Director, Environmental, Health and Safety

Administrative Manager

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system's 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City. The Bureau of Water Supply seeks to hire an Administrative Manager, M-3 to serve as Director, Environmental, Health and Safety in the Environmental, Health and Safety Directorate located in Valhalla and Kingston, NY. The mission of the Bureau of Water Supply (BWS) Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Directorate is to actively promote and support the management and implementation of EHS programs through effective communication, education and continuous improvement strategies in order to protect public health and natural resources and ensure a safe and compliant work environment for all employees. Under direction, of the Assistant Commissioner, Core Services, the Director, Environmental, Health and Safety will lead and manage the BWS EHS Directorate and the overall EHS performance for the entire Bureau. This position will advise the Assistant Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner on all aspects of EHS compliance, performance, and provide direction for improvement including EHS design considerations; EHS compliance; and overall EHS performance and compliance. This position will also work with subordinate staff to provide in-depth regulatory expertise, robust interpretation, clear guidance and employee education regarding a wide variety of applicable EHS regulations; monitor and analyze the bureau's EHS performance; develop strategies for improving performance in a sustainable manner; and provide oversight of the implementation of EHS programs throughout BWS. This position also oversees contract and construction oversight programs relating to the investigation, remediation, and disposal of hazardous materials and / or chemicals within BWS and acts as an Incident Command System (ICS) Safety Officer during emergency events. Specific duties include :

• Providing guidance and direction to Senior staff regarding EHS requirements and performance such as EHS design considerations, compliance training, environmental compliance, health and safety compliance, and audit performance and compliance. Providing Bureau level oversight of the implementation of EHS programs within the various groups, including those associated with Risk Management Programs (RMP) and Process Safety Management (PSM).
• Acting as the primary BWS liaison for EHS matters with other bureaus and City agencies including but not limited to the DEP Office of Environmental, Health and Safety (OEHS), DEP Bureau of Legal Affairs (BLA), New York City Law Department, DEP Labor Relations (LR) as well as with the various bargaining units. Acting as the primary BWS management representative on the Labor-Management Health & Safety Committee, developing responses on behalf of BWS to employee EHS concerns / complaints, ensuring corrective action recommendations from EHS audits and workplace assessments are appropriate and are completed in a timely manner.
• Acting as the primary EHS regulatory expert for BWS. Monitoring proposed EHS regulations and legislation and solicits, develops. and coordinates comments on such proposals. Staying abreast of regulatory changes and informs affected staff, ensuring changes are properly integrated into existing BWS practices or develops new ones to address changes (this may require development and communication of implementation plans). As needed, working with the Agency's Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS) or other bureaus to update policies and procedures. Verifies that changes are properly implemented throughout BWS.
• Assessing and reporting on EHS compliance and performance at BWS facilities and activities. Based on these assessments, providing on-going policy and guidance development and compliance coordination with the operational units as well as with the Agency's Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS).
• Overseeing Bureau contract and construction oversight programs relating to the investigation, remediation, and disposal of hazardous materials and / or chemicals within BWS. Ensuring the Scopes of Work for emergency response and other contracts are properly developed and reviewed. Acting as the Bureau's liaison for all contracts involving emergency response, investigation, remediation, clean-ups, disposal, etc. of hazardous and non-hazardous materials and chemicals and acts as an ICS Safety Officer during emergency events.
• Being responsible for Bureau-wide training programs, particularly those related to EHS compliance. Providing onsite training and developing computer-based training modules and ensures oversight of training consultants hired by the Bureau for instruction of staff in subjects relating to health and safety and regulatory compliance (laws, regulations, requirements). Ensuring the proper execution of all aspects of the program including vendor selection, bid specification development, coordination of locations, dates, types of training, certification requirements, experience, etc. in accordance with Agency and City requirements. Supporting and helping coordinate training of BWS staff through Agency- and City-wide contracts managed by other bureaus and agencies.
• Acting as the primary EHS representative for the BWS; representing the Agency at various meetings with relevant regulatory authorities including, United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), and New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) / Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH). Communicating effectively to those authorities and cooperates well with interdepartmental staff in developing and implementing corrective actions if warranted and responding to inquiries from such regulators. Coordinating with Agency legal personnel.
• Performing overall audit responsibilities for compliance over the entire Bureau and working in conjunction with the Agency's OEHS to provide a layer of oversight that will enable managers to have better accountability within their units while establishing a culture of compliance, including a focus on EHS performance improvement.
• Assuring projects and work activities throughout BWS are properly evaluated for EHS concerns, that information is shared, and issues properly addressed. This includes reviews of routine work activities, construction and demolition projects (led by Bureau of Engineering Design and Construction (BEDC), BWS Planning, Job Order Contracts, operational units, etc.), land use permit requests, land acquisition proposals, etc. This includes paperwork and plan reviews and development as well as on-sight observation and support.

License Requirement :

Preferred Skills :

Work Location : 465 Columbus Avenue Valhalla, NY 10595 Valhalla is a hamlet in the Town of Mount Pleasant, Westchester County, NY approximately 28 miles from mid-town Manhattan. 71 Smith Avenue Kingston, NY 12401 Kingston is a City in Ulster County, New York, approximately 90 miles north of New York City.