Safety Specialist / Safety Program Manager

Rockvillemd; Rockville (MD); On-site; USD 78,000 - 129,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Rockville is seeking a permanent, full-time Safety Specialist to lead the occupational safety and health program within the Safety and Risk Management Division of the Human Resources Department.

The role covers safety inspections, workers' comp claims, incident investigations, training, and program development to foster a safe work culture across city properties and jobsites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety and Health, Risk Management or related field.
• 2–5 years of progressive professional safety/risk management experience.
• Ability to obtain First-Aid/CPR/AED certification within 1 year.

Responsibilities

• Create, implement, update, and execute safety handbook and policies compliant with regulations.
• Conduct safety inspections, identify hazards, and coordinate corrective actions.
• Lead workers' compensation claim activities and return-to-work programs.
• Investigate workplace incidents to determine root causes and prevent recurrence.
• Record safety audit results and disseminate corrective actions to management.
• Provide support in claims handling and investigation of workers' compensation claims.
• Lead small/medium project teams: scoping, specifications, budgets, contracts, stakeholders, schedules, and grants.
• Prepare briefings and present analyses and program recommendations to senior management.
• Facilitate safety committee meetings and cross-department collaboration.
• Create newsletters, flyers, and media for stakeholder communication.
• Prepare and conduct in-person safety training and CPR/First-Aid/AED training.
• Prepare OSHA 300 logs, incident reports, and annual summaries per requirements.
• Maintain training databases and coordinate with supervisors on mandatory training.

Skills

Safety Management

Risk Assessment

Incident Investigation

Training Delivery

Auditing

Data Analysis

Project Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety and Health

Tools

OSHA recordkeeping

MS Office

Job description

The City of Rockville is accepting applications for a permanent full-time Safety Specialist (salary range $78,019 - $128,731). The position may, however, be filled at the Safety Program Manager level (salary range $81,920 - $135,169), depending on experience and qualifications.

The position performs intermediate to difficult professional and administrative work in the administration of the City's occupational safety and health management programs and initiatives. This position resides within the Safety and Risk Management Division of the Human Resources Department. Employees in this class manage the City's occupational safety and health management program, workers' compensation claim activities and return to work programs, assigns, reviews, and monitors all claims to settlement and closure, and performs daily jobsite safety audits, among other responsibilities.

Employees in this class work proactively with contacts within and outside the department and City to explain specialized aspects of the program area of assignment. There may be occasional contact with high-level officials. Most of the work requires light physical demands and occurs both within an office setting and often on various City properties and jobsites, producing considerable mental effort and stress by handling multiple projects/assignments concurrently and meeting deadlines. The work is carried out within established policies, procedures, and precedents and subject to general supervisory review by the Safety and Risk Manager. Employees in this class contribute to and directly impact the delivery of services within the human resources programs to which assigned.

