Director of Environmental Health & Safety

Kansas State University seeks a Director of Environmental Health & Safety

Location:
Manhattan, Kansas

The Position:
The Director of Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the university’s EHS department, ensuring a safe and healthy environment for faculty, staff, students, and visitors. This role plans, develops, and manages a comprehensive, highly technical service organization that supports research, academic, and operational programs. Reporting to the Chief Risk and Safety Officer and working closely with other units within the Division of Risk and Safety, the Director oversees programs including chemical, biological, radiation, laboratory, fire, and occupational safety;

hazardous materials management; and environmental protection, while ensuring compliance with all applicable state and federal regulations. The position requires a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of six years of relevant experience, with additional relevant education potentially counting toward experience as determined by the hiring manager.

The Risk and Safety Division at Kansas State University consists of EHS, Risk Management, Emergency Management, University Police, and Physical Security departments, all cohesively working together to reduce risk and make K‑State safer.

• Designs, develops, and implements institution-wide Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) strategies, programs, procedures, processes, and systems to ensure compliance with internal policies and all applicable local, state, and federal regulatory requirements.
• Provides strategic leadership and subject‑matter expertise to ensure appropriate EHS governance structures, systems, and resources are established and aligned with university priorities.
• Conducts ongoing data‑driven risk and trend analyses to identify existing and emerging EHS hazards and regulatory issues and independently develops mitigation and prevention strategies.
• Continuously evaluates university‑wide EHS risks and hazards and provides advanced technical guidance to ensure regulatory compliance, risk reduction, and continuous program improvement.
• Ensures the Environmental Health & Safety department delivers effective, efficient, and high‑quality services across chemical, biological, and radiological materials management and disposal; occupational safety and industrial hygiene; laboratory, radiation, and laser safety; site assessments; hazard and contaminant surveys; investigations; training; hazardous materials release response; environmental sampling; compliance reporting; compliance and safety inspections; remediation activities; hazard and risk assessments; corrective actions; construction plan review;
  
  and code and regulatory review.
• Provides oversight and management for the fire safety group and University Fire Marshal.
• Works closely with Risk Management and Human Resources on incident tracking, root cause analysis investigations, and data analytics.
• Establishes and maintains standards for exceptional customer service.
• Working closely with Emergency Management and University Police, develops and oversees emergency response and continuity of operations planning for EHS program areas, including response exercises, emergency contingency planning, and hazardous materials security planning.
• Assigns management of the hazardous materials response team and ensures appropriate fiscal, medical, and training support, including medical surveillance, examinations, training, personal protective equipment, response equipment, and supplies.
• Provides direct leadership of EHS staff and management, fostering a high‑performing, service‑oriented culture.
• Collaborates with managers and staff to establish goals, vision, and mission; provides…