Environmental Health and Safety Specialist

The Environmental Health and Safety Specialist position functions within an interdisciplinary team of safety professionals whose goal is providing a high-caliber, integrated, and comprehensive laboratory and research safety program.  Specifically, the EHS Specialist will provide top-level safety support for the UCF Health Sciences Campus (HSC).

This position will be located at the Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona with periodic visits to the UCF Main Campus.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the oversight of the safety programs for facilities at the Health Sciences Campus and serving as the liaison between main campus EHS Officers and HSC faculty, staff, and students.

• Provide critical support to the EHS Officers on the management of the DEA Controlled Substance Program, BSL3 compliance, laboratory safety inspections, radioactive material receipt, personnel monitoring, contamination control activities, auditing chemical inventories, hazardous materials purchases, environmental management activities, and the development and delivery of safety training.

• Assist with the preparation and distribution of laboratory inspection reports to Principal Investigators and/or laboratory managers at the HSC. Conduct re-inspections per UCF Campus Safety and Health Policy 3-122, when necessary.

• Assess and oversee the cleanup of biological, chemical, and radiological material spills in laboratory and core facilities. May assist the Environmental Management Coordinator with Environmental Management activities and investigations. Review and verify equipment and facility decontamination before surplus, transfer, or disposal.

• Coordinate and manage laboratory start-ups, PI orientation, and biennial refresher training, and laboratory close-out activities for the HSC.  Review research protocols to identify risks and provide consultation on hazard mitigation, when necessary.

• Assist with shipping hazardous materials/dangerous goods for the laboratory community. Maintain RCRA, HAZWOPER, DOT Hazardous Materials, and IATA Dangerous Goods certifications.

• Support the Workplace Safety team with incident or near-miss investigations, as well as periodic inspections of facilities and equipment.

• Other duties as required in accordance with the needs of the University.

Minimum Qualifications: 

Bachelor's or Master's degree and 2+ years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219(6).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Environmental Health, Occupational Safety, or a related scientific field.

• Professional certifications such as Certified Safety Professional (CSP)), HAZWOPER (40-hour), DOT Hazardous Materials and IATA Dangerous Goods certification.

• 3–5 years of experience in environmental health and safety, preferably in a university, research, or healthcare setting.

• Hands-on experience with laboratory safety inspections, hazardous materials management, and biological/radiological safety protocols.

• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations, including OSHA, EPA, NRC, DOT, and DEA.

• Familiarity with chemical inventory systems and laboratory management software.

• Ability to assess and respond to chemical, biological, and radiological spills.

• Proficiency in developing and delivering safety training programs.

• Skilled in conducting risk assessments and incident investigations.

• Ability to interpret research protocols and identify safety risks.

• Experience in auditing and continuous improvement of safety programs.

• Commitment to fostering a culture of safety and compliance.

The most successful candidates may possess the following qualities:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for reporting, training, and liaising with faculty, staff, and regulatory agencies.

• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and campuses.

• Strong organizational and project management skills.

• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.

• Detail-oriented with a proactive approach to problem-solving.

Special Instructions to the Applicants:

This position will be located at the Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona with periodic visits to the UCF Main Campus.

Are you ready to unleash YOUR potential?  

As a next-generation public research university and Forbes-ranked top employer in Florida, we are a community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to create broader prosperity and help shape a better future. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role at one of the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses, engaging in impactful work that makes a positive difference. Your time at UCF will provide you with many meaningful opportunities to grow, you’ll work alongside talented colleagues on complex projects that will challenge you and help you gain new skills and you’ll have countless rewarding experiences that go well beyond a paycheck.

Working at UCF has its perks! UCF offers: 

• Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program 

• Paid time off, including annual and sick time off and paid holidays

• Retirement savings options 

• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions 

• Education assistance 

• And more…For more benefits information, view the UCF Employee Benefits Guide.

Dive into our Total Rewards Calculator to discover the diverse selection available to you, giving you a glimpse into the benefits that together shape your comprehensive rewards package at UCF.

Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.