Safety Manager

Harris & Co Executive Search; Washington, Baltimore (District of Columbia, MD); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Harris & Co Executive Search seeks an experienced Safety Manager for our heavy civil construction clients. The role is field-based, leading safety across complex projects and partnering with PMs and crews to ensure safe, compliant execution.

The ideal candidate will bring extensive field safety experience on excavation, equipment, and high-risk activities, with strong communication and the ability to stop work when conditions are unsafe. Travel to sites is required.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive safety experience in heavy civil construction.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA construction regulations and applicable requirements.
• Experience supporting active projects in the field, not just administrative.
• Experience with excavation, trenching, heavy equipment, underground utilities.
• OSHA 30-hour Construction certification required; CSP/CHST/ASP preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day safety efforts across active heavy civil projects.
• Develop and maintain project-specific safety plans and procedures.
• Conduct inspections, audits, and field observations to verify compliance.
• Create safe work plans, JHAs, AHAs, and pre-task plans with supervision.
• Identify risks related to excavation, trenching, equipment, and traffic.
• Ensure OSHA, DOT, environmental, and client safety requirements are followed.
• Lead investigations for incidents and near-misses with root-cause analysis.
• Track safety trends, indicators, and corrective actions for leadership review.
• Deliver safety orientations, toolbox talks, and ongoing training.
• Coach staff on safe practices and reinforce accountability in the field.
• Verify PPE, fall protection, respiratory protection, and controls are used.
• Monitor site conditions, protective systems, access/egress, and changes.
• Support safe operation of cranes, excavators, loaders, lifts, and trucks.
• Evaluate subcontractor safety programs and field performance.
• Coordinate emergency response plans and incident response.

Skills

Safety leadership

Hazard identification

Field safety management

Strong communication

Travel to sites

Tools

AHAs/JHAs

OSHA compliance practices

Job description

Safety Manager — Heavy Civil Construction

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Safety Manager to lead and strengthen safety performance across complex heavy civil construction projects. This position will be highly visible in the field, working directly with project managers, superintendents, foremen, subcontractors, and craft employees to ensure work is planned and executed safely, efficiently, and in compliance with applicable requirements.

The Safety Manager will serve as a hands-on safety leader, helping project teams identify hazards before work begins, establish effective controls, and maintain a culture where every employee is empowered to stop work when conditions are unsafe.

The ideal candidate brings strong heavy civil construction experience and understands the realities of working around heavy equipment, excavation, underground utilities, traffic, lifting operations, confined spaces, temporary works, and other high-risk construction activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day safety efforts across active heavy civil construction projects.
• Partner with project leadership to develop, implement, and maintain project-specific safety plans and procedures.
• Conduct frequent jobsite inspections, safety audits, and field observations to identify hazards and verify compliance.
• Work directly with superintendents and foremen to develop safe work plans, Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs), Activity Hazard Analyses (AHAs), and pre-task planning.
• Review upcoming work and proactively identify risks associated with excavation, trenching, underground construction, heavy equipment, lifting, traffic control, utility work, confined spaces, and other high-hazard activities.
• Ensure OSHA, DOT, environmental, client, and project-specific safety requirements are understood and implemented in the field.
• Lead incident, near-miss, and property-damage investigations, including root-cause analysis and corrective-action development.
• Track safety performance, trends, leading indicators, and corrective actions and communicate findings to project and company leadership.
• Conduct and support safety orientations, toolbox talks, pre-construction meetings, and ongoing employee training.
• Coach employees and supervisors on safe work practices and reinforce accountability at every level of the organization.
• Verify proper selection, inspection, and use of personal protective equipment, fall protection, respiratory protection, and other required controls.
• Monitor excavation and trenching operations, including competent-person requirements, protective systems, access/egress, and changing site conditions.
• Support safe operation of cranes, excavators, loaders, haul trucks, aerial lifts, and other heavy construction equipment.
• Evaluate subcontractor safety programs and monitor subcontractor performance in the field.
• Coordinate with project teams on emergency response, site-specific emergency action plans, and incident response.
• Maintain accurate safety documentation, inspection records, training records, and regulatory reporting.
• Stay current on changes to OSHA regulations, industry best practices, and emerging construction safety risks.
• Promote continuous improvement by sharing lessons learned, successful practices, and corrective actions across projects.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive safety experience in heavy civil, underground, utility, infrastructure, or related construction.
• Strong working knowledge of OSHA construction regulations and applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
• Demonstrated experience supporting active construction projects rather than functioning solely in an administrative safety role.
• Experience with excavation, trenching, heavy equipment, underground utilities, and other high-risk construction activities.
• Strong understanding of hazard identification, risk assessment, incident investigation, and corrective-action processes.
• Ability to read and understand construction plans, specifications, work plans, and project safety requirements.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence employees and supervisors at all levels.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines.
• Ability and willingness to spend significant time in the field and travel between project sites as required.
• OSHA 30-hour Construction certification required; additional safety certifications strongly preferred.
• CSP, CHST, ASP, or equivalent professional safety certification is preferred.
• Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means more than maintaining compliance. The Safety Manager will help project teams plan safer work, recognize hazards before they become incidents, and build a field culture where safety is part of how the work gets done.

The strongest candidate will be comfortable challenging unsafe conditions, coaching experienced construction professionals, and working shoulder-to-shoulder with field crews. They will bring credibility to the jobsite, exercise sound judgment under pressure, and consistently reinforce the expectation that production and safety must work together.

We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package, along with opportunities for professional development and advancement. The organization places a strong emphasis on employee training, safety, and long-term career growth.