Senior Health and Safety Specialist

Orla Mining Ltd.; Elko (NV); On-site; USD 85,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Equinox Gold is seeking a Senior Health and Safety Specialist to provide senior-level field leadership and technical support for the Health and Safety Management System across construction, commissioning and transition to operations.

You will collaborate with employees, contractors and site leadership to ensure safety expectations are understood and applied, conduct inspections and risk assessments, and drive continuous improvement in safety performance.

Qualifications

• Seven years of experience in safety roles within mining, construction or heavy industrial environments.
• Experience implementing and maintaining health and safety management systems (MSHA-focused preferred).
• Proficient with MS Office suite and safety reporting tools.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a visible field presence and promote safe work practices across projects.
• Conduct inspections, risk assessments, and hazard verifications; address safety concerns.
• Review risk assessments, JHAs/JSAs and work plans to ensure proper controls.
• Verify safety controls are in place and intervene on high-risk activities.
• Coach and mentor site personnel and contractors on hazard recognition and safe execution.
• Support MSHA compliance efforts and safety program documentation.
• Prepare H&S reports, metrics, and dashboards for leadership.

Skills

Safety leadership

Hazard recognition

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder communication

MSHA knowledge

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

PowerPoint

Job description

Equinox Gold differentiates itself through its people by fostering a culture of safety, respect, and strong community relationships. The company provides a safe work environment, clearly defined roles, competitive compensation and benefits, and open communication.

The Senior Health and Safety Specialist provides senior-level field leadership and technical support for the implementation, verification and continuous improvement of the site Health and Safety Management System throughout construction, commissioning and transition into operations.

The role works closely with employees, contractors, EPCM representatives, supervisors and site leadership to ensure health and safety expectations are understood, consistently applied and integrated into day-to-day work. The position maintains a visible field presence, identifies and evaluates hazards, verifies controls, supports contractor safety performance, conducts inspections and risk assessments, and assists leaders in resolving health and safety issues before work proceeds.

The position supports compliance with applicable MSHA requirements and other regulatory obligations and plays a key role in site standards, procedures, training and competency, incident management, assurance activities and performance reporting. The role works collaboratively with the Industrial Hygienist, Mine Rescue Chief and other functional specialists while maintaining primary focus on operational and occupational safety.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain a visible field presence and promote safe work practices across construction, mining, processing, maintenance, and support activities.
• Conduct workplace inspections, field observations, hazard assessments, and risk verification activities to identify and address safety concerns.
• Review FLRAs, JSAs/JHAs, risk assessments, procedures, and work plans to ensure effective hazard identification and controls.
• Verify safety controls are in place and intervene when unsafe conditions or high-risk activities are identified.
• Coach employees, supervisors, and contractors on hazard recognition, risk management, and safe work execution.
• Support high-risk activities including lifting operations, confined space entry, work at heights, energy isolation, mobile equipment interaction, hot work, and excavation.
• Assist with implementation, compliance, and continuous improvement of the Health & Safety Management System and MSHA requirements.
• Participate in inspections, audits, incident investigations, root cause analyses, and corrective action tracking.
• Support contractor onboarding, compliance monitoring, performance management, and safety program reviews.
• Assist with the development and delivery of safety training, orientations, and competency programs, including MSHA Part 48 training requirements.
• Prepare and maintain H&S reports, metrics, and dashboards; analyze trends and communicate recommendations for improvement.
• Participate in operational planning, safety meetings, commissioning activities, and continuous improvement initiatives to support a safe and compliant operation.

Required Experience & Skills

• A minimum of seven years’ experience as a safety specialist, coordinator or equivalent.
• Experience with mining, mineral processing, heavy civil construction and heavy industrial.
• Experience with MSHA regulatory compliance, inspections, investigations and safety management systems.
• Must be proficient with computers and software, including Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Demonstrated ability to deal professionally and courteously with internal and external stakeholders.
• Must be a minimum of 21 years of age with a clean driving record.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. for any employer.

At Equinox Gold, our commitment to teamwork means building a workforce that is as diverse as the communities in which we operate. We are committed to an accessible and inclusive recruitment process and welcome applications from all qualified candidates.