Department Summary

UCLA Environment, Health & Safety's mission is to encourage and promote a strong safety culture that practices sound health, safety, and environmental stewardship. This is accomplished through engaging and informing the UCLA Campus and Community by providing collaborative, proactive, and responsive safety and compliance expertise, through the various divisions within EH&S: Fire & Life Safety, Emergency Management, Research Safety, Information Technology, Administration, and Environmental, Occupations & Safety Programs.Our MissionEncourage and promote a strong safety culture that practices sound health, safety and environmental stewardship.Our VisionEngage and inform the UCLA Campus and Community by providing collaborative, proactive and responsive safety and compliance expertise.Our DivisionsUCLA FireEmergency ManagementResearch SafetyInformation TechnologyAdministrativeEnvironmental, Occupational and Safety Programs

Position Summary

The Biosafety Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, strategic planning, finances and management of UCLA's comprehensive biosafety, high containment and vivarium safety programs. The Biosafety Manager works closely with faculty, staff and students, ensuring safety and compliance with applicable federal and state regulations or requirements, and UC Office of the President's mandates related to biological safety, high containment and vivarium safety. This position directly oversees six Environmental, Health & Safety (EH&S) professionals and ensures the safety and compliance of biological research, high-containment facilities and vivarium environments.

The Biosafety Manager will act as the campus Biosafety Officer (BSO), which serves as the campus subject matter expert for biological safety/biosecurity at UCLA. The Biosafety Manager will be ex-officio member of the UCLA Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and is tasked with advising the committee on best management practices for mitigating biological hazards.

The Biosafety Manager will:

• also act as the Alternate Responsible Official to the High Containment Director and Associate Biosafety Officer for the Select Agent Program;
• support and oversee the High Containment Director in managing the BSL-3 facilities & operations;
• support and oversee the Vivarium Safety Officer in providing safety services to vivarium staff and researchers working with animals and plants;
• set schedules and assignments of biological use authorization reviews;
• set inspection assignments of laboratories with biological hazards including animal biocontainment facilities;
• function as point of contact during regulatory inspections (NIH, CDC USDA, etc.);
• review and manage the campus medical waste program;
• provide input for Research Safety Plan Reviews;
• manage biosafety training development; and
• develop and maintain campus documents and policies such as the UCLA Biosafety Manual, Exposure Control Plans, Standard Operating Procedures/Policies, etc.

The Biosafety Manager is expected to function independently with minimal supervision and provide full personnel administration (Hiring, Performance Evaluation, Work Assignments, Merit Increases & Reclassifications, Discipline & Discharge, Complaint & Grievance Resolution) for up to six EH&S Specialists - three Assistant Biosafety Officers (EHS SPEC 3), an Associate Biosafety Officer (EHS SPEC 4), the Vivarium Safety Officer (EHS SPEC 4) and the High Containment Director (EHS SPEC 4).

The Biosafety Manager will oversee comprehensive financial management for their unit, ensuring accountability for all allocated resources. They will administer the day-to-day budget with particular focus on specialized laboratory equipment acquisition, inventory management, personnel training programs, and required certifications. The role includes monitoring regulatory compliance expenditures, implementing systematic expense tracking protocols, and producing detailed financial reports. Additionally, they will develop, maintain, and forecast fiscal documentation for research initiatives when pursuing supplementary funding opportunities.

The successful incumbent may also be called upon to lead or participate in campus hazardous materials spill response efforts for regular and off-hour emergencies.

Salary & Compensation

*UCLA provides a full pay range. Actual salary offers consider factors, including budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations. Salary offers at the top of the range are not common. Visit UC Benefit package to discover benefits that start on day one, and UC Total Compensation Estimator to calculate the total compensation value with benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years Relevant experience in biosafety, including management of BSL-3 or higher containment facilities and working with infectious agents, human gene transfer, recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acids. (Required)
• Animal handling experience. (Preferred)
• Demonstrated leadership experience overseeing professional staff in a highly regulated environment, including mentoring and performance management. (Required)
• In-depth knowledge of NIH Guidelines, Cal/OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, Cal/OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Disease Standard, and federal select agent regulations. (Required)
• Experience working with vivarium operations and high-containment environments, managing risks associated with animal care, zoonotic diseases and infectious agents. (Required)
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with other staff members, administrators, managers, subordinates and academia. (Required)
• Ability to analyze complex technical data from environmental surveys, using logic and quantitative reasoning. (Required)
• Ability to make oral presentations, lead meetings, with persons of various social, cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds to persuade others to accept a specific action or opinion, and also to provide information to explain procedures, policies, etc. (Required)
• Skill in writing grammatically correct, concise and accurate communication for the purpose of training, inspection, gathering and dissemination of information relevant to biosafety. (Required)
• Demonstrated experience in coordinating and delegating tasks with various groups to meet common goals. (Required)
• In-depth knowledge of NIH Guidelines, Cal/OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, Cal/OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Disease Standard, and federal select agent regulations. (Required)
• Demonstrated experience in coordinating and delegating tasks with various groups to meet common goals. (Required)

Education, Licenses, Certifications & Personal Affiliations

• Bachelor's Degree Microbiology, biology, industrial hygiene or related biological science or safety disciplines or equivalent experience / training (Required) Or
• Master's Degree Advanced degree (Master?s or PhD) is preferred but not required in biological sciences, microbiology, or related field or equivalent experience / training. (Preferred)
• Current professional biosafety registration or certification (RBP or CBSP, respectively) or eligibility for certification is strongly preferred. (Required)

Special Conditions for Employment

• Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.
• Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.
• Pre-Placement Physical: Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory physical examination.
• COVID and Flu Vaccinations: The position is subject to providing evidence of inoculation.
• Driving Record: The position is subject to the California DMV "Pull Notice System" and continued employment is contingent upon proof of a satisfactory driving record.
• Subject to medical surveillance and safety training as per university and state policies. (Required)
• May require response to emergencies on evenings and weekends. (Required)

Schedule

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Union/Policy Covered

99-Policy Covered