Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Associate • Passion Placement

Boston, MA

Our mission is to make biology easier to engineer. Ginkgo is constructing, editing, and redesigning the living world in order to answer the globe’s growing challenges in health, energy, food, materials, and more. Our bioengineers make use of an in-house automated foundry for designing and building new organisms. Today, our foundry is developing over 40 different organisms to make different products across multiple industries.

We’re looking for a highly motivated and detail-oriented Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Associate to administer EHS programs and support for Ginkgo Bioworks and all associated companies. Reporting to the Director of Safety, you’ll be instrumental in partnering with Foundry management and researchers on safety-related matters, with a focus on risk assessment, chemical and biological safety concerns, waste management, emergency response and EHS training. You’ll also support continuous improvement initiatives in EHS programs, oversee the execution of all EHS-related protocols, and conduct internal audits and reviews as necessary to reduce risk and ensure compliance.

Please note: This position requires the ability to be onsite full-time at our new Cambridge location.

Responsibilities

Support the implementation of and continuous improvements to company-wide Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Programs, such as EHS event reporting and Investigation, CAPA management, risk management, emergency response, waste management, chemical hygiene, biosafety, occupational health, personal protective equipment, training and compliance metrics

Deliver in-person and hands-on training

Conduct internal inspections, document findings, work with researchers to implement corrective actions, and communicate results

Participate in risk assessment evaluations to ensure the identification of high risks and associated risk reduction corrective actions

Assist with incident investigations, root cause determinations, and identification of corrective and preventative actions

Manage onsite chemical inventory system and Safety Data Sheets repository (SDS)

Participate in test/drill of the emergency response plan, support Emergency Evacuation Coordinator teams, and maintain documentation to ensure consistent implementation of emergency preparedness and response standards

Serve as a member of the Ginkgo Safety Committee, attending meetings and facilitating subsequent initiatives

Collaborate with other EHS cross-functional teams and contractors, such as Shipping and Receiving and on-site waste management subcontractors, to ensure safety and regulatory compliance

Desired Experience and Capabilities

Four-year degree (BS/BA) in Environmental Engineering, Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Occupational Safety & Health, Environmental Science/Studies, or other applicable degree

2+ years of EHS experience in a laboratory or manufacturing setting

Demonstrated ability to execute safety programs that engage employees and enable a safe work culture

Strong understanding of applicable regulatory controls (local, state, and federal)

Experience participating in and/or implementing EHS programs, including general laboratory safety, emergency preparedness and response, inspections, and incident investigations

Strong interpersonal skills focused on collaboration, innovation, and inclusion

Excellent communication skills, including presenting, speaking, and writing

Additional Preferred Requirements (desired, but not essential)

Advanced degree (MA/MS) in Management, Environmental Engineering, Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Occupational Safety & Health, Environmental Science/Studies, or other applicable degree

Certified Environmental Professional

Experience with waste management programs

To learn more about Ginkgo, check out some recent press:

Ginkgo Bioworks CEO on scaling up Covid-19 testing: ‘If we try, we can win’ (CNBC)

Ginkgo raises $70 million to ramp up COVID-19 testing for employers, universities (Boston Globe)

Ginkgo Bioworks Redirects Its Biotech Platform to Coronavirus (Wall Street Journal)

Ginkgo Bioworks Provides Support on Process Optimization to Moderna for COVID-19 Response (PRNewswire)

The Life Factory: Synthetic Organisms From This $1.4 Billion Startup Will Revolutionize Manufacturing (Forbes)

Synthetic Bio Pioneer Ginkgo Raises $290 Million in New Funding (Bloomberg)

Ginkgo Bioworks raises $350 million fund for biotech spinouts (Reuters)

Can This Company Convince You to Love GMOs? (The Atlantic)

We also feel that it’s important to point out the obvious here – there’s a serious lack of diversity in our industry, and that needs to change. Our goal is to help drive that change. Ginkgo is deeply committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion in all of its practices, especially when it comes to growing our team. Our culture promotes inclusion and embraces how rewarding it is to work with people from all walks of life.

We’re developing a powerful biological engineering platform, so we must remain mindful of the many ways our technology can – and will – impact people around the world. We care about how our platform is used, and having a diverse team to build it gives us the best chance that it’s something we’ll be proud of as it continues to grow. Therefore, it’s critical that we incorporate the diverse voices and visions of all those who play a role in the future of biology.

It is the policy of Ginkgo Bioworks to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants.

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