Safety Specialist

Safety Specialist

The Safety Specialist supports the implementation, administration, and continuous improvement of occupational health and safety programs to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and company standards during commissioning and production operations. Working closely with employees, leaders, contractors, and stakeholders, this role helps identify and mitigate workplace hazards, supports risk assessments, audits, inspections, incident investigations, and corrective action activities, and assists with training and emergency preparedness initiatives. The Safety Specialist monitors safety performance metrics and partners with cross-functional teams to promote regulatory compliance, risk reduction, operational excellence, and a positive safety culture.

Essential Duties:

• Functional Operations: Support the implementation, administration, and continuous improvement of occupational health and safety programs, policies, procedures, and systems to support regulatory compliance and operational excellence
• Maintain a regular field presence to support safety oversight, employee engagement, hazard recognition, and incident response activities
• Manage safety records, permits, reports, metrics, and documentation to support business needs and regulatory requirements
• Support emergency preparedness and response activities, including drills, exercises, and incident response as needed
• Performance Optimization & Continuous Improvement: Conduct and support risk assessments, job hazard analysis (JHA), management of change (MOC) activities, and other risk reduction initiatives
• Monitor, analyze, and communicate safety performance metrics, trends, and program effectiveness to support continuous improvement efforts
• Conduct workplace inspections, audits, and operational assessments to identify hazards, verify compliance, and recommend corrective actions
• Support incident investigations, root cause analyses, and corrective and preventive action processes, including tracking completion and effectiveness
• Support cross-functional initiatives that strengthen safety performance, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence
• Training & Team Support: Develop, maintain, and deliver safety training programs, materials, and resources for employees and contractors
• Provide coaching and guidance on safety requirements, procedures, and best practices
• Support onboarding, safety orientation, and employee engagement initiatives that promote safe work practices and continuous improvement
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication: Serve as a resource to employees, leaders, contractors, and stakeholders on occupational health and safety requirements, compliance obligations, and company policies
• Communicate safety observations, trends, and improvement opportunities to leaders and employees
• Support regulatory inspections, audits, and interactions with consultants, contractors, and external stakeholders as needed
• Quality, Safety & Compliance: Support compliance with applicable federal, state, and local occupational health and safety regulations, standards, and company requirements
• Maintain current knowledge of OSHA regulations, emerging regulatory requirements, and industry best practices

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements: To ensure the health and safety in the workplace and for the protection of our employees, wearing PPE is a possibility and may include equipment such as a full Tyvek suit, safety shoes, gloves, safety glasses, face mask, bump cap, and a full hazmat suit that includes a respirator.

Qualifications Requirements - Required and/or Preferred Education, Certifications, and Licenses: Required: Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Health & Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Environmental Science, or a related field Relevant work experience may be substituted for required education Preferred: Associate Safety Professional (ASP), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), or active pursuit of professional safety certification Occupational safety certifications and training such as OSHA 30-Hour, HAZWOPER, First Aid/CPR, ISO 45001, Lockout/Tagout, Electrical Safety, and Respiratory Protection/Fit Testing

Essential Qualifications: 2+ years of occupational health and safety experience in manufacturing, industrial, construction, commissioning, or similarly regulated environments Experience supporting safety programs, inspections, audits, risk assessments, incident investigations, corrective actions, and contractor safety activities Working knowledge of OSHA regulations and applicable industry standards (e.g., NFPA, ANSI, NEC, ACGIH, and NIOSH) Experience developing or delivering safety training and supporting workplace hazard and exposure monitoring activities Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate data and support informed decision-making Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across multiple functions Strong verbal and written communication skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite Ability to support emergency response activities outside normal business hours as needed Must have working-level knowledge of the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking Alignment to Panasonic's seven (7) core principles (contribution to society, fairness and honesty, cooperation and team spirit, untiring effort for improvement, courtesy and humility, adaptability, gratitude)

Preferred Qualifications: 4+ years of occupational health and safety experience in manufacturing, industrial, construction, commissioning, or similarly regulated environment Familiarity with lithium-ion battery manufacturing, chemical handling, or other high-hazard operations Working knowledge of ISO 14001, ISO 45001, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, and occupational exposure assessment principles Experience supporting audits, inspections, compliance assessments, safety committees, or cross-functional improvement initiatives Experience using EHS management systems and working with consultants, contractors, and regulatory agencies Familiarity with lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies

Physical Demands: Physical Activities: Percentage of time (equaling 100%) during the normal workday the employee is required to: Sit: 20% Walk: 40% Stand: 40% Required Lifting and Carrying: Rare (<1%), Occasional (1-33%), Frequent (34-66%), Continuous (67-100%) For this position, the required frequency is: Up to 10 lbs.: Frequent Up to 20 lbs.: Occasional Up to 35 lbs.: Occasional Team-lift only (over 35 lbs.): Rare