Safety Coordinator

Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc.; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 71,000 - 79,000; Full time

Job summary

Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is seeking a Safety Coordinator at the West Seneca facility to help develop, implement, and continuously improve EHS programs.

You will ensure regulatory compliance with occupational health, safety, and environmental laws while fostering a proactive safety culture and sustainability initiatives. You will collaborate with plant leadership, operations, maintenance, and quality teams to keep operations safe, clean, and compliant, supporting training, incident

Qualifications

• BS degree in safety, industrial hygiene or environmental sciences or related field preferred.
• 2 years’ manufacturing experience recommended.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA General Industry regulations.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Collaborative problem solver in a manufacturing setting.

Responsibilities

• Oversee site compliance with OSHA standards and Safety Management Operating System (SMOS).
• Conduct incident investigations and assist with root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Provide site-specific safety training and participate in daily safety huddles.
• Develop SMART goals derived from higher-level safety initiatives.
• Perform routine site inspections and environmental audits.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

OSHA knowledge

Team collaboration

Education

BS in Safety/Industrial Hygiene

Tools

MS Office

SMOS familiarity

Job description

Join a team that nourishes life from farm to table! Upstate Niagara Cooperative, proudly owned by 200+ local family farms, is one of America’s largest and most stable dairy cooperatives. Guided by farmer- and employee-led values, we process and market high-quality milk, yogurt, dips, sour cream, cottage cheese, and more under our trusted brands: Upstate Farms®, Bison®, Milk for Life®, and Intense Milk®. Here, you’ll support sustainable farming, strong communities, and the mission to deliver fresh, local dairy to families every day.

Job Summary

The Safety Coordinator assists with the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the EHS programs at our West Seneca facility. This role is responsible for helping to ensure full regulatory compliance with occupational health, safety, and environmental laws while cultivating a strong, proactive safety culture and driving sustainability initiatives. The Safety Coordinator works under the guidance of the Safety Manager and partners with plant leadership, operations, maintenance, and quality teams to ensure safe, clean, and compliant operations.

Responsibilities

• Assist with overseeing site compliance with OSHA standards, industry best practices and meet organizational goals for overseeing the Safety Management Operating System (SMOS)
• Conduct incident investigations and assist with root cause analysis and corrective action implementation
• Provide site‑specific safety training
• Involvement in daily huddle meetings to provide a safety presence and message
• Develop individual and plant‑focused SMART goals from high‑level initiatives
• Daily walkthroughs to ensure boots on the ground with a focus on behavior and adherence to safe work practices
• Engaging with personnel to promote worker participation in proactive safety
• Review and prioritize Open Action Items and update status
• Review and follow up of near misses and hazard recognition in the facility
• Review weekly Supervisor Audits and ensure that follow‑up actions are added to the Action List in Teams and addressed
• Assist with oversight and implementation of safety programs and procedures
• New Employee Safety Orientations
• Assisting with the development of Lockout/Tagout procedures
• Performing proactive safety functions
• Develop One Point Lessons as necessary
• Play a role with the Monthly Safety Committee Meetings
• Ensure that OSHA 300 log is current and properly maintained
• Identify and Implement Weekly Toolbox Topics
• Perform and document Monthly Safety Compliance Tasks
• Provide input on projects and expansions
• Conduct routine site inspections, environmental audits, and risk assessments.
• Assist with oversight and implementation of environmental programs including spill prevention, waste reduction, and recycling initiatives.
• Gathering data to assist with the preparation and submittal of regulatory reports (e.g., Tier II, TRI, DMRs, annual emissions inventory).
• Collaborate with operations, maintenance, and engineering teams to incorporate environmentally sound practices in day‑to‑day operations.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, and individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education And Experience

• A BS degree in Safety Engineering, Industrial Hygiene, or Environmental Sciences, or in a related field is preferred
• 2 years’ experience in manufacturing setting preferred
• Solid understanding of OSHA’s General Industry regulations
• Excellent organizational and motivational skills
• Outstanding attention to detail and observation ability
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal abilities
• Familiar with standard concepts, practices, and procedures within the health, safety, and environmental field
• Collaborative problem solver who understands the complexities of a manufacturing environment

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to pull handles and push buttons. Requirements may also include climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling. The employee must occasionally lift and or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and distance vision.

Pay

Pay: $71K-$78.9K/yr.*

Salary and Benefits

• The salary range indicated in this posting represents the minimum and maximum of the salary range for this position. Actual salary will vary depending on factors including, but not limited to, budget available, prior experience, knowledge, skill and education as they relate to the position’s qualifications, in addition to internal equity. The posted salary range reflects just one component of our total rewards package. Other components of the total rewards package may include participation in group health and/or dental insurance, retirement plan, wellness program, paid time away from work, and paid holidays.

Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.