Director of Environmental Health & Safety

Founded in 2002, California State University Channel Islands is the youngest of 23 campuses in the California State University (CSU) system. Located on approximately 1,200 acres midway between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles in Camarillo, California, CSU Channel Islands is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, as well as its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CSU Channel Islands supports more than 30 academic programs, 26 undergraduate majors, 26 minors, seven master’s programs, and one doctoral program. Enrolling over 7,000 students in the fall of 2019, both graduates and undergraduates, CSU Channel Islands is designated as an Hispanic-serving institution and is represented by 53.1 percent Hispanic/Latino students, 55.4 percent historically underrepresented groups, 59.7 percent first generation college attendees, and 65 percent female students. The institution has currently achieved approximately one-third of its projected enrollment growth, with a master planned buildout at 15,000. There is just over 1.3 million gross square feet of space on campus, with 44 named buildings currently on record, and over the next four years the campus has over $350 million in the capital construction queue.

Reporting to the chief of police, the director of environmental health & safety (EH&S) provides strategic leadership for the development, implementation, and maintenance of a comprehensive health and safety program for the University campus and peripheral properties, ensuring that students, faculty, staff, and visitors have a healthy and safe environment in which to work and study. The director effectively develops, maintains and implements a comprehensive array of environmental, health and safety programs; collaborates with constituencies at all levels within, and around, the campus community, including system-wide EH&S directors, the chancellor’s office, and other state and federal agencies, regarding environmental health and safety issues; and, develops long-range strategic plans and initiatives to comply with changing environmental health and safety regulations.

The director of environmental health & safety plans, implements, and administers the operational aspects of the University’s EH&S department and provides the technical guidance, training, inspection, and risk analysis to ensure compliance with all applicable environmental and health regulations. The director offers strategic direction for program expansion and development and is expected to lead organizational change in a growing and rapidly evolving environment. Responsibilities of the role include overseeing campus-wide programs related to health and safety, environmental compliance, hazardous materials management, EH&S education and training, and related emergency response operations. Additionally, the director chairs the University Safety Committee, which is responsible for recommending University-wide health and safety policies to the president. The director manages a departmental staff of four, including two direct reports, in a mixed union/non-union environment. 

The successful candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree in health and safety, industrial hygiene, environmental engineering, chemistry, biology, or related field (advanced degree is preferred) with progressive administrative experience working with complex and varied technical assignments related to the administration of EH&S responsibilities in a large institutional or industrial setting. The successful candidate will have experience leading and/or supervising the work of others and excellent leadership, organizational, interpersonal, and management skills. Experience in a college or university setting is highly desirable, as is the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) or Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) designation. The successful candidate will build effective strategic alliances internally and externally, initiate and develop strong working relationships in the community, and facilitate an environment that motivates, empowers, and inspires commitment from staff. The director will be expected to provide clear direction, communicate effectively and with purpose, and work with a spirit of collaboration, inclusion, respect, and collegiality.

Review of applications will begin October 16, 2020, and continue until the position is filled. A resume with an accompanying cover letter may be submitted via the Spelman Johnson website at www.spelmanjohnson.com/open-positions. Nominations for this position may be emailed to J. Scott Derrick at jsd@spelmanjohnson.com. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895.

Visit the CSU Channel Islands website at https://www.csuci.edu/.

California State University Channel Island is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, disability, marital status, or protected veteran status.