Functional Safety Engineer Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

Standard Nuclear is fueling America's nuclear renaissance at industrial scale. Our mission is to deliver the essential building blocks of nuclear power-enabling cost-effective, safe, and secure energy for the world. 

The Senior Industrial Hygiene Specialist is responsible for leading the technical execution and continuous improvement of industrial hygiene programs across Standard Nuclear's manufacturing, laboratory, and controlled work environments. This role serves as a senior subject matter expert for anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, and controlling occupational health hazards, with responsibility for complex exposure assessments, sampling strategies, technical interpretation, and implementation of effective controls. 

This is a hands-on role that works closely with operations, engineering, maintenance, EH&S, radiological controls, quality, and management to integrate industrial hygiene requirements into process design, work planning, equipment changes, incident response, and day-to-day operations. The Senior Industrial Hygiene Specialist is expected to independently resolve complex health-risk issues, provide clear technical recommendations to leadership, mentor less experienced personnel, and help build scalable industrial hygiene practices as operations grow. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Industrial Hygiene Program Leadership & Exposure Assessment 

• Lead the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of industrial hygiene programs addressing chemical, physical, biological, and ergonomic hazards. 

• Develop and execute qualitative and quantitative exposure assessment strategies, including air sampling, noise monitoring, heat-stress evaluation, ventilation assessments, and other industrial hygiene surveys. 

• Establish sampling plans and exposure profiles based on process conditions, worker activities, hazard potential, and applicable occupational exposure limits. 

• Interpret monitoring and sampling results against applicable OSHA requirements and recognized guidance such as ACGIH TLVs and NIOSH RELs, and communicate clear conclusions and recommended actions. 

• Maintain accurate, traceable exposure records and technical documentation supporting employee protection, program decisions, audits, and regulatory compliance. 

Engineering Controls & Process Integration 

• Partner with engineering, operations, and maintenance to integrate industrial hygiene considerations into new equipment, process changes, facility modifications, and manufacturing scale-up activities. 

• Apply the hierarchy of controls to recommend practical engineering, administrative, work-practice, and PPE solutions for occupational health hazards. 

• Evaluate ventilation, containment, chemical handling, noise-control, and other exposure-control systems for effectiveness and suitability. 

• Provide senior technical input during job hazard analyses, pre-job planning, management-of-change activities, commissioning, and introduction of new chemicals or processes. 

• Provide technical guidance on respiratory protection, hearing conservation, hazard communication, PPE selection, and other industrial hygiene-related control programs. 

Regulatory Compliance, Documentation & Incident Response 

• Ensure industrial hygiene activities align with applicable OSHA, EPA, DOE, federal, state, and local requirements and relevant industry standards. 

• Serve as a senior industrial hygiene subject matter expert during regulatory inspections, internal audits, customer reviews, and compliance assessments. 

• Prepare and review exposure assessments, technical reports, procedures, sampling records, corrective-action documentation, and other controlled records. 

• Lead or support investigations involving occupational exposures, health-related incidents, or control failures and develop technically sound corrective and preventive actions. 

• Identify emerging compliance risks and program gaps and drive actions to maintain audit readiness and effective occupational health controls. 

Training, Technical Guidance & Program Improvement 

• Develop and deliver training on industrial hygiene topics including chemical safety, respiratory protection, hearing conservation, hazard communication, exposure controls, and safe work practices. 

• Provide day-to-day technical guidance to employees, supervisors, engineers, and leaders on occupational health hazards and appropriate control measures. 

• Review industrial hygiene data, trends, findings, and leading indicators to identify recurring risks and prioritize program improvements. 

• Support selection, use, calibration, and maintenance expectations for industrial hygiene monitoring and sampling equipment. 

Cross-Functional Safety Leadership 

• Work closely with operations, engineering, maintenance, manufacturing, quality, radiological controls, and other EH&S personnel to integrate industrial hygiene requirements into facility operations. 

• Communicate occupational health risks, exposure data, control effectiveness, and corrective actions clearly to technical teams, employees, and leadership. 

• Provide industrial hygiene input to operational readiness, work planning, procedure development, and continuous improvement initiatives. 

• Build effective working relationships across the organization and influence decisions that improve employee protection while supporting practical manufacturing execution. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Safety & Health, Environmental Science, Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field. 

• 7+ years of progressive industrial hygiene or occupational health experience, preferably in manufacturing, laboratory, energy, nuclear, chemical processing, or another technically regulated environment. 

• Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) credential strongly preferred; equivalent demonstrated senior-level industrial hygiene expertise will be considered. 

• Demonstrated experience independently planning and executing complex exposure assessments and using industrial hygiene data to establish effective controls. 

• Hands-on experience with air sampling pumps, direct-reading instruments, noise dosimeters, sound level meters, ventilation assessment tools, and other industrial hygiene instrumentation. 

• Strong knowledge of OSHA regulations, ACGIH TLVs, NIOSH criteria, exposure control strategies, respiratory protection, hearing conservation, and hazard communication requirements. 

• Experience evaluating chemical, particulate, noise, thermal, ventilation, ergonomic, and other occupational health hazards in active operations. 

• Ability to interpret complex sampling and exposure data, develop technically defensible conclusions, and translate findings into practical corrective actions. 

• Strong technical writing and documentation skills, including experience preparing exposure assessments, procedures, reports, audit documentation, and controlled records. 

• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams, communicate risk to leadership, and mentor less experienced personnel. 

• Proficiency with industrial hygiene data-management tools and Microsoft Office; experience maintaining electronic exposure records is preferred. 

• Experience supporting nuclear, DOE, NRC, radiological, or other highly regulated operations is preferred. 

BENEFITS 

• Health, Dental & Vision Insurance 

• Health Savings Account 

• Disability and Life Insurance 

• 401(k) Plan 

• Paid Time Off and Holidays 

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

This role is based in Oak Ridge, TN and involves work across office, laboratory, manufacturing, and controlled environments. 

The position requires regular interaction with operations, engineering, maintenance, manufacturing, quality, EH&S, radiological controls, and technical teams. Work may involve chemical and materials processing areas, industrial equipment, noise sources, ventilation systems, controlled areas, and use of required PPE. Field activities may include industrial hygiene sampling and monitoring in active work areas. Adherence to site safety, quality, radiological, environmental, and operational procedures is expected. Reasonable accommodation will be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Standard Nuclear embraces equal opportunity and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status. 
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.