Fabrication Safety & Operations Director

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Overview

Reporting to the Lead Administrator at the Yale School of Architecture (YSoA) and working closely with the School’s Faculty Director of Fabrication, the Fabrication Safety & Operations Director provides School-wide leadership for safety, compliance, training, and operations across YSoA’s fabrication-related facilities, equipment, and activities. The position establishes and maintains consistent safety and operational standards for all School shops and fabrication-related activities, including the fabrication shops, Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture (CEA), Gallery, Building Project, and other research, exhibition, and project-based environments.

The Director serves as the primary liaison between YSoA and University offices including Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), Facilities, Risk Management, and Procurement. The position develops and administers safety policies, training and certification programs, equipment-use protocols, inspection and documentation systems, and incident-reporting and remediation procedures. Working in partnership with the Faculty Director of Fabrication, the Director supports the School’s teaching, research, exhibitions, digital fabrication, material experimentation, and design-build activities. The Faculty Director provides academic and strategic leadership for fabrication, while the Fabrication Safety & Operations Director provides School-wide operational, safety, training, and compliance leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain School-wide safety policies, procedures, and operational standards for fabrication shops, laboratories, galleries, project sites, and related activities.
• Ensure compliance with Yale University policies and applicable local, state, and federal health, safety, environmental, and reporting requirements.
• Serve as the primary School liaison to Yale EHS and other University offices on fabrication safety, compliance, facilities, and risk management.
• Perform job-hazard analyses and risk assessments for equipment, materials, and fabrication processes.
• Develop and administer user safety orientations, equipment training, certification, and authorization programs; maintain appropriate training and certification records.
• Coordinate safety inspections, equipment certifications, incident reporting, corrective actions, and follow-up.
• Enforce site-specific safety plans and institutional safety requirements.
• Exercise stop-work authority when an immediate hazard exists.
• Establish standards for safe machine operation, hazardous materials, PPE, ventilation, emergency procedures, housekeeping, waste disposal, lockout/tagout, hot work, fall protection, and material handling..
• Provide operational oversight and coordination across YSoA shops, CEA laboratories, Gallery production and installation activities, and the Building Project.
• Work with shop managers, faculty, staff, researchers, and project leaders to coordinate access, scheduling, maintenance, staffing, and safe use of facilities and equipment.
• Advise faculty, students, researchers, and project teams on safety, fabrication processes, materials, equipment, and project planning.
• Review faculty, student, and researcher’s projects for unusual fabrication hazards.
• Coordinate with Facilities, vendors, technicians, and EHS on equipment installation, maintenance, repair, facility modifications, and capital improvements.
• Develop and maintain systems for equipment inventories, preventive maintenance, inspections, and lifecycle planning.
• Oversee protocols for the safe procurement, storage, handling, and disposal of fabrication and laboratory materials.
• Hire, train, schedule, and supervise student shop monitors, assistants, technicians, and other personnel as assigned.
• Communicate safety requirements, operational policies, and compliance expectations clearly across the School and promote a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
  

Required Skills and Abilities

1. Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, Radiation Safety/Health Physics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, or related field and four years of work experience in a safety-related field or an equivalent combination of experience and education.

2. OSHA 10-Hour certification.

3. Significant experience in fabrication, workshop or laboratory operations, environmental health and safety, or a related technical environment.

4. Experience developing or administering safety procedures, training programs, equipment certifications, or compliance systems.

5. Experience coordinating facilities, equipment, staff, and multiple stakeholders.

Preferred Skills and Abilities

1. Master’s degree in Architecture, Design, Engineering, Environmental Health & Safety, or a related field.

2. OSHA 30-Hour certification.

3. Experience in an academic fabrication shop, makerspace, research laboratory, architecture school, gallery, or design-build environment.

4. Strong knowledge of construction methods, sequencing, contract documents, and jobsite safety.

5. Knowledge of digital fabrication technologies including CNC, laser cutting, additive manufacturing, robotics, and CAD/CAM workflows.

Physical Requirements

1. Ability to work across active fabrication shops, laboratories, galleries, and construction/project sites.

2. Stand for extended periods.

3. Lift and move materials and equipment; work around machinery, dust, noise, chemicals, and construction activities.

4. Wear required personal protective equipment.

5. Occasional work outside standard hours may be required to support exhibitions, installations, events, or time-sensitive projects.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Develops and implements health and safety programs to prevent injuries and accidents from occurring in University facilities including risks associated with the physical plant and hazardous materials. 2. Performs comprehensive safety audits, surveys and investigations of facilities and hazardous materials to identify and correct unsafe work areas; assists in hazardous materials management and emergencies, and supports other health and safety programs. 3. Participates in emergency response teams and assists in coordinating safety activities with various units, schools, and departments within the University to ensure effective and quick response if emergencies occur. 4. Provides direct professional environmental, health, and safety services and assistance to all faculty, staff, students, and campus departments; provides informal and formal safety training to campus community. 5. Oversees campus environmental health and safety program(s) to ensure conformity with applicable regulations and internal compliance requirements. 6. Assists in managing daily operations of EHS compliance program(s), including: development of written EHS subject specific compliance manuals; develops and delivers EHS training programs to students, faculty, and staff; 7. Creates compliance reports to document annual completion of assigned tasks and management of related or assigned EHS personnel to assist with the completion of required tasks where applicable. 8. Ensures that campus departments receive appropriate advice and updates on federal, state, and local regulations; works cooperatively with other EHS staff and University committees to facilitate the delivery of safety services to the campus community. 9. Inspects laboratories and other work areas in specific safety or environmental areas and recommends corrective action. 10. Maintains and ensures the efficient operation of related safety equipment; trains faculty, students, and staff in proper handling of hazardous materials and proper use of University facilities. Authorizes safety clearances as needed. 11. May perform other duties as assigned. Required Education and Experience Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, Radiation Safety/Health Physics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, or related field and four years of work experience in a safety-related field or an equivalent combination of experience and education. Physical Requirements 1.    Pass required physical examination. 2.    Ability to stand, walk, lift, push, pull, twist, and negotiate awkward paths of travel. 3.    Ability to periodically perform short duration physical exertions, including light-medium weight lifting, pushing, pulling, stair or ladder climbing, etc., in support of a safety investigation, area or operations survey, or emergency response. 4.    Ability to wear and use personal protective equipment for hazardous materials handling and spill clean-up including respirators, safety shoes, goggles, gloves, and fully encapsulating protective suit, up to and including self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). 5.    Ability to work in a variety of physical environments including weather extremes, potential confined spaces, elevated locations, etc. 6.    In support of emergency response work or assisting other EHS units, ability to lift up to 50 lbs. and move up to 500 lbs. of waste or other material using rolling carts or drum carts.

Job Posting Date

11/04/2026

Job Category

Professional

Bargaining Unit

NON

Compensation Grade

Administration & Operations

Compensation Grade Profile

Manager; Program Leader (24)

Salary Range

$68,000.00 - $120,500.00

Benefits

A general description of the benefits to be offered with this Managerial & Professional position is available at:

Yale Benefits

Time Type

Full time

Duration Type

Staff

Work Model

On-site

Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

Health Requirements

Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy.

Posting Disclaimer

Salary offers are determined by a candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education in relation to the position requirements, along with the role’s grade profile and current internal and external market conditions.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through  their hiring department.

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.

Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).

Note

Yale University is a tobacco-free campus.