Lab Manager & Field Safety Coordinator

SUMMARY: Woodwell Climate Research Center (Woodwell) is the leading independent climate research institute, with a mission to advance science-based climate policies through scientific research and outreach. The keys to Woodwell’s success are the quality of its research and the ability to deliver that science to policymakers and decision makers.

The Lab Manager & Field Safety Coordinator position will be responsible for two areas of safety at the Center. As Lab Manager, they will manage the analytical laboratory operations, work closely with all lab users, oversee safety procedures and responses, coordinate the lab committee, and organize hazardous waste removal from the Center. As the Field Safety Coordinator, they will manage the processes, policies, and procedures for Woodwell staff going into the field and work closely with the Field Safety Committee to modify and improve policies for staff.

Responsibilities:

Lab Manager

• Serve as the Chemical Hygiene Officer (CHO) as defined in Woodwell’s Chemical Hygiene Plan
• Maintain lab equipment and manage service contracts
• Manage stock of general use lab supplies
• Develop laboratory Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Ensure compliance with laboratory Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Perform daily lab & safety routines related to environmental health and safety training
• Implement the lab safety program according to Woodwell’s Chemical Hygiene Plan and SOPs
• Serve as Woodwell’s USDA APHIS officer for quarantine plant and soil materials
• Review safety guidelines with all lab users, certify lab users after orientation and training
• Coordinate lab schedule, accommodating needs of principal investigators, students, and others.
• Train users on instrumentation
• Coordinate hazardous waste removal with third party vendor and maintain DOT Hazardous Materials Training
• Conduct quarterly meetings of all lab users to facilitate communication and smooth operation of the labs.

Field Safety Coordinator

• Review submitted Field Communication and Emergency Forms, and make sure approved forms are distributed to all team members
• Review submitted Job Hazard Analysis forms and ensure forms are distributed to field team members
• Coordinate field safety training
• Coordinate the purchase and use of Center-owned field safety equipment
• Perform a yearly check of shared equipment
• Communicate with Woodwell staff regarding field safety protocols and procedures
• Periodically review and update protocols in cooperation with the Field Safety Committee and ensure the most up-to-date forms are available to Woodwell employees
• Consult with field crews on the shipment of hazardous materials

Desired Qualifications and Experience:

• B. S. degree in Chemistry or related discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain laboratory equipment
• Experience in completing research in the field.
• Understanding of the complexities of field work
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work independently and in a highly collaborative environment.
• Demonstrated skills in data organization, analysis, and report writing.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Suite.
• Experience with vendor management.

Preferred Qualifications:

• M.S. degree in Chemistry or related discipline.
• Experience with trace water analysis
• Experience with soil physiochemical analysis
• Experience with trace gas analysis
• Experience with the operation and maintenance of various types of trace analysis equipment
• Experience operating and maintaining Astoria Analyzer
• Experience operating and maintaining Shimadzu TOC analyzer
• Experience operating and maintaining CN elemental analyzer
• Experience operating and maintaining gas chromatograph
• Experience operating and maintaining spectrophotometers and fluorometers
• Experience with OSHA regulations
• Experience preparing Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs)
• Prior Laboratory Manager experience

Application review will be ongoing.

Desired Start Date August 29, 2022

Fixed term Two years

Classification and Compensation: This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position, the annual salary range is $60,000 - $70,000 dependent on qualifications/experience. Woodwell offers a generous benefits package and work life balance.

Location: Falmouth, Massachusetts

Application Instructions: To apply, please send your cover letter addressing your experience and qualifications in relation to the responsibilities of this position, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references as a single PDF to our careers portal. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Please type LMFS on all correspondence.

Please visit Woodwell's website to learn more about Woodwell’s work.

Located on a 10-acre campus near the village of Woods Hole, the Woodwell Climate Research Center (Woodwell) is a private, non-profit research center. Woodwell is a leading source of climate science that drives the urgent action needed to solve climate change. Woodwell has 80+ staff members and is excited to welcome new employees to this work.

Woodwell is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, mental, or physical disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, familial status, veteran status, or genetic information. Woodwell is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for all individuals in employment practices, services, programs, and activities.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Woodwell

WE NEED ALL VOICES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is the greatest challenge of our lifetimes. Woodwell Climate Research Center (Woodwell) understands that the climate crisis—from causes to consequences—is inextricably linked with persistent social injustice. Effectively addressing either requires addressing both. The climate crisis demands that we bring to bear all of the knowledge, expertise, innovation, and creativity that we can collectively muster, and those who have been marginalized and disproportionately impacted must be heard.

The work Woodwell does—the questions we ask, the ways we seek answers, and the strategies we put forward—is stronger when shaped by a diversity of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences. We strive to welcome, respect, and amplify differing voices. We value individuals as they are, with all their differences in race, age, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, language, and mental and physical abilities.

Woodwell acknowledges that our organization, and the scientific community more broadly, have a long way to go in living up to these ideals. We approach the work of improving our organization with the same ambition and commitment to systemic change that we bring to addressing climate change.

We will inevitably make mistakes, but we will continue to listen, learn, and do this critical work. We understand that this work requires an ongoing commitment from each and every one of us. We are actively engaged in building and sustaining an equitable and inclusive culture within our organization, and in fostering greater diversity in climate science.