The Occupational Safety Officer (OSO) works under the direction of the Executive Director of the USU Environmental Health & Safety Department.

The OSO (Env Health & Safety Officer) focuses on hazards in the work environment to develop and implement strategies and training to minimize hazards and injuries. The OSO supports the USU EH&S Departments' goal of fostering a strong culture of safety across the entire campus. In addition to the primary OSO duties, this position will also serve as the primary back-up for the Biological Safety program.

As a full-time, benefitted employee of USU, you will receive 13 paid holidays annually, 22 days of annual vacation, 12 days of annual sick leave, 14.2% of gross income paid into a retirement account, excellent health and dental insurance benefits, tuition assistance, and more.  Please see https://www.usu.edu/hr/benefits/index for all benefits available as a USU Employee.

Manages the University Occupational Safety Program

• Conducts hazard analysis and risk mitigation for occupational positions and individual job duties
• Conducts worksite inspections
• Develops job safety analyses (JSA) and manages USU's JSA database
• Conducts investigations of employee safety concerns, accidents, and injuries
• Provides accident prevention training
• Performs training and consultation for occupational employment positions
• Assists with the respiratory protection program for occupational positions
• Provide emergency response to occupational safety incidents

Administers construction-oriented IH programs

• Manages the university asbestos program
• Investigates mold issues
• Manages the university lead based paint program

Conducts indoor air quality investigations

• Responds to odor complaints and suspected in-door air quality issues
  • Identifies possible sources of contaminants
  • Works with Facilities to eliminate the source and remove contaminants
•  Monitors indoor atmospheres for contaminants, noise, or other human stressors of occupational health and safety

Provides ergonomic assessment and training

Provides written and verbal reports to the administration on the status of campus occupational safety

Serves as a safety liaison to Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management (DFCM) on-campus construction projects

Provides back-up for the Biological Safety Officer (BSO)

• Serves as the alternate responsible official (ARO) for the university’s Select Agent (SA) Program and provides assistance as needed
  • Provides consultation on compliance with the Biosafety in Microbiology and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) Guidelines and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines
  • Assists the BSO in assuring compliance with SA regulations
  • Manages SA records
  • Provides SA training
• Serves as a member of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
• Conducts Biosafety Level (BSL) 2&3 training as needed
• Conducts annual inspections of all USU BSL-2 laboratories
  • Reports findings to BSO and corresponding research team
  • Maintains records of findings and remediation efforts
•  Conducts Blood Borne Pathogen (BBP) training as needed
• Oversees the HepB vaccination program

Performs other EH&S duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Hygiene (IH), Safety or Public Health with a safety or IH emphasis
• Completed at least one (1) three-month IH or Safety Internship
• Experience in occupational safety including but not limited to:
  • Knowledge of safety rules and OSHA regulations
  • Experience applying OSHA rules and regulations
• Good interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to provide verbal instructions and guidance clearly and concisely
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing
• Basic computer literacy

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in IH or Safety
• Educational emphasis in Safety Management or Safety Engineering
• Certification as a State Asbestos Inspector
• Certification as an Abatement Contractor/Supervisor.
• Experience working at a College or University.

Along with the online application, please attach:

1. Resume/CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV”
2. Transcript(s) to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Documents 1-10”

3. Cover Letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes. The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions.

Utah State University is a doctoral, high research activity university dedicated to a culture of excellence and safety in research, scholarship, and creative activities. The Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) office (research.usu.edu/ehs/), within the Office of Research, has a full-time staff of safety professionals dedicated to supporting campus wide safety for faculty, staff, and students. EH&S is looking to hire an Occupational Safety Officer.

Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah’s premier land-grant and space-grant university, with a strong commitment to excellence, access, and inclusion. USU serves approximately 27,500 students throughout the state at three residential campuses, eight statewide campuses, and 23 education centers. USU Online has served students from all 50 states and 55 countries for over 25 years, and USU Extension provides outreach and service to all counties in Utah.  

As a land-grant university, USU engages communities and empowers people to lead successful lives of involvement, innovation, and impact. As an R1 research institution, USU provides a high-quality undergraduate and graduate education at an affordable price. Washington Monthly has consistently ranked USU in the top 10 among public universities for contribution to social mobility, research, and public service.  

Utah State is committed to cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where different perspectives, values, cultures, and identities are acknowledged, welcomed, and valued. We seek to recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach, and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be successful. Learn more about USU. 

The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at (435) 797-0122 or hr@usu.edu. 

About the Region

U.S. News and World Report ranked Utah first for its strong economy, fiscal stability, education, and health care. Outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities abound throughout the state, including five national parks, 43 state parks and recreation areas, and 15 alpine ski resorts. The home of USU’s main campus, Logan, is a city of 54,000-plus people in a picturesque mountain valley 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. The Logan metro area claimed the top spot in the Milken Institute’s 2022 ranking for best-performing small cities in the nation. 

*updated 7/2023

In its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.

The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU’s non-discrimination policies:

Executive Director of the Office of Equity Matthew Pinner, discrimination@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 401, 435-797-1266

Title IX Coordinator Cody Carmichael, titleix@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 404, 435-797-1266

Mailing address: 5100 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322

For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit https://equity.usu.edu/, or contact:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 800-421-3481, OCR@ed.gov

*updated 09/2023