COORDINATOR, OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAM

Code: 63488 State Unclassified Range: M32 (FY 2027)

Salary: $71,878.65 - $100,638.17/year FY 2027 schedule (last updated 2026-07-27)

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under direction of a Medical Director or other designated official in the Office of Occupational Health and Safety (OOHS), in the Division of Personnel, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), is responsible for managing Occupational Health and Safety activities including: procurement and/or contracting professional and laboratory analytical services for workplace hazard monitoring and industrial health in the DEP systematic field inspections and investigations to identify, correct, and prevent workplace exposure, occupational disease and safety hazards; develop and implement mandated health and safety programs; design and conduct of special research projects on emergent occupational health issues; does related work as required.

Examples of work

• Directs the administration of a comprehensive Occupational Health and Safety Program for DEP employees and other state agency units that do work associated with the DEP in accordance with the New Jersey Worker and Community "Right-to-Know" Law and other applicable federal, state, and department laws and regulations.
• Manages the administrative operations and/or functional programs of the unit and has responsibility for employee evaluations and for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and/or disciplining and/or training staff of employees of both the Industrial Hygiene and Safety Unit and the Center for Occupational Medicine.
• Oversees the development, reviewing, and enforcing of programs and department policies and procedures to achieve DEP Occupational Health and Safety goals and objectives.
• Represents the department on behalf of the commissioner to the Advisory Board of Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSHA) at various meetings, policy making discussions, and rule proposals regarding health and safety standards.
• Directs the administration of the Occupational Safety and Health field inspection and investigation services to correct health and safety deficiencies detected by DEP employees, as well as those by the inspectors from the New Jersey Department of Labor and the New Jersey Department of Health under the Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Act (PEOSHA).
• Directs the administration of the Worker Right-to-Know Program for the department through the evaluation of annual site specific Right-to- Know surveys submitted to the Department of Health and the provision of training as mandated by the Right-to-Know law.
• Directs the administration of mandated health and safety training as required by established department programs in order to comply with OSHA/PEOSHA regulations.
• Directs the administration of the department's Safety Inspection and Accident Investigation Program including methods of abatement to ensure compliance with PEOSHA Safety Standards.
• Coordinates activities between the staff of Industrial Hygiene and Safety Unit (IHSU) and the Center for Occupational Medicine (COM) to ensure that occupational hazards such as injury risks, noise problems, toxic vapor hazards, radiation hazards, and confined space entry, indoor air quality, ERGONOMICS, and blood borne pathogens are properly evaluated throughout the department.
• Develops and administers a mandated comprehensive department-wide health and safety program which includes hazard identification, loss control, accident prevention, and risk assessment, medical surveillance, and mandated training for all DEP workplaces as well as for other state agency workplaces.
• Directs the maintenance of the Industrial Hygiene laboratory for the purpose of air monitoring and evaluation of work place exposures to physical and chemical hazards.
• Oversees the installation and maintenance of computerized systems which provide medical, technical, and management personnel with databases as well as with medical and scientific statistical analysis capabilities required to effectively perform their duties.
• Oversees the maintenance and development of the IHSU education resource library as it pertains to mandated Industrial Hygiene and Safety Programs and training.
• Provides input to department, state, and federal policies by reviewing, commenting on, and proposing amendments to draft editions of new and revised legislation, regulations, and technical proposals.
• Acts as principal advisor with other state departments, agencies from other states, federal agencies, and other professional organizations on occupational health issues.
• Liaison between the Department of Environmental Protection and other state agencies regarding various health and safety policies and procedures and the implementation of mandated health and safety issues as the need arises.
• Provides justifications for and develops special research projects and contracts to address new occupational health and safety issues as the need arises. Directs the investigations of reported occupational injuries, illnesses, and hazard complaints generated by management, union representatives, and/or employees.
• Plans, organizes, and prioritizes the work of the office and supervises the overall work operations.
• Directs the preparation of technical reports and correspondence in the course of official duties.
• Directs the establishment and maintenance of essential, confidential records, files, and data sources including the Departmental Log of Injuries and Illnesses (PEOSHA Form 200).
• Will be required to learn and utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agencies, offices, or related units.

Education

Graduation from an accredited college with a Bachelor's degree including or supplemented by thirty (30) semester hour credits in Public Health, Industrial Hygiene, or Occupational Health.

Experience

Five (5) years of experience in the fields of industrial hygiene and safety, two (2) years of which shall have been in a supervisory or managerial capacity.

License

Appointee will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and related Code of Federal Regulations (CFR 1910). Knowledge of the design, implementation, and maintenance of modern Occupational Health Programs in a personnel administration setting.
• Knowledge of the accepted principles of Occupational Health and Safety, and Industrial Hygiene.
• Knowledge of the PEOSHA regulations as they relate to safety inspections, accident investigations, and issues of compliance with Department of Labor inspections.
• Knowledge of, and the ability to educate employees and managers in the management of loss control/accident prevention and risk analysis systems as they relate to "OSHA" and "Right-to-Know" standards.
• Knowledge of the use and application of instrumentation and monitoring equipment as required for the implementation of the departmental industrial hygiene program.
• Knowledge of the policies, regulations, standards, and procedures and organization components of the Department of Environmental Protection as they related to OOHS to implement the required programs.
• Knowledge of Industrial Hygiene and Safety field inspection required by state, federal law, and department regulations to properly evaluate the area and, if necessary, the recommended solutions.
• Knowledge of sound, experimental, and analytical research practices involving public health, industrial hygiene, and other research topics.
• Knowledge of administrative practices and procedures and operational/organizational theories and the application therefore in supervising overall work operations.
• Knowledge of Occupational Health Programs administered by other state agencies and private sector organizations.
• Ability to understand and apply all OSHA regulations (CFR 1910) as regarding state employees by the "PEOSHA", of the New Jersey Worker "Right-to-Know" act.
• Ability to understand and apply New Jersey Department of Health and Department of Labor regulations and guidelines applicable to the field of Occupational Health and Safety.
• Ability to evaluate section performance, identify problem areas, and develop and implement improved or corrective methods and procedures.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with representatives of other state agencies, federal government, professional organizations, and others interested in the health and safety of employees. Ability to evaluate and provide health and safety programs including mandated training programs to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Ability to plan and conduct special research projects to identify program needs not being met, and to evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs.
• Ability to review, analyze, and effectively recommend government legislation and regulations as well as DEP Policies and Procedures concerning department Occupational Health and Safety activities, and the ability to instruct staff and DEP management on national and state policy, law, and regulation changes.
• Ability to manage the work operations and/or functional programs and to be responsible for evaluating employees and for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and/or disciplining of employees.
• Ability to effectively interact and communicate with various public and private sector officials and executives in matters of occupational health and safety issues.
• Ability to develop and maintain employee awareness of the availability of medical, research, industrial hygiene, safety, and stress management services.
• Ability to supervise the preparation of required reports, correspondence, and program directives, and to maintain confidentiality of office reports, records, files, and data sources.
• Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
• CODES: 31/M32- CAH 9/17/94 31/M31-

Note

A Master's degree in Public Health, Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene, or other closely related field may be substituted for one (1) year of nonsupervisory experience.

A Certification from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (CIH) may be substituted for one (1) year of supervisory experience.

Applicants who have successfully completed the required number of semester hour credits as specified above may substitute additional experience as indicated on a year-for-year basis for the remaining education.