Reports To: Director of People & Culture / Leadership
Employment Type: Full-Time
Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced Safety Manager to oversee company-wide safety, risk management, and workers’ compensation programs. This position will be responsible for developing and maintaining a strong safety culture while managing workers’ compensation claims from initial incident through final resolution.
The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience investigating workplace incidents, managing workers’ compensation claims, coordinating with insurance carriers and medical providers, facilitating return-to-work programs, and ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state safety regulations. Experience within a staffing, light industrial, manufacturing, construction, or similar high-risk environment is strongly preferred.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage the entire workers’ compensation claims process from beginning to end, including initial reporting, investigation, claim filing, medical management, follow-up, return-to-work, and claim closure.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for employees, managers, insurance carriers, third-party administrators, medical providers, and other stakeholders throughout the claims process.
- Investigate workplace injuries and illnesses to determine contributing factors and ensure timely and accurate documentation.
- Review incident reports, medical documentation, claim activity, reserves, and claim status.
- Monitor open claims and proactively follow up to move claims toward resolution.
- Coordinate with claims adjusters and insurance partners regarding disputed, complex, or high-cost claims.
- Assist with determining compensability and escalating claims when appropriate.
- Coordinate modified duty and return-to-work programs in partnership with employees, managers, and medical providers.
- Track claims, costs, lost time, restrictions, and other workers’ compensation metrics.
- Identify trends and implement corrective actions to reduce workplace injuries and workers’ compensation costs.
- Maintain accurate and confidential workers’ compensation records.
Safety & Risk Management
- Develop, implement, and maintain company-wide safety policies, procedures, and programs.
- Conduct workplace safety inspections, audits, and risk assessments.
- Investigate accidents, injuries, near misses, and safety concerns and develop corrective action plans.
- Identify workplace hazards and recommend practical solutions to reduce risk.
- Develop and deliver safety training for employees, managers, and field personnel.
- Maintain OSHA compliance and ensure required records, postings, training, and reporting are completed accurately and timely.
- Monitor regulatory changes and update safety programs as needed.
- Partner with operations and management to ensure safety expectations are consistently followed.
- Develop safety metrics and reporting to identify trends and areas requiring improvement.
Staffing & Field Safety
- Work closely with branch managers, recruiters, account managers, and field employees to ensure safety requirements are met.
- Assist with client-specific safety requirements and ensure employees are properly trained before placement when applicable.
- Review jobsite hazards and client safety expectations for industrial and field placements.
- Develop safety procedures and training specific to high-risk assignments.
- Conduct periodic follow-ups with employees and clients regarding safety concerns and workplace incidents.
Insurance & Risk
- Partner with insurance brokers, carriers, and third-party administrators on workers’ compensation and other insurance-related matters.
- Assist with insurance renewals, loss runs, claims reviews, audits, and risk assessments.
- Review claims history and identify opportunities to reduce exposure and insurance costs.
- Maintain required Certificates of Insurance and related documentation, as applicable.
- Assist leadership with reporting and analysis related to safety, claims, and risk management.
Required Qualifications
- 3+ years of experience in Safety, Risk Management, Workers’ Compensation, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience personally managing workers’ compensation claims from initial incident through resolution/closure.
- Strong understanding of workers’ compensation processes, claims management, and return-to-work programs.
- Experience conducting workplace incident investigations and root-cause analysis.
- Knowledge of OSHA regulations and workplace safety requirements.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple active claims and priorities.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive employee and medical information.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and claims/safety tracking systems.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in industrial staffing, light industrial, manufacturing, construction, logistics, or another high-risk environment.
- Experience managing workers’ compensation claims across multiple states.
- Experience working directly with workers’ compensation insurance carriers, TPAs, and claims adjusters.
- OSHA certification or other recognized safety certification.
- Experience with OSHA recordkeeping and reporting.
- Experience developing and delivering safety training programs.
- Experience with Certificates of Insurance (COIs), endorsements, and insurance requirements.
Key Performance Indicators
Success in this role will be measured by:
- Timely reporting and management of workers’ compensation claims.
- Reduction in claim costs, lost-time incidents, and claim duration.
- Timely completion of incident investigations and corrective actions.
- OSHA and regulatory compliance.
- Completion and effectiveness of safety training.
- Reduction in workplace incidents and repeat safety issues.
- Successful return-to-work and modified-duty outcomes.
- Accurate claims, safety, and compliance documentation.