Safety Specialist

Lewis Services | 100% Employee-Owned; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay $65,000 - $85,000

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Paid training and certifications

401(k) + match

Paid time off and EAP

Job summary

Lewis Tree Service is seeking a Safety Specialist in Buffalo, NY to lead safety initiatives and coach field crews within a large, ESOP-backed organization. You will model safety principles, build partnerships with Operations, and drive continuous safety improvements across sites.

You’ll conduct safety huddles, perform worksite observations, train staff on proper techniques, and investigate incidents to facilitate organizational learning. Travel 30–40% is required.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or HS diploma with safety credentials (CUSP, CTSP, ASP, GSP, ISA Arborist) or equivalent.
• Minimum 1 year of experience in line clearance or related industry.
• OSHA 30 Hour or equivalent.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Bilingual Spanish/English required.

Responsibilities

• Lead safety initiatives and model operating principles.
• Partner with Operations to drive safety improvements.
• Conduct morning huddles and safety moments for crews.
• Perform worksite observations and provide feedback to leadership.
• Train employees on safety tools, rigging, and fall protection.
• Investigate incidents and prepare reports for leadership.
• Travel 30–40% including overnight.

Skills

Bilingual Spanish/English

Education

Associate degree or HS with safety credentials

Job description

At Lewis, we’re not just trimming trees — we’re building a future. As the second-largest utility vegetation management company in North America and a proud employee-owned business, we believe every person on our team matters. When you join Lewis, you're not just taking a job — you're investing in your future.

Why You’ll Love It Here

• Experience the great outdoors while working in nature, not stuck behind a desk!
• Elevate your career with us — we prioritize training and internal promotions!
• Join a vibrant team that champions safety, values your feedback, and fosters a strong sense of camaraderie!
• Shape your future with us through our fantastic Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)!

Responsibilities

What You’ll Do as a Safety Specialist

• Serve as a visible leader, influencing and motivating while modeling Lewis’s Operating Principles.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with Operations to drive positive and continuous safety improvements.
• Participate in morning huddles and deliver safety tailgates/safety moments to job crews.
• Conduct worksite observations to identify potential risks and compliance with company and regulatory requirements; provide feedback to Operations Leadership.
• Provide timely assistance and consistent interpretation of company safety policies/procedures and regulatory requirements.
• Train and coach employees on:
• Working safely with utility line clearance tools (saws, pruners, hanger poles, rigging tools, saddles, harnesses, aerial lifts, etc.).
• Technical skills from fundamentals to advanced (roping and rigging, collision avoidance, climbing techniques).
• Safety-related processes and risks (aerial rescue, electrical safety, First Aid/CPR).
• Investigate and analyze incidents using current methods to facilitate organizational learning and build capacity to fail safely.
• Prepare evaluations and provide summary reports and recommendations for Operations and Safety Leadership.
• Communicate safety program needs with regional leadership.
• Report timely and accurately to Safety and Operations Regional Leadership.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

Significant travel is required, providing governance and oversight during field visits with Safety Specialists, Operations Leadership, and field crews.

Qualifications

What You Bring:

• Associate degree in a related field or equivalent combination of High School diploma/GED with safety/industry-related credentials (CUSP, CTSP, ASP, GSP, ISA Arborist) or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 1 year of experience in line clearance or related industry.
• Knowledge of OSHA and ANSI requirements; OSHA 30 Hour or equivalent.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) is required.

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in Safety Management, Safety Engineering, or Occupational Health and Safety.
• Minimum 1 year in a safety leadership role.
• Experience in line clearance, ISA Arborist, or related industry.
• Certified Tree Care Safety Professional (CTSP) – required within 1 year of hire.
• Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP).

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong ability to lead teams and drive change.
• Excellent written, oral, and presentation skills.
• Proficiency with computers, smartphones, and MS Office Suite.
• Knowledge of vegetation management tools, practices, and procedures.
• Familiarity with OSHA, ANSI, DOT, and tree industry regulations and standards.

Physical Demands

Ability To

• Write, type, file, and organize.
• Observe and respond to visual and oral instructions/messages.
• Adjust quickly and efficiently from task to task.
• Bend, reach, grasp, and organize materials.
• Communicate clearly in a professional manner.
• Perform in the presence of distractions or work frustrations.
• Maintain regular and timely attendance.
• Participate in employee and professional training events.
• Travel 30–40% of the time, including overnight.

Continuously – Communicating, observing, documenting, traveling.

Frequently – Standing, walking, driving.

Occasionally – Bending, reaching, lifting.

Rarely – Exposure to hazardous materials.

Environmental Conditions

• Regularly – Field environment with exposure to outdoor elements.
• Occasionally – Office environment, temperature extremes.
• Rarely – Hazardous materials, air quality issues.

PPE required per OSHA and ANSI standards.

Tools & Equipment

Equipment May Include

• Safety and training equipment.
• Utility vegetation management tools.

What We Offer

• Competitive pay $65,000 - $85,000
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
• Paid training and certifications.
• 401(k) + match.
• Paid time off and Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Our commitment to Our People is key to the success of our business. We respect the differences between us, and we leverage those differences to create an environment where all employees feel welcome and fairly treated. We seek the best solutions possible by attracting and engaging a diverse workforce where all perspectives are sought out and valued.

Lewis Tree Service is an equal employment opportunity employer committed to providing equal opportunity for both applicants and employees. Lewis Tree Service prohibits unlawful discrimination or harassment of employees and applicants based on race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age (40+), religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, citizenship status, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic, all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training, apprenticeship, promotion, demotion, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment. Lewis Tree Service’s practices and policies are administered under applicable federal, state, and local laws.