Health & Safety Specialist I - 996075

We are excited that you are considering joining Nova Southeastern University!

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) was founded in 1964, and is a not-for-profit, independent university with a reputation for academic excellence and innovation. Nova Southeastern University offers competitive salaries, a comprehensive benefits package including tuition waiver, retirement plan, excellent medical and dental plans and much more. NSU cares about the health and welfare of its students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors and is a tobacco-free university.

We appreciate your support in making NSU the preeminent place to live, work, study and grow. Thank you for your interest in a career with Nova Southeastern University.

Primary Purpose:

Contributes to the university’s success by investigating health related complaints, inspecting and evaluating facilities to ensure that they comply with public health legislation and regulations.

Job Category: Exempt

Hiring Range:  $54,000

Pay Basis:  Annually

Subject to Grant Funding? No  

Essential Job Functions: 

1. Conducts routine and specialized inspections of facilities, operations, and programs to identify hazards, regulatory non-compliance, and injury prevention opportunities; document findings and track corrective actions to closure.
2. Evaluates workplace environments, equipment, clinical spaces, and practices to ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, public health, fire safety, and institutional standards.
3. Inspects fall protection systems, rigging and roof anchors, confined spaces, lockout/tagout procedures, forklifts and scissor lifts, kitchens, food service operations, playgrounds, labs, and other regulated areas.
4. Verifies the presence and condition of fire prevention equipment, safety equipment, spill kits, and first aid supplies throughout campus facilities.
5. Supports regulatory, insurance, and third party inspections by accompanying inspectors, providing documentation, and coordinating follow up actions.
6. Maintains accurate, complete, and audit ready inspection records, reports, permits, manifests, and compliance documents in university EHS systems.
7. Develops and deliver EHS training programs, including equipment operation, fall protection, LOTO, confined space, Hazard Communication, PPE, and general safety topics for employees, students, and contractors.
8. Demonstrates proper safety equipment use and safe work practices to university personnel and service providers.
9. Tracks training completions, certifications, and refresher requirements to meet institutional and regulatory obligations.
10. Coordinates permit and license renewals for biomedical waste, food service operations, pools, playgrounds, and other regulated activities; maintain master tracking logs and ensure timely submissions.
11. Administers EHS programs including clinical safety, chemical safety, hazardous materials, hazardous waste, Hazard Communication, EPA and OSHA compliance, and related regulatory programs.
12. Manages the university’s first aid kit requisition and restocking program.
13. Oversees asbestos compliance initiatives, including annual asbestos awareness training, AHERA program activities, and development of compliance procedures.
14. Maintains inventories of hazardous materials and hazardous waste using approved tracking systems to ensure proper handling, storage, and disposal.
15. Supports biomedical waste operations, including segregation, handling, labeling, storage, and manifest retention in accordance with regulatory requirements.
16. Performs inspections required under the university Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan, including fuel and oil storage tank assessments and corrective follow up.
17. Collects and submits data for the annual Tier II chemical inventory report and other required environmental compliance submissions.
18. Investigates accidents, injuries, near misses, health complaints, and safety violations; identify causal factors and recommend corrective and preventive measures.
19. Monitors corrective action implementation to ensure hazards and deficiencies are effectively resolved.
20. Recommends engineering, administrative, and procedural controls to reduce or eliminate hazardous conditions, work methods, or materials.
21. Orders the suspension of activities that pose immediate health or safety risks as necessary to protect personnel.
22. Collaborates with management, staff, and contractors to implement remedial measures for hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions.
23. Serves as a liaison with Risk Management, Facilities, insurance carriers, and local, state, and federal regulatory authorities.
24. Participates in university safety committees, providing EHS expertise for risk reviews, program evaluations, and corrective action planning.
25. Responds to EHS related emergencies, incidents, spills, and urgent situations as required.
26. Maintains and update university emergency response plans, procedures, and related documentation.
27. Develops or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys or asbestos management plans.
28. Coordinates right to know programs regarding hazardous chemicals and other regulated substances, including oversight of the university SPCC Plan.
29. Completes special projects as assigned.
30. Performs other duties as assigned or required.

Job Requirements: 

Required Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities: Knowledge:
1. Administration and Management - Working knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, budgeting, human resources modeling, leadership technique, and/or coordination of people and resources.
2. English Language - Working knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
3. Law and Government - Working knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
4. Education and Training - Working knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
5. Public Safety and Security - Working knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
6. Customer and Personal Service - Working knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of user satisfaction.
7. Engineering and Technology - Working knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
8. Basic knowledge of MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint; database and data entry skills).

Skills:
1. Active Listening - Basic skills in giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
2. Complex Problem Solving - Basic skills in identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
3. Critical Thinking - Basic skills in using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
4. Judgment and Decision Making - Basic skills in considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the appropriate one.
5. Social Perceptiveness - Basic skills in being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
6. Systems Evaluation - Basic skills in identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

Abilities:
1. Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
2. Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
3. Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (including finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
4. Oral Comprehension & Expression - The ability to listen to, understand, and communicate information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences so others will understand.
5. Written Comprehension & Expression - The ability to read, understand, and communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.


Physical Requirements:
1. Near Vision - Must be able to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
2. Speech Recognition - Must be able to identify and understand the speech of another person.
3. Speech Clarity - Must be able to speak clearly so others can understand you.
4. Travel - Must be able to travel on a daily and/or overnight basis.
5. May be required to work nights or weekends.
6. May be exposed to short, intermittent, and/or prolonged periods of sitting and/or standing in performance of job duties.
7. May be required to accomplish job duties using various types of equipment/supplies, to include but not limited to pens, pencils, and computer keyboards.

Required Certifications/Licensures: 1. Have a Florida driver's license.

Required Education: Bachelor's Degree

Major (if required: 

Required Experience: Up to two (2) years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications: 

1. Experience with safety relations in a learning, governmental or private organization.

2. Experience with EHS, DOT, HAZCOM or NIOSH.

Is this a safety sensitive position? No  

Background Screening Required?  Yes  

Pre-Employment Conditions: 

Sensitivity Disclaimer: Nova Southeastern University is in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and does not discriminate with regard to applicants or employees with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodation when necessary.

NSU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status or any other legally protected status.