Director of Safety - NYC Construction

Job Description

Job Description

About Us

We are a leading New York City-based general contractor specializing in ground-up residential construction, delivering high-rise and mid-rise developments across the five boroughs. As our project pipeline grows, we're looking for a Director of Safety to take our safety program to the next level — not by putting out fires on individual jobsites, but by building the systems, training, and culture that prevent those fires from starting in the first place.

The Opportunity

This is a strategic leadership role, not a field-response position. We already have site-level safety personnel handling day-to-day jobsite oversight — what we need is a Director of Safety who can step back from any single project and build the infrastructure that makes every project safer: standardized programs, strong training curricula, clear escalation protocols, and a culture where safety is proactive rather than reactive. You'll report directly to executive leadership and have real authority to shape how safety is practiced across the entire portfolio of projects.

What You'll Do

• Design, implement, and continuously improve company-wide safety programs, policies, and standard operating procedures across all active high-rise and mid-rise projects
  
• Build and deliver structured safety training curricula for site safety managers, superintendents, subcontractors, and new hires — covering OSHA requirements, fall protection, crane and rigging safety, site logistics, and NYC-specific DOB and Local Law requirements
  
• Develop leading (not just lagging) safety metrics and reporting systems to identify risk trends across the portfolio before incidents occur
  
• Establish clear, consistent incident investigation and root-cause analysis protocols that site teams can execute independently, rather than requiring the Director's direct involvement in every incident
  
• Own company-wide OSHA compliance strategy, DOB safety filings, and Local Law 196 site safety training compliance
  
• Partner with project executives and estimators during preconstruction to build safety planning, staffing, and budget into project plans from day one
  
• Manage relationships with insurance carriers, workers' comp providers, and regulatory agencies (OSHA, DOB, DOT) at the organizational level
  
• Build and maintain a bench of qualified site safety managers, including hiring standards, onboarding, and ongoing professional development
  
• Conduct periodic program audits (not daily site visits) to evaluate whether site-level teams are executing company safety standards, and adjust programs based on findings
  
• Track industry regulatory changes and proactively update company policy ahead of compliance deadlines
  
• Present safety performance, program updates, and risk trends to executive leadership and ownership on a regular cadence
  

What You Bring

• 8+ years of progressive safety leadership experience in NYC commercial or residential construction, including experience with high-rise and/or mid-rise ground-up projects
  
• Proven experience building or significantly overhauling a safety program at the organizational level — not just managing safety on individual sites
  
• Deep knowledge of OSHA regulations, NYC DOB requirements, and Local Law 196 site safety training compliance
  
• Strong training and curriculum development skills — you should be someone who can build a training program from scratch, not just deliver one that already exists
  
• Experience developing safety metrics, dashboards, or reporting systems used at an executive level
  
• CHST, CSP, or SMS certification strongly preferred
  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting to ownership and executive leadership
  
• A systems-and-process mindset — this role is about building repeatable structures, not personally responding to every field issue
  

Nice to Have

• Experience managing a team of site safety managers across multiple concurrent projects
  
• Background in curriculum design or adult learning/training methodology
  
• Familiarity with safety management software or EHS platforms (Procore, HammerTech, Predictive Solutions, or similar)
  
• Experience working directly with insurance carriers on experience modification rate (EMR) improvement strategies
  

Why Join Us

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
  
• 401(k) with company match
  
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
  
• Paid time off and holidays
  
• A true seat at the leadership table — this role is built to shape safety strategy company-wide, not chase incidents site to site
  
• The opportunity to build a program from the ground up across a growing portfolio of landmark NYC developments
  

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.