Safety Specialist

vulcanelements; Benson (NC); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Vulcan Elements is seeking a Safety Specialist for the on-site R&D facility in Durham, NC. This full-time, day-shift role will ensure health and safety compliance and may transfer to the Benson facility when ready.

You will review procedures, lead risk-based inspections, own the tailgate program, and drive safety improvements across the floor with a strong emphasis on collaboration with R&D and process engineering.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent education/experience.
• 4-6 years of job-specific experience.
• Working knowledge of OSHA standards, JHA development, and incident investigation methodology.
• Comfort operating with real authority and autonomy.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build trust and credibility.
• Completed OSHA 30-hour training.

Responsibilities

• Review manufacturing and test procedures and draft job hazard assessments.
• Run risk-based inspections and close corrective actions.
• Own the daily tailgate program and train supervisors to run it independently.
• Build safety observation and suggestion program to turn floor-level insights into actions.
• Lead self-assessments and safety checks, evaluate risk and trends to close gaps.
• Monitor PPE inventories to ensure supplies are available.
• Provide environmental compliance support as required by Environmental department.
• Co-develop OSHA-aligned safety policies with the EHS leader and test them on the floor.
• Own KPIs like tailgate completion, observation closure, and corrective-action aging.

Skills

OSHA knowledge

JHA development

Incident investigation

Communication skills

Autonomy

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

OSHA 30-hour training

Job description

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Transparency.

As a Safety Specialist you will be responsible for providing on-site observation of activities and reporting at the Vulcan Elements R&D facility in Durham, NC. You will ensure health and safety compliance with applicable regulations and existing company standards. This is a full-time, day shift position that will either remain at the Durham R&D facility or transfer to the Benson facility once the Benson facility is operational.

Responsibilities

• Review manufacturing and test procedures and work with the team to draft the job hazard assessments that shape how work gets done.
• Run risk-based inspections and see corrective actions through to real closure.
• Own the daily tailgate program: set the rhythm, make the content matter to that day's work, and build supervisors' ability to run it independently
• Build and run the safety observation and suggestion program - the channel that turns floor-level instinct into trend data leadership acts on.
• Lead self-assessments and safety checks across the floor, including the paperwork behind them, evaluating risk and trends to address gaps and establish best in class safety performance.
• Monitor safety equipment inventories to ensure supplies such as PPE are readily available for employees.
• Provide supplemental environmental compliance support as required by Environmental department
• Co-develop OSHA-aligned safety policies with the EHS leader, built for the speed and variability of R&D pilot work, and pressure-test them with the team until they hold up on the floor.
• Own the KPIs that prove safety is working - tailgate completion, observation closure, self-assessment trends, corrective action aging - and use them to drive where attention goes next.
• Watch how new processes and equipment shift the risk picture, and keep documentation audit-ready as a matter of course.
• Facilitate root cause analysis on safety incidents and higher potential near-misses and bring that same rigor to RCAs led by others.
• Partner with R&D and process engineering during scale-up so safety gets designed in before new work ever reaches the floor.
• Lead by influence - build the kind of trust with supervisors and area owners that makes them want to own tailgates, self-assessments, and corrective actions themselves.
• Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent education and/or experience.
• 4-6 years of job specific experience.
• Working knowledge of OSHA standards, JHA development, and incident investigation methodology.
• Comfort operating with real authority and autonomy.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build trust and credibility.
• Completed OSHA 30-hour training

Desired Skills

• Bilingual
• First aid/CPR/AED certified

Work Environment and Demands

• Must have a valid driver's license
• Must be able to perform activities including climbing ladders and scaffolds, lifting (up to 35 lbs), walking, balancing, and stooping.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.