Northwestern University · 9 hours ago
Assistant Director/Laser Safety Officer, Research Safety
Evanston, IL
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$87K/yr - $100K/yr
5+ years expNorthwestern University is seeking an Assistant Director/Laser Safety Officer to provide oversight and support to the Laboratory Safety Specialists. The role involves ensuring compliance with safety regulations, managing the laser safety program, and facilitating daily operations of Research Safety in the absence of the Director.
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Hiring Manager
Eric Noll
Responsibilities
Trains, supervises, and evaluates the performance of Evanston based Lab Safety Specialists. Leads by example—inspects labs, follows up on open issues, resolves problems, meets with staff to discuss progress and goals
Develops, leads, and manages the laser safety program at Northwestern University. The Laser Safety Officer duties include classifying laser systems, performing laser safety calculations, and inspecting laser laboratories for safety and compliance with regulations. The LSO also approves all standard operating procedures for lasers and maintains and verifies the inventory of class 3b and 4 lasers to be reported to the state of Illinois
Monitor, manage and supervise recordkeeping requirements in the LUMEN research registration system to ensure compliance, the identification of issues and propose solutions
Schedules, prepares for, performs, and documents the more complex laboratory safety and compliance audits and inspections, follows-up with respect to deficiency correction, and prepares reports for review by RS and other administrative units
Using education and experience, contributes to the development of new content and curricula to prepare for new and emerging health & safety issues. Assist in the development of policies and procedures, web page content, and articles for publication
In cooperation with the Director, develops contingency plans for emergency response and drills for the Evanston campus. Participate on and support the emergency response team. Requires on-call service and always carrying a pager
Performs other duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline plus 5 years of experience in a mid-large environmental health and safety program in an academic, governmental, industrial, or commercial enterprise
Candidate disciplines include but are not limited to chemical sciences, biological sciences, physical sciences, engineering, occupational health and safety, laser safety, industrial hygiene, and public health
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain productive working relationships with the public, university leadership, governmental authorities, and employees with diverse backgrounds, goals, and agendas
Experience in higher education, research laboratories, environmental consulting, or comparable institutional environment
Must be physically fit to lift/carry at least 50lbs, walk extensively, and be capable of wearing chemical protective clothing including respirators or SCBA
Preferred
Master's degree in a relevant scientific field
6+ years of experience in the field of laboratory safety, preferably at an academic institution
Laboratory research experience is a strong plus
Knowledge of EHS safety management systems and reporting metrics
Experience in radiation safety, optical systems, or laser systems
Familiarity with standards (ANSI Z136 series, relevant ISO or IEC laser safety standards)
Completion of a recognized Laser Safety Officer training program (or equivalent)
Demonstrated competency in hazard analysis, MPE calculations, nominal hazard zone (NHZ) calculations, alignment safety, and control measures
Safe handles hazardous materials
Demonstrates knowledge of federal and state regulations governing the participation of human and animal research subjects
Experience developing and conducting training in various EHS topics
Benefits
Meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans
Retirement benefits
Tuition discounts
Comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities
Flexible work arrangements
Programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care
Employee career development
Variety of tools and resources
Company
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research and teaching university that offers academic programs across various fields of study. It is a sub-organization of Northwestern Athletics.
5001-10000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Northwestern University has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (325)
2024 (308)
2023 (280)
2022 (282)
2021 (184)
2020 (155)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$98.02MKey Investors
National Peanut BoardAdvanced Research Projects Agency for HealthGRAMMY Museum
2024-10-30Grant
2024-10-04Grant· $34M
2023-11-28Grant· $0.02M
Leadership Team
Diego Klabjan
Professor
Henry Bienen
Interim President
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