Career Center

The salary range for this position is $110,000 - $120,000 annually.

Description of Position

The position reports to the Director of the Department of Environmental Health and Safety and has system-wide responsibility. This is a second level manager position that is responsible for managing the Regulated Waste team and for administering the hazardous waste program at the University and at the Fay Thompson Center for Environmental Management (TCEM), which is a permitted treatment, storage, and disposal facility. This position administers regulated waste processes at system locations and for external customers in a manner that makes effective use of University resources. This position requires strategic thinking and strong technical problem-solving skills due to the complexity and occasional ambiguity of environmental rules and regulations and the changing nature of research and clinical services. This position must develop professional relationships with regulatory agency staff to clarify agency legal interpretations, advocate for alternatives and creatively solve problems. This position must also demonstrate leadership skills necessary to facilitate compliance and reduce the administrative burden for researchers.

Job Duties

50% Program Management:
⢠Direct staff and allocate resources to accomplish the identification, collection, packaging, processing, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste in accordance with federal, state, and University of Minnesota requirements.
⢠Establish performance objectives for staff that improve existing business processes.
⢠Supervise Regulated Waste staff through the development of annual work plans, provide ongoing feedback through regular reviews of progress, periodic communication, and annual appraisals. Use the University process to document objectives, feedback, performance and development plans for staff. Conduct searches for new staff and recommend employee disciplinary measures. Promote professional development of staff and serve as the authority on work assignments and disciplinary decisions within the unit.
⢠Manage training programs that meet regulatory and operational requirements and encourage employee engagement. Implement cross training to assure succession, efficiency and continuity of operations.
⢠Manage Regulated Waste budgets. 
 

20% Compliance:
⢠Maintain compliance with the Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility operating permit.
⢠Oversee ongoing hazardous waste activities to assure compliance.
⢠Notify regulatory agencies when required by law.
⢠Develop process for effective and efficient information management and reporting.
⢠Assist with response to regulatory citations. Represent the program during regulatory inspections and respond to issues raised by inspectors.
⢠Report as required in licenses and permits and pay required fees on a timely basis. Monitor submittal of waste reports pertaining to the storage of hazardous materials in accumulation areas
⢠Provide oversight to ensure proper identification and disposition of waste.
⢠Coordinate collection of information necessary to submit waste facility licenses to the MPCA and county regulatory agencies.
⢠Assure that staff and facilities conform to the Process safety Management Program (PSM) for storage of flammable liquids at TCEM.
 

20% Customer Service:
⢠Assist with planning and moving hazardous materials during capital projects.
⢠Suggest and promote changes to hazardous waste business processes and data management systems that increase efficiency and customer service.
⢠Train customer departments in use of the hazardous waste disposal system. Work directly with customers to improve compliance and enhance safety.
⢠Schedule inspections with laboratories that have trouble complying with waste rules and provide training or find other solutions.
⢠Offer additional fee-based services to external clients.
 

5% Manage Waste Disposal Contracts:
⢠Participate in preparing waste disposal contracts with qualified vendors, either through Central Purchasing or the State of Minnesota. Represent the University as the State negotiates vendor contracts and propose an independent University contract when it would be beneficial.
⢠Periodically review State contract vendor performance and recommend whether the University should have a separate contract.
⢠Manage external services contracts to assure client satisfaction.
⢠Review invoices for waste disposal and maintain technical knowledge of appropriate disposal facilities.
 

5% Safety and Incident Management:
⢠Assist with emergency operations planning.
⢠Respond to hazardous material spills or reported exposures in accordance with requirements of the National Incident Management System.
⢠Make sure that monitoring instruments are ready and calibrated.
⢠Participate in investigation of hazardous materials incidents and injuries.
⢠Coordinate facility emergencies and oversee emergency response activities.
⢠Participation in On-Call Emergency Response Program.



Working Conditions
Primary job sites are the office, waste storage facilities, and laboratories. The latter two involve chemical and some radioactive material storage and handling. These areas are generally engineered to control the hazards but might require the use of personal protective equipment. his position requires in-state travel to the Universityâ™s various campuses and research centers. This position will be part of a rotating, on-call, emergency response program that may be activated during regular hours or during after hours, weekends, or holidays.

Minimum Qualifications
⢠BA/BS degree plus eight years of experience.
⢠Experience managing a hazardous waste safety and compliance program. 
⢠40-hour (or 24-hour) Hazardous Waste Operations Certification
⢠Supervisory and/or leadership experience.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
⢠Comprehensive knowledge of hazardous waste regulations at the federal and state levels.
⢠Comprehensive knowledge of Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials regulations.
⢠Comprehensive knowledge of Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules for emergency response and personal protective equipment.
⢠Demonstrated ability to effectively supervise and develop staff.
⢠Excellent written and oral communication skills, especially the ability to convey information about chemical risks effectively to people with various educational backgrounds.
⢠Ability to make presentations to management and employees in group settings while considering multiple perspectives and competing interests.
⢠Demonstrated understanding of the nature and purpose of health and safety functions within a higher education institution.
⢠Excellent interpersonal skills with a demonstrated record of establishing effective working relationships at different organizational levels.
⢠Ability to foster collaboration, facilitate change, and promote compliance in a complex organization.
⢠Ability to document employee performance and provide coaching to meet annual performance goals.
⢠Commitment to continuous improvement, accountability, and customer service.
⢠Ability to develop measurements of effective safety and compliance performance for application within the academic environment.

Preferred Qualifications
⢠Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) Certification.
⢠Master of Science Degree in Environmental Studies, Science or Engineering and a minimum of 5 years of experience.
⢠Previous experience managing waste operations in an EPA permitted Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSD). 

About University of Minnesota Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota, founded in the belief that all people are enriched by understanding, is dedicated to the advancement of learning and the search for truth; to the sharing of this knowledge through education for a diverse community; and to the application of this knowledge to benefit the people of the state, the nation, and the world.

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