Associate Director of Facilities, SHE

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts – Kendall Square Type: On-Site Function: Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Reports to: Director, SHE Role Summary The SHE Associate Director – Site Operations Safety will lead facility safety, contractor governance, project safety, and built-environment assurance for AstraZeneca’s strategic R&D facility in Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The role will provide SHE leadership across building systems, utilities, laboratories, shared spaces, construction, renovations, facilities operations, contractors, and outsourced service providers. It will ensure that site activities align with Global SHE standards, R&D operations, applicable U.S. regulatory requirements, and AstraZeneca’s sustainability ambitions. The successful candidate will lead the implementation and continuous improvement of the facilities SHE strategy and management system, including controls for high-risk work, site-related Management of Change (MoC), contractor governance, incident prevention, assurance, emergency preparedness, environmental performance, and operational readiness. The role will also provide SHE oversight for a portfolio of construction, commissioning, laboratory modification, and renovation projects from design through operational handover. The site safety approach will be informed by Core OSHA principles, Human and Organizational Performance (HOP), and prevention of potential Serious Injuries and Fatalities (pSIF). Key Responsibilities Facilities Safety Strategy and Leadership Safety strategy : Lead the site facilities safety strategy, aligning it with Global SHE standards, R&D operations, site risk priorities, and sustainability Safe systems of work : Establish and embed safe systems of work for facilities operations, maintenance, laboratories, utilities, projects, and shared spaces. Governance : Establish and chair facilities safety governance forums, ensuring clear ownership, effective decision-making, and timely escalation of significant risks. Standards and procedures : Develop and maintain policies, standards, procedures, and operational controls for facilities, engineering, projects, and laboratory infrastructure. Stakeholder partnership : Partner closely with Facilities, Engineering, Project Management, Laboratory Operations, Procurement, Property Management, contractors, service providers, and Global SHE. Visible leadership : Serve as a visible and influential SHE leader who promotes proactive risk management, embedded safe practice, operational discipline, and continuous improvement. SHE Management Systems and Compliance Management system : Develop, implement, and continuously improve the site SHE management system, with a strong emphasis on practical risk control, regulatory compliance, and operational effectiveness. Regulatory alignment : Translate applicable U.S. workplace safety requirements, including relevant OSHA standards, and AstraZeneca requirements into clear and practical site standards. Facility integrity : Ensure the safe, reliable, and compliant operation of building systems, utilities, pressure systems, critical assets, laboratory infrastructure, and other safety-critical equipment. Internal controls : Maintain effective internal controls, assurance processes, documentation, performance measures, and management reviews. Risk-based decision-making : Apply a proportionate, risk-based approach that balances safety, compliance, sustainability, operational delivery, and business continuity. Safe Systems of Work and High-Risk Activities High-risk work controls : Own and enforce controls for permit-to-work, lockout/tagout (LOTO) and energy isolation, confined space entry, hot work, working at height, electrical safety, lifting operations, and other high-risk activities. Work planning : Review risk assessments, method statements, permits, work plans, and control arrangements for facilities activities, projects, contractors, and service providers. Field verification : Conduct inspections, field verifications, and safety observations to confirm that controls are understood and effectively implemented. Intervention : Stop or escalate work where risks are not adequately controlled and ensure that corrective actions are completed before work resumes. Shared spaces : Liaise with Property Management and other relevant parties to ensure that appropriate safety standards and operating arrangements are established and maintained in shared areas. Facilities Management of Change MoC leadership : Lead the SHE MoC process for changes to buildings, utilities, equipment, laboratories, occupancy, work practices, and site operations, in lock step with the Facilities Management Team. Risk assessment : Ensure changes are appropriately screened, risk-assessed, approved, communicated, implemented, and documented. Readiness : Confirm that required training, procedures, permits, inspections, emergency arrangements, documentation, and readiness activities are completed before changes are introduced. Temporary changes : Track temporary changes through closure or formal extension, complementary to the Site Operations Change Review Board. Operational handover : Ensure that residual risks, control measures, ownership, and maintenance requirements are clearly transferred into business-as-usual operations. Construction, Renovation, and Project Safety Project oversight : Provide SHE leadership for construction, tenant fit-out, commissioning, laboratory modifications, and minor-to-medium renovation projects. Design integration : Integrate SHE requirements into project design, procurement, construction, execution, commissioning, and handover. Construction risk control : Partner with architects, engineers, construction managers, contractors, project teams, and Property Management to control construction, interface, and operational risks. Project assurance : Review project risk registers, construction plans, contractor arrangements, commissioning activities, and readiness documentation. Transition to operations : Support safe transition to operations through residual-risk management, documentation, training, inspections, emergency planning, and operational readiness reviews. Contractor and Vendor Governance Governance framework : Establish and maintain effective SHE governance for contractors, vendors, and outsourced service providers. Competence and documentation : Verify qualifications, competencies, risk assessments, method statements, permits, insurance, training, and other required documentation. SHE expectations : Communicate AstraZeneca’s SHE expectations and ensure that contractors understand site requirements before work begins. Performance monitoring : Monitor compliance through inspections, audits, safety walks, field verifications, performance reviews, and event analysis. Corrective action : Escalate nonconformances and ensure timely and effective corrective action, including suspension of work where necessary. Assurance, Events, and Continuous Improvement Firs