Field Safety Specialist

Horizontal Talent; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Horizontal Talent seeks a Field Safety Specialist in Austin to lead incident response and strengthen safety processes in a hybrid role. You will collaborate with fleet operations, engineering, legal, and EHS teams to safeguard operations and drive safety improvements.

The position requires 2–4 years in safety, strong judgment, and excellent communication. As part of a dynamic team, you will help deliver safety training, monitor safety metrics, and contribute to continuous improvement across

Qualifications

• 2–4 years in operational safety or related fast-paced environment.
• Ability to make sound judgments and adapt quickly.
• Strong communication and collaboration across teams.
• Familiarity with safety and incident response workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead local safety response for vehicle incidents and field actions.
• Participate in on-call coverage including evenings and weekends.
• Gather facts, interview, and collect evidence on safety events.
• Collaborate with fleet ops, engineering, legal, and EHS teams to resolve issues.
• Help develop and deliver safety training programs aligned with goals.

Skills

Decision making

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Teamwork across teams

Learning quickly with tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety & Health, EHS, Emergency Management, or related field

Tools

Google Workspace

Jira

Confluence

Slack

Job description

Join a dynamic field safety team supporting the safe operation of autonomous vehicle testing and service activities in Austin. This hybrid role offers the opportunity to lead incident response, strengthen safety processes, and collaborate closely with cross-functional partners to improve operational safety every day.

Responsibilities

• Lead local safety response efforts for vehicles involved in incidents and support timely, effective field actions
• Participate in on-call coverage, including evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
• Gather facts, conduct interviews, and collect evidence related to safety events, close calls, and other operational concerns
• Work closely with fleet operations, engineering, software, hardware, legal, EHS, and security teams to evaluate and address safety issues
• Help develop, refine, and execute safety training programs that support organizational goals and employee performance
• Promote a strong safety culture through collaboration, professionalism, and a team-first mindset
• Support operational safety and compliance initiatives, including the tracking and reporting of safety metrics
• Contribute to continuous improvement efforts by identifying lessons learned and helping strengthen processes across vehicles and locations

Skills

• 2 to 4 years of experience in operational safety, field safety, occupational safety and health, emergency management, law enforcement, fire service, or a related fast-paced environment
• Ability to work effectively in situations that require sound judgment, adaptability, and quick decision-making
• Strong communication skills with an empathetic, collaborative approach
• Comfort working across teams and building trusted working relationships
• Familiarity with Google Workspace, Jira, Confluence, and Slack, or the ability to learn these tools quickly
• Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety & Health, Environmental Health & Safety, Emergency Management, or a related field, or equivalent experience

Preferred Skills

• Experience in the automotive or autonomous vehicle industry
• Background as a first responder or experience investigating vehicle-related incidents
• Experience in transportation safety operations, including aviation or autonomous vehicle safety
• Knowledge of high-voltage DC systems, lithium-ion batteries, battery storage systems, or NFPA 70E
• Familiarity with safety standards such as AVSC best practice documents or the ISO 39000 series

Horizontal is committed to fostering a workplace where diversity, equity, and inclusion are valued and supported. We welcome candidates with a range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives who share a commitment to building a respectful and inclusive environment.