Safety Manager - Cordova, NC

Marcal Paper; Rockingham (NC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Marcal Paper is seeking an experienced Safety Manager to lead our safety program within a demanding industrial manufacturing environment in North Carolina. You will drive the development, implementation, and maintenance of safety programs to protect employees, contractors, visitors, and assets while supporting safe, efficient operations.

The ideal candidate will be hands‑on, comfortable working with operators, supervisors, and maintenance personnel in an environment with heavy machinery and

Qualifications

• Requires professional safety experience.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA regulations and industrial safety practices.
• Experience conducting inspections, hazard assessments, and JHAs.
• Experience investigating incidents and developing corrective actions.
• Ability to train and communicate safety expectations at all levels.
• Knowledge of PPE, LOTO, machine guarding, hazard communication, and emergency response.
• Ability to work with operations to implement corrective measures.
• Strong organizational, communication, leadership, and problem‑solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the site’s overall safety program and promote a safety‑first culture.
• Conduct regular safety inspections and workplace audits.
• Identify unsafe conditions and behaviors and work with leadership to correct them.
• Investigate incidents, near misses, and property damage events and determine root causes.
• Develop and track corrective and preventive actions.
• Coordinate and conduct employee safety training.
• Maintain OSHA‑required records, documentation, and reporting.
• Assist departments with JHAs, risk assessments, SOPs, and safe‑work procedures.
• Manage and improve safety programs including Lockout/Tagout, Machine Guarding, Confined Space, Fall Protection, Powered Industrial Trucks, Crane and Hoist Safety, PPE, Emergency Response, Contractor Safety, Hot Work, Electrical Safety.
• Monitor safety performance metrics and identify trends requiring corrective action.
• Participate in safety committees and employee engagement initiatives.
• Work with operations, maintenance, engineering, and management to integrate safety into daily operations and projects.
• Support compliance with OSHA regulations and applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
• Serve as a visible safety leader who engages employees and addresses hazards firsthand.

Skills

OSHA knowledge

Hazard identification

Safety training

Leadership

Communication

Problem-solving

Incident investigation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Safety/OH/IE

OSHA 30‑Hour certification

ASP/CSP or equivalent

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Safety Manager to lead and strengthen our safety culture in a demanding industrial manufacturing environment. The Safety Manager will be responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining safety programs that protect employees, contractors, visitors, and company assets while supporting safe and efficient operations.

The ideal candidate will be a hands‑on safety professional who is comfortable working directly with employees, supervisors, managers, and maintenance personnel in an environment involving heavy machinery, mobile equipment, industrial processes, and elevated operational hazards.

Required Qualifications:

• Prior professional safety experience is required.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA regulations and general industrial safety practices.
• Experience conducting workplace inspections, hazard assessments, and Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs).
• Experience investigating incidents, identifying root causes, and developing corrective actions.
• Ability to provide safety training and effectively communicate safety expectations to all levels of an organization.
• Strong knowledge of PPE requirements, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), machine guarding, hazard communication, and emergency response.
• Ability to recognize hazards and work with operations and maintenance to implement practical corrective measures.
• Strong organizational, communication, leadership, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced industrial environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

Preference will be given to candidates with:

• Pulp and paper mill experience.
• Experience working around heavy industrial machinery and manufacturing equipment.
• Experience in environments involving heavy mobile equipment, forklifts, cranes, loaders, skid steers, trucks, and other industrial vehicles.
• Experience with industrial maintenance and mechanical/electrical hazards.
• Experience with confined spaces, hot work, fall protection, electrical safety, and permit‑required work.
• Experience managing contractor safety programs.
• Experience with Behavior‑Based Safety (BBS) programs or employee safety observation programs.
• Experience developing and maintaining written safety procedures, SOPs, JHAs, and training programs.
• Experience with OSHA recordkeeping and safety metrics.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the site’s overall safety program and promote a safety‑first culture.
• Conduct regular safety inspections and workplace audits.
• Identify unsafe conditions and behaviors and work with leadership to correct them.
• Investigate incidents, near misses, and property damage events and determine root causes.
• Develop and track corrective and preventive actions.
• Coordinate and conduct employee safety training.
• Maintain OSHA‑required records, documentation, and reporting.
• Assist departments with JHAs, risk assessments, SOPs, and safe‑work procedures.
• Ø Manage and improve safety programs including:
  • Lockout/Tagout
  • Machine Guarding
  • Confined Space
  • Fall Protection
  • Powered Industrial Trucks
  • Crane and Hoist Safety
  • PPE
  • Emergency Response
  • Contractor Safety
  • Hot Work
  • Electrical Safety
• Monitor safety performance metrics and identify trends requiring corrective action.
• Participate in safety committees and employee engagement initiatives.
• Work closely with operations, maintenance, engineering, and management to ensure safety is incorporated into daily operations and projects.
• Support compliance with OSHA regulations and applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
• Serve as a visible safety leader who is willing to get out into the facility, engage employees, and address hazards firsthand.

Education & Certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Safety, Occupational Health, Environmental Health, Industrial Hygiene preferred
• A related field preferred; equivalent safety experience may be considered.
• OSHA 30‑Hour certification is preferred.
• ASP, CSP, or equivalent professional safety certification preferred.
• Additional industrial safety certifications are a plus.

Ideal Candidate:

​The ideal candidate is more than someone who simply manages paperwork. We are looking for a hands‑on safety leader who can build relationships with employees, hold people accountable, coach supervisors, and work alongside operations to solve problems.

​The successful candidate should be able to walk into a production area, recognize hazards, communicate effectively with employees, and help develop practical solutions that keep people safe without unnecessarily interfering with production.

What We’re Looking For:

Safety experience is required. Industrial manufacturing experience is strongly preferred. Pulp and paper experience and experience working around heavy machinery and heavy equipment will be highly valued.

We are looking for someone who can lead, coach, communicate, investigate, teach, and hold people accountable while building a strong safety culture throughout the facility.

MARCAL IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Compliance w/All EEO Laws Regulations & Prescribed Federal Guidelines Marcal is an equal opportunity employer with respect to recruiting, advertising, promotions, transfers, discipline, discharge and all terms and conditions of employment. This means our Company considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, immutable birth characteristics, political affiliation, status with regard to public assistance, disability, sexual orientation, citizenship status or veteran status except as may be required by applicable law. All applicants will be considered solely on the basis of their qualifications.