• Creates, implements, updates, and executes the City's safety handbook and other policies and procedures in compliance with local, state, and federal occupational safety and health regulations.
• Conduct safety inspections to identify hazards and verify compliance with applicable regulations and policies, coordinate corrective actions, and strengthen a culture of safety through employee engagement, education, and accountability. This includes having thorough knowledge and experience in the evaluation of workplace conditions, hazards, equipment and processes to ensure safety procedures are met.
• Performs professional work handing claims reporting and follow-up; and collecting, compiling and analyzing data pertaining to insurance and loss control functions.
• Investigation of workplace incidents, accidents, and near-misses to determine root causes and prevent their recurrence.
• Records results of safety audits and disseminates necessary corrective actions to the appropriate City management representatives.
• Provide professional support in claims handling and investigation of workers' compensation claims.
• Receive and process incident reports; conduct analysis into compensability and liability, and contacts employees and claimants to enter data into applicable risk management information systems software.
• Lead small and medium scale project teams, including scoping work and specifications, evaluating technical and price proposals, managing contracts, engaging stakeholders, monitoring installation and the work of contractors and consultants, coordinating project(s) schedules, and managing budgets, invoices, and grants.
• Prepare briefings and present findings, analyses, and program recommendations to senior management and other interested audiences.
• Facilitates the City's safety committee meetings and collaboration with multiple departments and stakeholders to promote a culture of safety within the organization.
• Creates, writes, designs, and distributes newsletters, flyers, fact sheets and other media for communication to affected stakeholders.
• Prepares and conducts in-person safety training on a variety of safety-related topics and hazards for affected City employees.
• Conducts CPR, First-Aid and AED training utilizing a national recognized curriculum for City employees.
• Prepare OSHA 300 logs, accident and incident reports (OSHA Form 301) and annual summaries (OSHA 300A). Requires thorough understanding of OSHA’s recordkeeping and reporting requirements to determine if cases (i.e., employee injuries/illnesses) meet the threshold to be reported or recorded.
• Updates and maintains database of employee training and coordinates with supervisors to ensure employees participate in mandatory health and safety training activities.
• Reviews and analyzes loss data to identify trends, and prepares analytical and statistical reports of departmental losses, trends and experience.
• Works collaboratively with the Safety and Risk Manager to achieve divisional goals to reduce the frequency and severity of losses incurred to the City from a variety of causes, including but not limited to: property damage, injuries to employees, automobile, professional liability, and others.
• Stay updated on current industry trends and best practices by participating in committee’s or boards with the American Society of Safety Professionals, Public Risk Management Association, National Safety Council or similar.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Occupational Safety and Health, Risk Management or Insurance, or a closely related field.
• Experience: Two to five years of progressively responsible professional experience in occupational safety or risk management administration. Possession of a valid driver's license, and ability to obtain a State of Maryland driver's license within 6-months of hire.
• Ability to obtain First-Aid, CPR and AED trainer certification from a nationally accredited training provider, such as the American Red Cross, within 1-year of hire.
• Preferred Certifications: Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP), Associate Safety Professional (ASP), and/or Certified Safety Professional (CSP) as awarded by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP).

• Knowledge of the principles, methods and problems of organization and management;
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of public sector safety and risk management and benefits administration in relevant areas;
• Knowledge of group/team dynamics;
• Knowledge of federal, state and county laws, ordinances, rules and regulations pertaining to all aspects of safety and risk/human resource management;
• Skill in use of computer hardware and software;
• Ability to gather, analyze and present facts;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with citizens, employees and public officials;
• Ability to work as a team member or leader;
• Ability to prepare comprehensive reports and records using available electronic and statistical reporting tools;
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion;
• Ability to interpret and explain principles, procedures, policies, and regulations appropriate to the human resources specialization to which assigned;
• Ability to arrive at sound decisions through detailed analysis and evaluation of information compiled from a variety of sources;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external customers and to communicate clearly and effectively in a variety of mediums to various audiences;
• Ability to speak and write effectively.

Physical Demands

• Frequent - ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time while conducting on-site jobsite safety audits in remote and not easily accessible locations.
• Occasionally - ability to climb ladders and work at heights.
• Frequent - ability to work outdoors where the exposure to rain, snow and extreme hot or cold may be present.
• Occasionally - ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds.
• Frequent - ability to lift and carry up to 10 pounds.
• Learn and demonstrate an understanding of City, department, division and team goals.
• Serve and meet the needs of customers during routine or emergency situations.
• Ability and willingness to work as part of a team, to demonstrate team skills and to perform a fair share of team responsibilities.
• Ability to assess his/her work performance or the work performance of the team.
• Plan and organize his/her work, time and resources, and if applicable that of subordinates.
• Contribute to the development of others and/or the working unit or overall organization.
• Produce desired work outcomes including quality, quantity and timeliness.
• Communicate effectively with peers, supervisors, subordinates and people to whom service is provided.
• Understand and value differences in employees and value input from others.
• Consistently report to work and work assignments prepared and on schedule.
• Consistently display a positive behavior with regard to work, willingly accept constructive criticism and be respectful of others.