Division Chief, EHS Improvement Support

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system’s 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City.

The Bureau of Wastewater Treatment (BWT) is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all facilities related to the treatment of sewage within the five boroughs of the City. This includes 14 wastewater treatment plants, sludge dewatering facilities, collections facilities (pumping stations, combined sewer overflow retention facilities, regulators, tide gates, etc.), wastewater laboratories and harbor vessels.

The Bureau of Wastewater Treatment is seeking to fill the position of Division Chief of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Performance Improvement Support, who will be a critical support leader for achieving the Bureau’s number one stated goal: “Ensure a culture of safety where safe work practices are fully embraced and integrated into all our work.”

Under jurisdiction of the Director of Environmental Health and Safety, with wide latitude for independent judgment and decision-making, serves as EHS Division Chief for Performance Improvement Support in the Bureau of Wastewater Treatment.

The EHS Division Chief for Performance Improvement Support will manage and direct the Bureau's facility level environmental, health and safety (EHS) staff in program improvement, facility staff support and technical assistance; promote a culture of safety and progressive EHS approaches; will develop methods to assess EHS program success, risk assessment applications and work with agency level and BWT Directorates on inter-bureau EHS programmatic improvements.

• Providing supervisory leadership, coaching and mentoring of EHS professional staff involved in the onsite administration of EHS program implementation and performance improvement.
• Supporting the EHS Directorate by designing an effective strategic plan that enables EHS risk reduction approaches and performance improvement initiatives.
• Overseeing the active involvement of facility based EHS staff during OEHS Assessments, BWT internal Programmatic Assessments, 1910 walk-throughs and various levels of site investigations.
• Working collaboratively with BWT Sections and Directorates to promote continual improvement, through a Plan-Do-Check Act approach and awareness of EHS risk areas, regulatory environment, root causes, and programmatic implementation to promote a culture of safety across various operational aspects of the Bureau.
• Maintaining effective coordination and support of facility EHS compliance and conformance through program implementation (i.e. operational tasks, PM, CM driven activities), identification of EHS risks through a hazard recognition process, industrial hygiene assessments, hierarchy of controls, safe work plans and spot reviews.
• Participate in the preparation and review of environmental programs including Hazard Waste Contingency Plans, Hazard Waste Minimization Plans, NYS PESH and NYS DEC responses, SWPPP, SPCCC, RMP, SPRs, Air compliance, SPDES and related training presentations.
• Actively providing critical EHS program implementation support including technical direction on Incident Command/Emergency Drill execution, EHS corrective/preventive action implementation, and COVID-19 program implementation.
• Providing support for the improvement of Unsafe Reporting and tracking, Near Miss recognition and tracking, EHS investigations, performance metrics, and high-risk activities including crane rigging, fall protection, confined space, hot work, management of change development and approval.
• Participating in EHS investigations, labor management meetings, union walk-throughs and work to support OEHS initiatives, EHS policy…