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Director, Environmental Health & Safety

San Carlos, California, United States

Join our Mission to Protect Humankind!

Vaxcyte is a clinical-stage vaccine innovation company engineering high-fidelity vaccines to protect humankind from the consequences of bacterial diseases, which have serious and costly health consequences when left unchecked. Working to eradicate or treat bacterial infections such as invasive pneumococcal disease, Group A Strep, and Shigella is just the beginning. Our path to success is clear and well-defined, and Vaxcyte is set up to go the distance. 
 
WHAT we do is every bit as important as HOW we do it! Our work together is guided by four enduring core values:
 
*RETHINK CONVENTION: We bring creative and intellectual diversity to every facet of the work we do in order to innovate and re-innovate the way vaccines are delivered.
 
*AIM HIGH: We embody our collectively audacious goal to courageously make the most complex biologics ever attempted to protect humankind.
 
*LEAD WITH HEART: Everyone leads at Vaxcyte with a kindness-first, inclusive approach to collaboration and vigorous debate that advances our business objectives.
 
*MODEL EXCELLENCE:  The magnitude of our challenge requires our shared commitment to demonstrating integrity, accountability, equality and clarity across communications and decision making.

Summary:

The Director, EH&S, will provide both strategic leadership and hand-on experience to ensure Vaxcyte’s laboratories, offices and manufacturing environments remain safe, compliant and scalable for growth.  This role is central to building and sustaining a strong culture of safety while supporting operational efficiency across global sites. 

The Director will develop and lead comprehensive EHS programs – including, but not limited to, laboratory and office safety, regulatory compliance, risk management, ergonomics, emergency preparedness and sustainability – while guiding Vaxcyte through its next phase of expansion.

A successful candidate is well organized, flexible, creative and enjoys the challenges of managing a diverse and energetic office space. This is a full-time, on-site role that reports to the Senior Director of Facilities.

Note: 24x7 support is required of this role.  You must be able to respond for urgent support.

Essential Functions:

EHS Leadership & Strategy

  • Develop, implement, and oversee global EHS programs, policies, and training across all Vaxcyte facilities.
  • Maintain a multi-year strategic roadmap to align safety initiatives with company growth and product pipelines.
  • Chair the Safety Committee and foster a culture of accountability, awareness, and continuous improvement.
  • Sets department environmental and safety priorities and goals consistent with company objectives.
  • Maintain a three (3) year strategic roadmap to ensure alignment and readiness for future growth and vaccine pipelines.

Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management

  • Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, local, state, federal, and international regulations.
  • Oversee chemical inventory, SDS management, waste disposal, and hazardous materials programs.
  • Lead audits, inspections, job safety analyses, and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA).
  • Partner with Quality and Compliance teams to maintain up-to-date standards and internal controls.
  • Responsible and accountable for all Environmental, Health and Safety programs including, but not limited to: Emergency Response, Emergency Action Plans (EAP), Respiratory Protection Plan (RPP), Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), Ergonomics, Hearing conservation, Medical Waste, Biological Safety and Exposure Control, Chemical Hygiene and Hazard Communication, etc.

Operational Excellence

  • Implement lean practices (e.g., 5S, Kanban, visual management) to drive efficiency and reduce risk.
  • Partner with Biological Safety Officer to implement and maintain a Biological Safety Program.
  • Manage external vendors and service providers related to EHS programs.
  • Collaborate with Facilities, Lab Operations, and scientific teams to integrate EHS into daily workflows.

Emergency Preparedness & Training

  • Lead emergency response planning, including the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and Emergency Response Team (ERT).
  • Design, deliver, and track employee and laboratory safety training.
  • Serve as the primary contact for incident response, investigation, and resolution.

Requirements: 

  • Bachelor’s degree in science or engineering related discipline (Master’s preferred).
  • Minimum 12 years of progressive experience in laboratory operations experience managing and scaling lab operations in a biotechnology or pharmaceutical research environment. Ten (10) years with a master’s degree. Other combinations of education and/or experience may be considered.
  • Experience managing EHS programs across labs, offices, and GMP manufacturing sites.
  • Proven global experience across North America, UK, and EMEA (APAC/APJ a plus).
  • Strong understanding of GMP, GLP, and GDP requirements.
  • Professional certifications (CSP, CIH, CHMM) strongly preferred.
  • Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to develop new safety programs and SOPs from the ground up.
  • Ability to travel up to 10% (domestic and international).
Reports to: Senior Director, Facilities
 
Location: San Carlos, CA
 
Compensation:
The compensation package will be competitive and includes comprehensive benefits and an equity component.
 
Salary Range: $195,000 - $228,000

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

 

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