.
• Excellent strategic planning and executive communications skills to ensure effective planning and response.
• Ten (10) years of experience developing, implementing, and measuring the success of major programs in the field of Environmental Health and Safety, including at least five (5) years of senior leadership/management experience coaching, motivating, leading and directing subordinate managers and staff, and advanced skills in comprehensive personnel administration.
• Advanced skills in managing highly complex budgets, that serve many stakeholders, including the ability to prioritize budget requests and make decisions based on sound judgment and full knowledge of the scope of departmental needs.
• Advanced skills to appropriately plan for and efficiently respond to and direct the response to emergencies and critical situations, including follow-up evaluation and critique of response efficacy; creates, develops and implements changes to emergency response as required.
• Experience in risk communication and risk management for various target populations.
• Advanced written, verbal and interpersonal communications skills to effectively address complex and potentially sensitive subject matter, including expertise and skill to interact successfully with a diverse array of technical, scientific, legal, political, and public entities. Includes ability to communicate effectively in a full range of forums with a stakeholder- focused approach.
• Demonstrates a desire to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, to establish and maintain positive and effective working relationships throughout the organization and with outside constituencies.
• Advanced degree and/or professional certification required, in sciences and/or equivalent experience/training in a high-performing laboratory safety culture.

• Professional certification in applicable area: (e.g., CSP/ASP (safety), CIH (industrial hygiene), RBP/CBSP (biosafety), CHMM (haz materials), CHP (health physics), QSP/QSD (stormwater)).

This is a full-time, career position.

This position is eligible for the full range of UC Benefits. For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $218,900 - $255,250, annually. The full campus range for this position is $151,400 - $301,800.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Please include, as part of your application a brief (1-2 paragraph) statement on your contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in your professional experience.

Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to our UC Berkeley Principles of Community, which states that "every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring, and humane environment in which these values can thrive."

This is not a visa opportunity.

An outside search firm, ZRG Partners, will conduct this executive search. For questions regarding this position, please email BerkeleyEHS@zrgpartners.com.

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant, please see the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission poster.

The University of California's Affirmative action policy.

The University of California's Anti-Discrimination policy.