Director of Environmental Health and Safety & Fire Safety Services

Summary/Position Description:

The Division of Facilities, Planning and Operations at Rowan University is a growing enterprise. The Division’s mission is to create and sustain a vibrant, safe, supportive environment at Rowan’s campuses. The Division is dedicated to providing leadership in facilities, campus planning, development and maintenance. Organizationally, the Division is led by the Vice President of Facilities Planning and Operations who is a member of the President’s executive cabinet.

The Department of Facilities Operations is a part of the Division of Facilities, Planning and Operations.  Through collaboration and partnership with the rest of the Division of Facilities, Planning and Operations and campus community, this Department leads the overall management of facilities operations including Trades, Central Plant Operations, Department of Environmental Health, Safety and Fire Safety, and Custodial Operations.

Under the limited supervision of the Assistant Vice President for Facilities Operations, the Director of Environmental Health and Safety & Fire Safety Services directs and manages the overall operation of the Department of Environmental Health and Life Safety department including, but not limited to workplace safety training, laboratory safety, fire inspection oversight, and interaction with municipal fire departments, regional fire related jurisdictions, and the State Fire Marshall’s office on the Glassboro Campus, the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine (Rowan-VirtuaSOM), the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU), the West Campus including the South Jersey Tech Park (SJTP), School of Veterinary Medicine, and Nursing School, Fossil Park in Mantua Township, the Joint Health Science Building in Camden, and Camden Academic Bank Building.

The Director of Environmental Health and Safety & Fire Safety Services engages cross functional leadership over all campuses and continually innovates to achieve a culture of excellence in environmental health and fire safety, protection, and prevention. The sphere of influence for this position is campus wide and for all Rowan campus locations, and it directly impacts the overall construction and design activity related to facility structures, as well as active fire and life safety of the campus population and lastly, engages key stakeholders regarding laboratory and biological safety in support of University research initiatives. 

The Director of Environmental Health and Safety and Fire Services is also responsible for a comprehensive institutional fire protection and fire safety and prevention program including investigation, emergency planning coordination, construction and operational permitting, and public education programs to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local mandates. Work is performed under limited direction and employee plans and arranges own tasks; direction is occasionally provided by supervisor; must be able to apply standard policy or procedure to routine problems or duties without benefit of specific guidelines; determines actions to be taken without immediate direction of supervisor in all but unusual cases; creates new procedures for resolving non-routine matters having a moderate to high potential for generating conflict. University policy, government regulations, institutional precedents, professional standards, and accepted practices govern independent action.  

