VP of Safety

Elder Corporation; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company-paid health insurance

Company vehicle

Performance bonus opportunities

Job summary

Elder Corporation is seeking a Vice President of Safety to lead safety strategy and field implementation across our Midwest operations. This role interfaces with executives, operations, project managers, and field crews to identify hazards, improve performance, and ensure regulatory compliance.

The ideal candidate combines deep construction safety leadership with the ability to drive change, coach teams, and deliver practical, measurable improvements while maintaining a strong field presence.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in safety leadership within construction or related industries.
• Proven ability to influence safety performance across multiple projects.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA construction standards and federal/state regs.
• Experience with field-based risk assessment and incident investigations.
• Ability to coach and engage employees at all levels.
• Balance regulatory requirements with practical field solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead and advance Elder Corporation's safety strategy and programs.
• Spend significant time in the field coaching teams and inspecting work practices.
• Oversee safety audits, investigations, and corrective actions.
• Establish safety goals and leading indicators with leadership.
• Maintain regulatory knowledge and support inspections as needed.
• Develop training and driver safety programs for field crews.
• Foster a culture of safety ownership and continuous improvement.

Skills

Safety leadership

OSHA knowledge

Field presence

Incident investigations

Communication

Change management

Risk assessment

Coaching

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Safety or related field

Tools

OSHA regulations tracking software

DOT compliance procedures

Job description

Elder Corporation is a family-owned company committed to long-term employee relationships and career growth for more than 65 years, Elder Corporation has been a trusted leader in heavy civil construction and site development throughout the Midwest. Our work includes large-scale earthmoving, underground utilities, demolition, grading, and complex site-development projects.

We take pride in doing things the right way — delivering quality work safely, professionally, on time, and on budget. Our success is built on experienced people who take ownership of their work, look out for one another, and understand that safety is an essential part of operational excellence.

We are seeking an experienced Vice President of Safety to help lead and continually strengthen our company-wide safety culture.

Position Summary

The VP of Safety is a highly visible leadership position responsible for advancing Elder Corporation's safety strategy, programs, policies, and field practices.

This individual will be an integral part of executive leadership, operations, superintendents, project managers, foremen, field employees, customers, and the Safety team to identify risk, improve safety performance, and ensure compliance with applicable regulatory and customer requirements.

This is not solely an office-based safety position. The Vice President of Safety will maintain a strong presence in the field, building relationships with employees and operational leaders while helping teams recognize hazards, solve problems, and perform their work safely and effectively.

The ideal candidate combines strong construction field experience with proven safety leadership and can influence employees at every level of the organization.

• Compensation is highly competitive and will be based on experience, qualifications, and project management background. Performance bonus opportunities are available.
• Company-paid health insurance
• Company vehicle

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a visible safety leader throughout the organization, developing strong relationships with field employees, foremen, superintendents, project managers, and executive leadership.
• Spend considerable time in the field evaluating work practices, identifying hazards, coaching employees, and partnering with operations to develop practical solutions.
• Conduct jobsite and facility safety audits and inspections to evaluate compliance with company standards, OSHA requirements, customer expectations, and other applicable regulations.
• Lead or oversee incidents, injury, near-miss, property damage, and other safety-related investigations.
• Facilitate effective root-cause analysis and develop corrective and preventive actions designed to reduce recurrence.
• Establish meaningful safety goals, objectives, leading indicators, and performance measures and communicate results to company leadership.
• Analyze incident trends, audit findings, employee feedback, and other safety data to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Promote employee involvement in hazard identification, near-miss reporting, job planning, and continuous safety improvement.
• Support and continually improve driver safety and training programs.
• Maintain working knowledge of OSHA, DOT, MSHA, Iowa One Call, and other regulatory requirements applicable to Elder Corporation's operations.
• Assist with regulatory inspections, reporting requirements, documentation, and interactions with regulatory agencies when necessary.
• Maintain appropriate safety documentation, records, and reporting systems.
• Identify emerging risks, industry best practices, and opportunities to continuously strengthen Elder Corporation's safety culture.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive safety, construction, operational leadership, or related experience, with extensive experience in the construction industry.
• Demonstrated experience leading safety programs and influencing safety performance across multiple projects, crews, or locations.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA construction standards and applicable federal and state safety regulations.
• Working knowledge of DOT requirements applicable to construction and transportation operations.
• Strong understanding of construction hazards, risk assessment, incident investigation, and corrective-action processes.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to coach, influence, and build credibility with employees at all levels of an organization.
• Ability to balance regulatory requirements with practical, field-based solutions.
• Strong decision-making, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with field employees, company leadership, customers, contractors, and regulatory representatives.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Comfortable initiating and leading change while building employee engagement and accountability.
• Ability and willingness to regularly visit active construction projects and work in outdoor construction environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of OSHA, MSHA, and DOT regulations.
• Experience with excavation, trenching, underground utility, heavy equipment, and mobile equipment safety.
• Familiarity with Iowa One Call requirements and private utility locating procedures.
• Experience developing and delivering safety training for field employees and supervisors.
• Experience managing or supporting workers' compensation and return-to-work programs.
• Experience developing safety metrics, dashboards, leading indicators, and annual safety improvement goals.
• Experience leading a team of safety professionals.
• Relevant safety certifications such as CSP, CHST, ASP, OSHA 500/510, or equivalent credentials are preferred.

No agency calls or emails, please. Elder Corporation does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from staffing firms or third-party recruiters and will not be responsible for any related fees.