Hazardous Substances and Compliance Lead

• Have you worked in a laboratory environment (teaching or research) in NZ?
• Do you have a deep knowledge and practical experience in the management of hazardous substances?
• Are you comfortable presenting to groups and providing training around the management of hazardous substances?

Kōrero mō te tūranga - About the role

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington is currently recruiting a Hazardous Substances and Compliance Lead to join the Health, Wellbeing and Safety (HWS) team working within Te Wāhanga Pūtaiao - Faculty of Science on a permanent, full-time basis. The role will be responsible for ensuring that our laboratories are both compliant and safe (specifically relating to hazardous substances). The role will be embedded in Te Wānanga Matū - School of Chemical and Physical Sciences within Te Wāhanga Pūtaiao - Faculty of Science while also providing support across the University in conjunction with the Head of HWS.

Key responsibilities:

• Maintain and continuously improve the University’s chemical inventory management systems.
• Work closely with the Tumuaki - Heads of Schools, Te Wānanga Matū - School of Chemical and Physical Science’s Health and Safety Officer, Technical Managers and staff, and Laboratory Managers to co-design/refresh SOP’s, training, and guidelines.
• Proactively support and contribute (technically) to the Hazardous and Biological Substances Critical Risk working group.
• Remain up to date with compliance requirements (related to all elements- health/exposure monitoring, LEL and engineered safety systems, training, and competency requirements etc) and educate and support the understanding of these requirements across Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington.
• Provide support for internal event investigations with a focus on learning and how we improve the design and systems of our controls.
• Support and contribute to the University’s Incident Management Team (IMT) team as and when needed on technical (hazardous substances) matters.

Ō pūmanawa - About you

You will:

• Be a hazardous substance professional with experience in developing and delivering training material, and maintaining compliance within NZ regulatory environment.
• Be able to discuss the matters of a technical nature effectively and easily with laboratory managers, while also being able to help non-technical operational managers understand what is required to ensure we, our staff and students, are safe and compliant.
• Have excellent communication skills, the ability to coach others and a natural ability to adapt your style to suit the audience you are delivering to.
• Be a highly organised self-starter and relish working autonomously as well as contributing positively to a high performing team.
• Have effective time management skills and balance the needs of the School with those of the overall University.
• Thrive in this role if you are able to provide clear guidance and support around the management of hazardous substances and be able to effectively communicate the intent of compliance requirements and how we provide assurance and controls (regulations and standards).

Key requirements:

• Expert understanding and experience in the management of hazardous substances.
• Experience in working in a laboratory environment (teaching or research).
• Expert at translating technical information and compliance requirements into actionable training, guidance and systems for non-technical and technical staff alike.
• A deep understanding of compliance requirements within the NZ regulatory frameworks (and ASNZ standards).

Ētahi kōrero hai āwhina i a koe - Why you should join our team

Our team is a supportive, high-performing, tight-knit team that has good relationships with business units across the University. The Faculty of Science is at the forefront of teaching and research across Universities in NZ, with a highly regarded team of academics and professional staff. You will be well supported from the School, Faculty and the University as we continue our Critical Risk journey. There is a lot of variety in the role, we can offer you flexible working arrangements within the requirements of the role and as agreed with your manager, as well as support learning & development opportunities. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who wants to apply their hazardous substances knowledge to support our large and complex organisation which has a community of 25,000 people.

There are many benefits to working at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington, including being part of New Zealand’s top research university.

Role Description – Click here to see further information, including salary.

Close Date for Vacancy: 10 February 2025.

Contact Details for Vacancy: If you have any questions regarding this role, please get in touch with Dan Mahony (0220735797,  [email protected]).

When applying for this position, candidates must submit supporting documents along with their resume, such as a cover letter. Applicants who do not have residency or citizenship and require a visa to work at the University must clearly indicate their visa status in their application and understand that if they do not have a current, relevant visa, they will need to secure this independently.

About Us

Mō Te Herenga Waka - About Our University

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington is a global-civic university with our marae at our heart. This iho draws off our heritage and is further defined by our tūrangawaewae, in particular Wellington, Aotearoa, and the Asia-Pacific, all of which are expressed in our position as Aotearoa New Zealand's globally ranked capital city university.