Program Manager – Utility Field Safety Operations

CARIAN; New Jersey; On-site; USD 115,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

401(k) match

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid time off

Discretionary bonus incentives

Job summary

CARIAN is seeking a Program Manager for Utility Field Safety Operations to oversee the execution of safety programs in construction environments. This full-time position is based in Somerset, NJ, requiring strong leadership in safety management and workforce coordination.

The ideal candidate will have over 8 years of relevant field experience and will be responsible for staffing, training, and ensuring operational excellence across multiple sites. We offer competitive compensation and a robust benefits package.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in utility, construction, or related fields.
• 3+ years managing field teams and client-facing operations.
• Understanding of utility construction and safety management.

Responsibilities

• Lead field safety operations and manage workforce deployment.
• Serve as primary contact for stakeholders and supervisors.
• Coordinate with safety leadership and oversee staffing levels.

Skills

Utility construction knowledge

Workforce management

Client communication

Safety-sensitive operations

Operational performance management

Education

8+ years in utility or construction

3+ years managing field teams

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Program Manager – Utility Field Safety Operations

Location: Somerset, NJ / Central New Jersey
Job Type: Full-time
Schedule: Monday through Friday, with field support as needed
Anticipated Assignment: Utility field safety program support; contingent upon client award or notice to proceed
Travel: Local travel to utility field locations as needed

About Us

CARIAN is a purpose-driven, woman-owned consulting and advisory firm dedicated exclusively to the power sector. We partner with leading electric and gas utilities to provide strategic advisory and disciplined execution across program management, business intelligence, and field execution oversight. Guided by integrity, trust, excellence, and accountability, our team helps deliver complex capital programs and build the resilient energy infrastructure that communities depend on.

Position Overview

CARIAN is seeking a Program Manager – Utility Field Safety Operations to lead day-to-day delivery of utility field safety operations across active construction and infrastructure environments.

This role is responsible for managing field program execution, workforce deployment, supervisor coordination, client communication, reporting cadence, issue escalation, and operational performance. The Program Manager will work closely with safety leadership, field supervisors, program controls, operations support, recruiting, and client stakeholders to ensure field personnel are properly deployed, trained, credentialed, and supported.

This is not a traditional corporate Safety Manager role. The successful candidate will be a field-oriented program leader with strong utility, construction, safety-sensitive operations, workforce management, and client-facing delivery experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day execution of utility field safety operations across assigned work areas and field locations
• Manage workforce deployment, staffing coverage, schedule alignment, and field resource coordination
• Serve as a primary operational point of contact for client stakeholders, field supervisors, internal leadership, and support teams
• Coordinate with safety leadership to support field safety expectations, training readiness, observation practices, escalation protocols, and documentation standards
• Oversee regional field supervisors and support consistent execution across multiple field locations
• Monitor active staffing levels, upcoming manpower needs, schedule changes, deployment gaps, and coverage risks
• Partner with program controls to review labor hours, staffing forecasts, utilization, reporting dashboards, issue logs, and performance trends
• Partner with operations support to ensure onboarding, credentialing, training, badging, access readiness, timesheets, expenses, and field documentation remain current
• Establish and manage regular program operating cadence, including field check-ins, status meetings, weekly reporting, issue reviews, and action-item tracking
• Support ramp-up, ramp-down, replacement staffing, and redeployment planning as program needs change
• Escalate operational, staffing, training, access, safety, or performance issues in a timely and professional manner
• Maintain strong communication with client representatives and internal leadership regarding field readiness, schedule changes, risks, and required actions

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in utility, construction, infrastructure, field services, safety-sensitive operations, or related program delivery
• 3+ years of experience managing field teams, supervisors, multi-site operations, or client-facing field programs
• Strong understanding of utility construction, field safety expectations, worksite coordination, access readiness, and operational risk management
• Experience coordinating field staffing, workforce deployment, schedule changes, manpower planning, or multi-location coverage
• Demonstrated ability to manage client communication, internal coordination, issue escalation, and program reporting
• Working knowledge of OSHA requirements, construction safety practices, utility field environments, and safety-sensitive work activities
• OSHA 30 required, or ability to obtain prior to field deployment
• First Aid / CPR / AED certification required, or ability to obtain within 60 days of hire
• NFPA 70E training required, or ability to obtain within 90 days of hire
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-moving field environment
• Ability to read, interpret, and manage field schedules, staffing plans, action logs, reports, and operational dashboards
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint
• Ability to work from the Somerset, NJ office and travel locally to field locations as needed
• Valid driver’s license required

Preferred Experience

• 10+ years of relevant experience preferred
• Experience supporting electric or gas utility programs, transmission and distribution work, substations, construction management, field services, or contractor oversight
• Experience with safety observation programs, field safety coordination, utility access requirements, or high-risk work environments
• STS-C, CHST, OHST, CSP, CUSP, or similar safety credential strongly preferred
• Experience with NERC-CIP, utility badging, site access, background screening, drug testing, or credential-readiness processes
• Experience leading program start-up, workforce ramp-up, regional field supervision, or large-scale deployment programs
• Experience working with project controls, manpower forecasting, dashboards, weekly reports, and client performance metrics

Why CARIAN

• Purpose-driven work – Help deliver infrastructure that powers communities
• Industry reputation – Trusted by leading utilities for our reliability and results
• Career growth – Opportunities to lead major programs and mentor high-performing teams
• Collaborative culture – Join a team that values delivery excellence and long-term relationships
• Competitive total rewards – Strong compensation, full benefits, 401(k) match, and meaningful work

Equal Employment Opportunity

CARIAN is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We hire and develop talent based on qualifications, performance, and business needs. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. As a women-owned firm dedicated to the power sector, we are committed to building a team that reflects professionalism, expertise, and integrity at every level.

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is $115,000 – $150,000 annually. This range represents a good-faith estimate at the time of posting; actual compensation will depend on experience, qualifications, skills, project assignment, and business needs. CARIAN offers a competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, holidays, and 401(k) participation with company match. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonus incentives or other compensation programs based on company and individual performance.