Associate Director, Environmental Health and Safety

Job Description

Ginkgo isn't slowing down, and neither should you. As we push into new territory - including building the world's first autonomous lab - keeping our team safe and our infrastructure compliant is mission-critical work. The Associate Director, EH&S will lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of comprehensive Environmental Health and Safety programs across Ginkgo sites. This role requires a resourceful, hands-on leader who can build practical, scalable EH&S programs with the lean resources of a company our size while maintaining site-specific operational excellence. The ideal candidate will have previous experience in chemical hygiene as well as working within regulated environments such as CLIA or FDA. You will work cross-functionally to drive efforts to optimize laboratory safety and infrastructure to enhance efficiency and quality.

Key Responsibilities

• Regulatory Compliance: Manage all applicable EH&S permits (Local, State, Federal) including County AQMD, EPA, OSHA, USDA, and Fire Departments. Ensure compliance with regulated processes, including CLIA standards.
• Management Systems: Support the implementation and continuous improvement of the EH&S Management System, including event reporting, CAPA management, bio-risk management, and chemical hygiene programs.
• Program Leadership: Lead the authoring and maintenance of EH&S programs for the organization with a view toward building scalable corporate programs.
• Operational Oversight: Support site leaders to progress EH&S programs and actively measure performance through compliance metrics.
• Training & Development: Develop and improve training materials, managing both in-person and online training via the Learning Management System.
• Committee Management: Direct site EH&S Committees, chairing meetings and working collaboratively to deploy global safety standards.
• Expansion Support: Transition existing EH&S programs into new facilities, creating site-specific manuals and coordinating contractor or site-level support as needed, working within a lean team structure.
• Audit & Inspection: Develop internal inspection and audit programs for lab safety, flammable inventory checks, and controlled substance reconciliation.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Facilities, Shipping and Receiving, and Technical Management to ensure regulatory compliance.

Minimum Requirements

• Education: Four-year degree (BS/BA) in Science, Occupational Safety & Health, Environmental Science, or a related applicable degree.
• Experience: 4+ years of management and EH&S experience specifically in a laboratory or manufacturing setting. Demonstrated knowledge of managing Chemical Hygiene programs.
• Program Execution: Demonstrated ability to create and execute EH&S programs that engage employees and enable a safe work culture.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Strong understanding of systems under applicable regulatory controls at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Communication: Advanced interpersonal and communication skills, with a focus on collaboration, innovation, and inclusion.

Preferred Capabilities

• Advanced Degree: Master's degree in a scientific discipline or engineering field.
• CLIA Familiarity: Working knowledge of CLIA lab requirements, with the ability to take on ongoing CLIA compliance ownership if needed.
• Systems & Process Improvement: Comfortable identifying and adopting modern tools, including AI-assisted approaches, to improve program efficiency and reduce manual overhead.
• Strategic Alignment: Ability to quantitatively capture initiative deliverables and link outcomes to corporate strategy and vision.