Facility Manager / Health & Safety Officer
Facility Manager / Health & Safety Officer
We are looking for an experienced and hands-on Facility Manager / Health & Safety Officer to be responsible for overseeing the operations, maintenance, and safety of the research facilities of EMBL Barcelona. This role ensures that laboratory infrastructure, equipment, safety and support services are efficiently managed to meet the needs of researchers and staff. The Facility Manager/H&S Officer will collaborate with scientists, administrative personnel, and external service providers to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and optimal operational efficiency.
The Facility Manager and Health and Safety Officer will perform their duties for the Barcelona site based at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB). Here, EMBL employs over 100 people involved in fundamental research and service activities in the area of tissue biology and disease modelling. Additionally, it is required to work closely with the central EMBL teams to ensure coordination and best practices at EMBL Barcelona and across EMBL's six European sites aiming at a harmonised pan EMBL standard.
The successful applicant is passionate about health and safety, and project management in a laboratory environment and will support the smooth running of the Barcelona Site. They will report to the Head of Unit and to the Head of Administration in Barcelona and will closely liaise with the Head of Health and Safety Office in the headquarters in Heidelberg.
Your role
Facility Management duties:
* Oversee the daily operations and maintenance of EMBL Barcelona research laboratories, research facilities, office spaces, and common facilities.
* Liaise and collaborate with facility managers of the PRBB building and from other partner research institutes.
* Manage facility infrastructure, including HVAC systems, power supply, water systems, and specialized research equipment.
* Develop and supervise preventive maintenance schedules for electrical devices and laboratory equipment and building equipment, including chemical and biological hoods, centrifuges, incubators, etc. and gas alarm systems.
* Coordinate with external vendors, contractors, and service providers for facility maintenance and upgrades.
* Supervise the facility staff team.
* Plan and manage facility budgets, inventory, including procurement, purchase and cost control for equipment and services.
* Oversee space planning and allocation to support research projects and staff needs.
* Maintain proper documentation of facility operations, safety procedures, and compliance records.
* Prioritise sustainability in performing their projects.
* Work closely with research teams to ensure infrastructure supports scientific activities effectively.
* Respond to emergency situations and implement contingency plans to minimize disruptions.
* Managing, coordinating and overseeing all refurbishment projects of the EMBL Barcelona from the design of spaces, the tendering process and validation of the works in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
Health and Safety duties:
* Implementing the EMBL Health and Safety strategy at the EMBL Barcelona Unit.
* Being in charge of fire safety, occupational, biological, chemical and laser safety and dealing with the respective authorities to obtain clearance for the EMBL Barcelona Unit to carry out its official activities while safeguarding EMBL’s immunities and privileges.
* Assessing planned biological projects and protocols within the Unit and in the frame of the joint PRBB Biosafety Committee.
* Being responsible for the safety training of EMBL Barcelona staff.
* Performing regular inspections to ensure that laboratories and staff comply with appropriate regulations.
* Being responsible for biological, chemical and other hazardous waste management; contact person for the waste disposal company.
* Performing regular risk assessments (i. a. newcomers, expectant mothers, computer workstations, laboratories).
* Drafting safety-relevant documents and regular updating thereof, including the EMBL Barcelona Safety Policy, Biosafety Policy and the Barcelona-specific part of the pan EMBL Health and Safety website.
* Maintaining relevant health and safety databases at the EMBL Barcelona Unit.
* Monitoring safe working conditions, in particular with regard to safety in the laboratories and computer workstations.
* Providing advice to EMBL Barcelona staff on all health and safety matters.
* Encouraging staff to report incidents and accidents and investigating the cases.
* Liaising with the occupational medical services.
* Organising first aid training for staff and overseeing the supply of first aid material.
* Acting as a first aider in case of accidents and injuries.
* Being a contact point for people in need of mental health support or having mental health-related concerns.
* Organising and chairing annual meetings of the EMBL Barcelona Internal Safety Committee.
* Representing EMBL Barcelona in the following committees:
o Pan EMBL Safety Committee
o Pan EMBL Mental Health working group
o PRBB Risk Coordination
o CIPRL (PRBB Health and Safety Coordination)
o PRBB Biosafety Committee (CSB-PRBB)
Performing any other relevant task as requested by the Head of Unit or Head of Administration.
You have
* University qualification in Biology or Biochemistry.
* At least 5 years’ experience in a similar position in a life-science research laboratory.
* Good knowledge of regulations and legal requirements concerning laboratory safety.
* Excellent knowledge of Spanish and Catalan languages and very good working knowledge of English.
* Experience with technologies necessary for research in tissue biology.
* Familiarity with rules and regulations of an intergovernmental organization.
* Skills to communicate with people from all backgrounds.
* Positive and solution-driven attitude.
* Ability to plan and prioritise workloads.
* Excellent organisational skills and the ability to establish a realistic time-planning.
* Ability to work on own initiative and to contribute to the team.
You might also have
* Qualification in laser safety.
* Training as a biosafety officer.
* Training as a first-aider.
* Training as a mental health first aider.
Contract length: 3 years (renewable up to 9).
Salary: Grade 7.
Why join us
EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches. We are, therefore, committed to creating an inclusive and flexible culture - one where everyone can realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation.
We encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing team – we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and personal experiences reflect the diversity of the populations that our science serves. We actively encourage applications from all genders and cultures, ethnic groups and all demographics to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights at this transformational point in our people strategy.
Enjoy lots of benefits:
* Financial incentives:Salary free of income tax, Monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances.
* Flexible working arrangements.
* Private medical insurancefor you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover).
* Generous time off:30 days annual leave per year, in addition to public holidays.
* Relocation packageincluding installation grant (if applicable).
* Campus life:Free shuttle bus (select sites), on-site library, subsidised on-site gym and cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely).
* Family benefits: Kindergarten (Heidelberg), 10 days of child sick leave, generous paid maternity/parental leave and monthly family & child allowances.
* Benefits for international newcomers:Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and a monthly non-resident allowance.
* For detailed information please visit our employee benefits page here.
What else you need to know
* International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Visit our International Applicants page, to find out more.
* EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here.
* Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL, we strongly believe that inclusive and diverse teams benefit from higher levels of innovation and creative thought. We encourage applications from women, LGBTQ+ & individuals from all nationalities.
* How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date.
Closing Date: 26/04/2025
Make a difference
Whether you're a scientist, IT specialist, accountant or administrator, you'll help us tackle the challenges of improving human health & biodiversity in the face of climate change on a global scale.
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