Position routinely interacts with students, staff, faculty, unit administrators and regulatory agencies, and functions as an internal consultant to all levels of the University. This position collaborates with the Associate Director of Fire Safety at the Glassboro campus and the Associate Director of SOM Environmental Health and Safety at the Rowan-VirtuaSOM campus. Failure to perform tasks satisfactorily can result in liability, property damage, injury or fatality, regulatory noncompliance, and fine, imprisonment or both.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Oversees the Department of Environmental Health and Life Safety, including administrative and budgetary responsibilities for all campuses.
• Develop, provide oversight, and partner with the Human Resources Department and Risk Management department to enforce the University’s Injury Illness Prevention Program; develop campus policies, procedures, and programs necessary to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local environmental regulations and institute policy; provide communications, training, education and outreach to campus constituents regarding health and safety topics; advise the campus executive leadership and the campus community on matters related to environmental health and safety operational and policy issues.
• Acts as the University's liaison with the Borough of Glassboro, State Fire Marshal, and the University's Risk Management Department and insurance carrier on construction, types and designs of buildings, fire prevention and similar matters relating to Fire and Life Safety issues as well as all other municipalities as required.
• Develops goals and objectives for the Fire Safety team in conjunction with local emergency response agencies, focusing on prevention programs in coordination with university administration and departmental objectives.
• Plans and carries out a program consistently of inspecting University property for fire and environmental health hazards, fire code violations and adequacy of fire protection systems and equipment. Take formal remedial action to identify, notify and then remove hazards. Maintain records relating to the Fire and Life Safety Program (i.e., inspections, investigations, equipment inventory, etc.)
• Develops, maintains and implements EHS and University policies, procedures and programs related to fire protection, prevention, life safety, fire safety and general safety programs; defines successful strategies by assessing and developing needed partnerships with University stakeholders.
• Responsible for monitoring national, state and local trends, emerging issues, pending legislation and regulations and works closely with the University’s Office of General Counsel, the Office of Research, and Office of Internal Audit to strategically position the University to anticipate future regulatory or budgetary cost impacts.
• Administers the daily operations of Fire Protection, Fire Prevention, Life Safety program, Construction Reviews and inspection, and special event and other operational permitting programs; provides supervision to Fire Safety/Prevention and EHS staff including professional development, setting objectives, and ensuring performance expectations are clear.
• Serves as primary contact with local and state agencies relating to all areas of oversight responsibility; develops reports and administrative submissions.  Responsible for submitting required reports to Agencies having jurisdiction to meet set deadlines.
• Works closely with the Rowan University Police Department to facilitate and support activities related to emergency response, mitigation, and emergency preparedness compliance with federal, state, and local requirements policy, and institutional best practices.
• Serves the University community with ongoing fire safety and emergency preparedness coordination with direct support in developing specific fire safety protocols and building/department emergency floor plans, coordinating with the Rowan University Police Department on emergency plans, evacuation plans, and emergency response guides.
• Serves as the senior level contact person for fire incident and EHS claims investigation and mitigation; coordinates response with Risk Management and Public Safety on all asset related matters.
• Coordinates and oversees EH&S responses to critical campus incidents and ensures appropriate hazard mitigation and remediation for hazardous materials incidents, in full compliance with applicable federal, state and/or local regulations.
• Provides leadership to campus safety initiatives, oversees the University Environmental Health and Safety Committee, and participates in various safety and compliance working groups and regulatory committees, as needed, to support campus health and safety requirements and efforts (lab safety, radiation, chemical, biosafety/IBC, animal care and use, as well as, technical advisory groups, etc.)
• Periodically conducts field inspections and evaluations of construction and renovation projects to ensure implementation of fire protection, fire prevention and fire safety programs and assess potential regulatory compliance issues.  Acts as consult to the Design and Construction group and oversees and reviews potential construction documents to ensure compliance with standards within area of responsibility.
• Develops, revises, and implements guidance documents, policies, and procedures relative to Fire Protection, Prevention, Construction and Operational Permits, Emergency Response and Safety Management, and Environmental Health and Safety.  Employee is also required to provide annual fire safety training and fire response drills to students, housed in university buildings. 
• Ensure all life and fire safety related certifications are appropriately supported and current.
• Maintain records for EH&S and Fire Safety in a master database.
• Designs and performs the various elements of the fire and life safety education and training programs for the University and its satellite facilities, both on and off campus.
• Attends required training as necessary to maintain certifications and proficiency in assigned tasks. Provides fire safety coverage for special events.
• Accomplishes miscellaneous fire and environmental health and safety duties such as issuing hot work and confined space entry permits.
• Provides sole oversight and manages the University’s hazardous waste streams.  Directly involved with managing the proper collection, disposal, and invoicing of the hazardous waste streams, including solid waste, recycling, medical, hazardous, biological, radioactive, and universal waste.
• Other duties or projects as assigned as appropriate

Performs other related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position.

Requirements:

Education:  Bachelor's degree in Environmental Sciences or related field appropriate to the area of assignment, Environmental Health and Safety/Occupational Health, Fire Administration or Fire Science, Public Administration, Individualized Programs with main emphasis on Fire or Public Administration.

Experience:  Minimum 10 years of progressive related professional experience, including a minimum of six (6) years of supervisory experience. Experience in operating within an institutional or higher education setting overseeing Campus-wide activities is preferable. Experience with civil service regulations or unionized labor contracts preferred. Ability to gather data, compile information, and prepare reports; to react calmly and effectively in emergency situations. Skill in developing procedures, inspection practices, and protocols. Working knowledge and understanding of prevention maintenance principles, practices, standards, and resources. Knowledge and understanding of State, Federal, and local regulations, and codes. Effective interpersonal and communication (written and oral) skills and ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community. Skill in organizing resources and establishing priorities. Ability to develop, plan, and implement short and long-range goals. Ability to foster a cooperative work environment. Skill in budget preparation and fiscal management.