Federal Position Descriptions
Print

Chairman and Board Member

Chairman/Board Member, Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Responsibility
Management Scope

In fiscal 2020, the CSB had a budget of $12 million and 47 full-time equivalent employees.2 The CSB’s staff is comprised of the following administrative units: the Office of the Chief Operating Officer, the Office of Investigations and Safety Programs, the Office of the General Counsel, the Office of Financial Operations, the Office of Management Operations and the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity. (40 CFR 1600.2)

Primary Responsibilities

• Investigates chemical accidents and hazards, recommending actions to protect workers, the public and the environment.
• Investigates and determines the facts, conditions, circumstances, the cause or probable cause or causes of any accidental release resulting in a fatality, serious injury or substantial property damages.
• Makes recommendations to plants, regulatory agencies — such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency — industry organizations and labor groups.
• Makes safety recommendations to federal, state and local agencies — including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration — and private organizations to reduce the likelihood of recurrences of chemical incidents.
• Initiates and conducts safety studies and special investigations on matters pertaining to chemical safety.
• Issues reports pursuant to its duties to determine the cause or probable cause or causes of chemical incidents and to report the facts, conditions and circumstances relating to such incidents.
• Issues and makes available to the public safety recommendations, safety studies and reports of special investigations (40 CFR 1600.3).

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

Board requirements:
• Consists of five members appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate.
• The president designates one of the members as chairperson with the advice and consent of the Senate (40 CFR 1600.2).
Board member requirements:
• Subject-matter expertise in the area of chemical safety.
• Previous government experience (a plus).

Competencies

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and handle sensitive matters.
• Excellent collaboration skills and collegiality.
• Chairman: good public speaking skills.

Past Appointments
  • Katherine Andrea Lemos (2020 to Present) – Director of Autonomy Research and Technology, Northrop Grumman; Aviation Safety Statistician & Human Factors Psychologist, Federal Aviation Administration; Senior Human Performance Investigator, National Transportation Safety Board
  • Vanessa Lorraine Allen Sutherland (2015 to 2017) – Chief Counsel, Office of Chief Counsel, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation; Senior Counsel, Altria Client Services Inc.; Counsel, Philip Morris USA Inc.
  • Rafael Moure-Eraso (2010 to 2015) – Professor and Graduate Coordinator, University of Massachusetts; Senior Advisor on Prevention of Chemical Exposures, Department of Labor; Industrial Hygienist, United Auto Workers International Union
AGENCY

Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

Mission: The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents and determining their root cause. In addition to specific accidents, the board is authorized to conduct investigations of more general chemical accident hazards, whether or not an accident has already occurred.

COMPENSATION

Level IV $ 158,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)1

REPORTS TO

The CSB is an independent agency. Members serve at the pleasure of the president.

SENATE COMMITTEE

Environment and Public Works

Appointee Tracker

Check out our Political Appointee Tracker

Go to the tracker
Footnote
  1. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260, December 27 ,2020), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials through January 1, 2022. The compensation information is based on guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and can be accessed here . If you are selected for this position, please consult the agency’ HR representative for further guidance on compensation.
More federal position descriptions