Occupational Safety Specialist

Occupational Safety Specialist I

Professional & Scientific

Bachelor's degree

Iowa State University is seeking an Occupational Safety Specialist I to play a vital role in campus emergency preparedness, emergency response, and occupational safety programs. In this position, you will help strengthen the University's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies while promoting a safe learning, research, and work environment.

Working closely with faculty, staff, students, campus leadership, and external emergency responders, you will support preparedness initiatives, lead training and exercises, conduct safety inspections, and contribute to programs that protect people, property, and University operations. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is passionate about emergency management, safety, and public service and wants to make a meaningful impact across a large and diverse campus community.

• Support the University's Emergency Operations Plan by maintaining emergency planning documents, coordinating preparedness activities, and assisting campus stakeholders in emergency readiness efforts.
• Develop, coordinate, and deliver emergency preparedness training, tabletop exercises, drills, Emergency Operations Center training, after-action reports, and corrective action plans.
• Conduct life safety and occupational safety inspections to identify hazards, evaluate compliance, and recommend corrective actions.
• Support fire and life safety programs through building inspections, fire pump testing, evacuation planning, emergency drills, and safety signage reviews.
• Administer the campus fire extinguisher program, including inspection, maintenance coordination, inventory management, recordkeeping, and compliance tracking.
• Supervise and direct student employees who assist with fire extinguisher inspections and related program activities.
• Collaborate with university departments to assess emergency planning needs and prepare for incidents involving fire, chemical, biological, radiological, compressed gas, and other hazards.
• Develop and maintain emergency procedures, guidance documents, compliance materials, and safety resources.
• Respond to campus emergencies and support emergency operations in coordination with university leadership, public safety personnel, and external emergency response agencies.
• Participate in after-hours emergency response activities and serve in an on-call duty officer capacity as assigned.

• This position is 100% on-site and based in Ames, Iowa with no opportunity for remote work.
• Standard work hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Due to the nature of emergency preparedness and response operations, occasional evening, weekend, holiday, and after-hours work may be required.
• This position serves as a departmental Duty Officer for designated periods throughout the year and is responsible for coordinating emergency response activities outside of normal business hours during assigned rotations.

Your work will directly contribute to the safety, preparedness, and resilience of one of the nation's leading public research universities. From coordinating emergency response efforts to helping departments prepare for potential hazards, you will have the opportunity to make a visible impact while building strong partnerships across the University community.

• Education in Emergency Management, Occupational Safety, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), Fire Protection, Public Safety, Homeland Security, or a related field.
• Experience participating in emergency preparedness activities, drills, exercises, emergency response…