Division Director, Safety & Operations Services

Requisition Id 11436 

Overview:   

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environment, Safety, Health, and Quality Director is seeking a qualified employee to serve as the Director of the Safety & Operations Services Division (SOSD). The mission of the SOSD is to deploy effective and efficient safety programs, promote a strong safety culture that reduces workplace injuries, and support the world-class ORNL research and operations. The SOSD Director works closely with line management across the Laboratory and with SOSD staff to identify, assess, and control hazards in the workplace and instill safe work practices and safety-conscious behavior to prevent workplace injuries. SOSD is responsible for leading implementation of a full range of programs in the areas of occupational safety, industrial hygiene, electrical safety, and research operations support such that potential workplace exposures to physical, chemical, and biological hazards are minimized and comply with applicable requirements. SOSD is also responsible for providing field-deployed safety as well as research operations support professionals to line management to assist in the day-to-day performance of work and implementation of applicable programs.

The Safety & Operations Services Division Director is responsible for developing, planning, organizing, coordinating, and monitoring implementation of safety and work control programs.  The SOSD Director is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the organization (budget, planning, staffing, recruiting, business plan execution, etc.) while developing the technical and organizational strengths of the programs and deployed staff.  ORNL is the largest U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) science and energy laboratory, conducting basic and applied research to deliver transformative solutions to compelling problems in energy and security. Our diverse capabilities space a broad spectrum of scientific and engineering disciplines, enabling the Laboratory to explore fundamental science challenges and to carry out the research needed to accelerate the delivery of solutions to the marketplace.

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

The SOSD Director is the ORNL Worker Safety & Health Management System Owner (MSO) and the Research Work Project/Planning and Control MSO and therefore is responsible for implementation of an effective and compliant safety and work control programs for the Laboratory. Serve as the primary technical research for issues related to the WSH and Research Work Control Management Systems and their implementation.  The role requires strong leadership and communication skills with experience in balancing compliance risks with needs of enabling safe work performance. Specific responsibilities include:

• Serve as the ORNL Safety Director, responsible for overall development & delivery of effective & efficient safety programs that comply with applicable regulatory requirements as defined in the UT-Battelle Prime Contract (e.g., 10 CFR 850, 10 CFR 851, etc.).
• Provide technical leadership and direction to field-deployed industrial hygiene & safety, electrical safety, and research operations support representatives, including interaction with line management to ensure field support is effective and meeting customer needs.
• Provide leadership of safety and research operations improvement actions.
• Provide leadership of SOSD employees, including on-site & off-site subcontractors used to assist in implementation of programs & services.
• Monitor safety and operations support performance at the Laboratory and work proactively with line management to positively influence staff behavior with the goal of effecting continuous improvement of operational excellence performance.
• Facilitate or participate in event critiques, causal analyses, and corrective action plan development.
• Participate in assessments to verify compliance and program effectiveness associated with a particular Directorate and/or lab wide.
• Serve as the communication leader with DOE, the Leadership Team, and UT-Battelle employees in matters related to safety and operational excellence performance.
• Interact with other Battelle and DOE National Laboratories to benchmark safety and work control program performance and share lessons learned. Actively participate on the Battelle Worker Health & Safety Community of Practice (CoP) and other applicable CoP as the UT-Battelle representative.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications:

A minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in a safety-related technical field (Public Health, Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Safety, Engineering, or related technical discipline) and minimum 12 years of relevant experience is required for this position, including at least 5 years of successful line management experience leading a technical organization. An equivalent combination of education & experience will be considered for those candidates with a Research & Development background or who possess an advanced degree.

Prior experience in supervision of staff and in the management of subcontracts is required for this position.

• Field implementation of DOE’s Integrated Safety Management (ISM) and DOE’s Worker Safety and Health Program (10 CFR 851).
• Management experience in research operations, electrical safety, industrial hygiene, occupational and/or construction safety.

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, interpersonal and influencing skills.  Ability to effectively interface with DOE and UT-Battelle management and staff at all levels.
• The successful candidate must demonstrate proven leadership ability through prior work experience.
• A working knowledge of applicable safety laws and associated regulatory requirements at a DOE facility is required (e.g. 10 CFR 850, 10 CFR 851).

• This position may be required to participate in the ORNL Emergency Response cadre, including formally being “on call” to respond to an Operational Emergency.
• This position will be required to obtain and maintain a DOE “Q” security clearance, although candidates will be considered regardless of their current clearance status.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A professional certification such as Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) Experience in the DOE complex and ORNL systems such as Research Hazard Analysis and Control System, Integrated Safety Management, CTS for industrial hygiene sampling data
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs.

Special Requirements:

• Q or L clearance: This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.

Benefits at ORNL:  

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain talented people. The laboratory offers many employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to help you and your family live happy and healthy. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also provided for convenience.

Other benefits include: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.

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This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.