Occupational Health & Safety Specialist

About the California Academy of Sciences

Founded in 1853, the California Academy of Sciences is a globally renowned, AZA-accredited non-profit scientific and cultural institution located in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Home to a world-class planetarium, aquarium, rainforest, research institute, and natural history museum—all under one living roof—our mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.

Our living collection reflects Earth’s vast biodiversity, consisting of nearly 60,000 animals representing over 800 species. Our research collections are the largest west of the Mississippi,  spanning nearly 46 million plants, animals, fossils, and cultural artifacts from across the globe and throughout history. Our diverse team includes leading biodiversity scientists, educators, storytellers, designers, and communicators who are passionate about advancing knowledge and catalyzing action through science and storytelling.

Whether you're conducting research behind the scenes or engaging the public on the museum floor, your work will help connect people to the natural world and empower them to protect it.

About the Opportunity

Reporting to the General Counsel & Chief Risk Officer, the Occupational Health & Safety Specialist (“Safety Specialist”) implements, manages and monitors safety programs, policies, procedures and protocols that meet Cal/OSHA and other applicable legal requirements. As a member and key leader of the Health & Safety Committee, the Safety Specialist evaluates the organization’s procedures, facility and equipment by conducting inspections to identify unsafe conditions and to implement safeguards and solutions. The Safety Specialist ensures the organization complies with all current safety regulations and that all employees are aware of safety requirements and are prepared to follow safety procedures. They will collect data, report on all safety events and analyze these situations in order to recommend improvements.  

This person serves as  the Academy’s Chemical Safety Officer, Respiratory Protection Officer, and Radiation Safety Officer, leads the Hazardous Materials Committee, and supports the Academy’s emergency preparedness, environmental compliance, and incident management programs. This position also ensures compliance with Federal, State and Local safety and environmental regulations and that all required programs, permits, inspections, and documentation remain current.

Organizational Culture

When you join the California Academy of Sciences, you become part of a mission-driven community that values curiosity, collaboration, and innovation, and celebrates its accomplishments together. Staff share a commitment to executing a new strategic plan that will strengthen the organization's financial foundations, cultivate a vibrant internal culture, and foster smart growth to secure the Academy’s future.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are motivated to contribute to our mission. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every qualification for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. The specific onsite/hybrid schedule for this position is listed below.

Key Responsibilities

• In health and safety matters, acts as the primary assistant to the Academy’s head of health, safety and risk management
• Serves as a subject matter expert for Cal/OSHA regulations and other safety standards as they apply to Academy activities
• Serves as a health & safety subject matter expert for the Health & Safety Committee, Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, Pest Committee, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and the Security Department.
• Act as management’s representative in negotiations with the labor union in matters concerning occupational health and safety. 
• Modifies/creates health and safety related programs for the Academy and its activities and conduct risk assessments related to employee activities, public-facing exhibits, educational programs, collections operations, and special events
• Provide coordination, support, and ensure documentation for all required health & safety meetings, trainings, assessments, certifications, permits, licenses, exposure tests, and equipment 
• Provide guidance and assistance to Academy Health and Safety Monitors and Hazardous Materials Monitors
• Lead or assist with internal and external safety inspections necessary to ensure compliance with applicable local, state, and federal occupational health and hazardous materials regulations
• Responsible for negotiation of compliance issues with regulatory agencies as necessary and track any response to citations/violations should they occur. 
• Identifies institutional and material resources needed to accomplish program management objectives. Develops and presents annual budgetary requirements for assigned program operations. 
• Develops, implements, and continually updates safety and environmental health policies and programs to comply with local, state, and federal regulations. Identifies, measures, and improves environmental health and safety processes. 
• Review contractor, vendor, and fieldwork safety plans and provide guidance to ensure compliance with safety requirements
• Investigate safety incidents, injuries, illnesses, and near misses; track safety data, identify trends, develop methods to predict hazards, evaluate the probability and severity of incidents and recommend corrective and preventative actions
• Create and deliver health & safety training modules for staff
• Follow all Academy safety regulations 
• Other duties as assigned 

Qualifications: A successful candidate will have the following:

Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in safety, occupational health, engineering, or related degree.
• 3 to 7 years relevant experience in working in health and safety.
• Certifications in the field of occupational health & safety are highly desirable.
• Passionate about safety performance improvement 
• Demonstrated ability to locate and interpret relevant safety regulations.
• Strong track record of managing complex projects with diverse teams, tight deadlines, set budgets.
• Experience with creating, implementing, and managing programs to satisfy Cal/OSHA regulations and other standards of health and safety.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Excellent time and project management skills.
• Working knowledge of incident investigation methodologies, root cause analysis, and corrective action management.
• Knowledge of hazardous materials management, hazardous waste regulations, environmental compliance programs, and emergency response procedures.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with employees, managers, contractors, regulators, and external stakeholders. 
• Ability to follow supervisor’s instructions and ask for direction and assistance when necessary.
• Strong computer skills: Google suite, Windows, Microsoft Office and the ability to to learn other online tools as needed.

Language Skills:

• Ability to read and interpret documents in English including safety regulations. 
• Ability to write correspondence, reports, policies and protocols related to safety topics. 
• Ability to speak effectively before groups or individuals.  
• Ability to communicate effectively in person and via teleconferencing with a diverse workforce and external stakeholders..  

Physical Environment:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. 

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, sit, walk, and reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. 
• Must be able to lift 50 lbs.
• Must be able to perform repetitive motion 80% of the time.
• This position is required to work hours as the project demands, including early hours, evenings, weekends and overtime as needed.

Compensation and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $70,000.00 - $85,000.00. Actual compensation will be commensurate with the final candidate's qualifications and experience, including skills, knowledge, relevant education, certifications and aligned with the internal peer group. We believe in fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to providing competitive salaries within the industry and market standards. The Academy offers a total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits based on the hours per week worked. Further details regarding compensation and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

Schedule: Full-time position (40 hours per week). This role is fully onsite and follows a Monday–Friday schedule from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit a resume and application through our Careers Page portal.

The California Academy of Sciences will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).