Sr. Health & Safety Program Manager

American Water; Hillsborough Township (NJ); On-site; USD 93,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

American Water seeks a Sr. Health & Safety Program Manager to lead safety programs across operations in Hillsborough, NJ.

The role will develop, implement and verify enterprise health and safety initiatives, coach staff, and drive compliance with OSHA and industry standards. Responsibilities include delivering safety training, conducting inspections and investigations, and partnering with management to improve metrics and reduce risk across the utility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in safety/health field or related area.
• 7+ years of safety experience in utilities, construction or industrial settings.
• Professional Health & Safety certification is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement enterprise health and safety programs aligned with company policy.
• Deliver safety training, perform job safety observations and investigations.
• Coach and mentor staff, collaborate with management to improve safety metrics.

Skills

Safety program management

OSHA compliance knowledge

Leadership coaching

Stakeholder alignment

Risk assessment

Education

Bachelor's degree in safety/health

Health & Safety certification

Job description

Job Title: Sr. Health & Safety Program Manager

Posting Start Date: 8/21/26

Position Information

Base salary range: $93K-$105K

The base salary range represents a good faith salary range for this position. This position is eligible for annual incentive pay and has the opportunity for continued salary growth. If you are hired at American Water your base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as market, geography, skills, education and/or experience. At American Water, we are committed to pay equity.

In addition to compensation, you will be offered a comprehensive benefits package including 401(k), Defined Contribution Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage, plus disability, paid time off, life insurance, voluntary benefits, health and wellness programs and much more!

American Water is also proud to offer employees learning opportunities and work experiences to grow professionally!

Primary Role

At American Water safety is the driving force behind every action, decision, and goal throughout the business. New Jersey American Water is seeking a health & safety professional who can execute our values and practices across operations in Hillsborough, NJ. The Sr. Health & Safety Program Manager will execute safety related training, perform job safety observations/evaluations, lead investigations, and coach and mentor staff. Our ideal candidate will have experience managing health & safety programs and practices in a utility, construction, or similar field.

The Sr. Health & Safety Program Manager develops and implements delivery and verification of enterprise health and safety programs aligned with Company policy, practices and procedures. This position will work closely with all management levels to assure policies and programs are effectively developed, implemented, communicated and supported throughout the enterprise.

Key Accountabilities

Program Execution (50%)

• Conduct internal safety program evaluations, physical safety inspections, industrial hygiene monitoring for chemical and physical hazards and ergonomic evaluations in office and field environments, develop recommendations and track corrective actions
• Deliver safety training programs educating employees on safe working practices, appropriate equipment operation, and emergency procedures
• Evaluate the impact of regulatory changes against existing practices and assists in the implementation of new regulations
• Develop or update health and safety practices and procedures as needed

Technical Support (30%)

• Provides health and safety technical support to field safety staff.
• Conducts and/ or reviews incident investigations and develops corrective action recommendations.
• Gathers, validates and analyzes safety performance statistics (leading and lagging) and makes recommendations for improvements
• Review results of enterprise safety inspections and, based on data, identify areas for improvement and develop corrective actions.
• Stay abreast of regulatory changes, evaluate impact to the business and develop action plans to address in a timely manner
• Develop inspections checklists and utilize apps and centralized platforms for tracking inspection results, safety performance data and corrective actions enterprise wide

Management/Administration (20%)

• Actively engage mid level management, supervision and hourly employees in the development, implementation, delivery and verification of enterprise health and safety programs
• Actively participate in outside industry organizations that are involved in or promote health and safety for the water sector
• Support the workers’ compensation management process to assure thorough and efficient claims management and investigation
• Maintain health and safety training plans, training records and monitor progress towards annual training goals
• Coordinate and verify enterprise safety recordkeeping and reporting of occupational injuries and illnesses

Knowledge/Skills

• Ability to influence and work with non-direct reports, peers and management to gain alignment and achieve goals in a complex matrix environment
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules and regulations, operating and maintenance instructions and procedure manuals and assess impact to the business
• Ability to write technical reports, prepare presentations and correspondence and to communicate relevant information verbally to all levels of the organization
• Ability to solve practical problems and respond to employee and public complaints effectively
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form
• Must be able to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions
• Ability to create and execute SMART goals and meet deadlines
• Ability to technically manage staff of professionals
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision
• Ability to work well in a cooperative team environment, participate routinely in multi-disciplinary projects and activities
• Ability to recognize and deal appropriately with confidential and sensitive information
• Knowledge of OSHA, Federal, State and Local regulations as applicable utilities, construction and related industries
• Ability to generate trust and recognition as a coach and people leader

Required Knowledge:

• Knowledge of and familiarity with health and safety program management and OSHA regulatory requirements for construction and general industry with increased opportunities to apply expertise across disciplines or organizational areas
• Familiarity with safety systems development and implementation
• Utility industry knowledge
• Water industry knowledge is a plus
• Forward looking health and safety trends

Experience/Education

• Minimum bachelor’s level degree from an accredited college or university in a safety health related field of study or an equivalent combination of undergraduate education
• At least one relevant/related nationally recognized professional Health & Safety certification highly desirable
• Seven (7) applicable safety experience in a utility, construction or industrial setting

Travel Requirements

• Local travel required within service territory