Safety Director

Job Description

Job Description

General Purpose: The Safety Director is a senior, field-oriented safety leader responsible for strengthening safety execution across the company's projects, regions, field operations, and support functions. This position combines companywide program leadership with regular field presence, providing leadership, coaching, and technical support to safety professionals, project teams, field supervision, operations management, and corporate leadership.

The Safety Director works closely with operations and serves as a senior leader in the EH&S function, helping set clear expectations, reduce risk, improve consistency, and make sure safety requirements are followed in the field across geographically dispersed projects.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Safety Leadership and Strategy:

• Lead the development, rollout, and improvement of company safety policies, procedures, programs, and initiatives.
• Establish a clear safety vision and measurable objectives that support company goals, client expectations, and regulatory requirements.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and technical guidance to safety professionals, project managers, superintendents, supervisors, and field personnel across multiple projects and regions.
• Set expectations for safety performance, accountability, and engagement throughout all levels of the organization.

Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management:

• Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, DOT, and applicable federal, state, local, and client-specific safety and environmental requirements.
• Oversee companywide inspections, audits, assessments, and corrective action processes to confirm safety requirements are being followed.
• Identify high-risk operations and systemic hazards, then partner with operations to implement effective risk controls.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for complex construction safety matters, regulatory interpretation, and high-risk work planning.

Program Development and Implementation:

• Develop, maintain, and improve written safety programs, site-specific safety plans, emergency response plans, and supporting procedures.
• Ensure safety requirements are integrated into pre-construction planning, project execution, subcontractor management, and closeout activities.
• Lead the standardization of hazard assessments, Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs), permits, inspections, observations, and other safety processes.
• Coordinate with operations and leadership to place safety resources where they are needed based on project risk, location, staffing needs, and business demands.

Training, Coaching, and Workforce Development:

• Oversee safety orientation, leadership training, craft training, and refresher programs.
• Mentor and develop safety staff and field leaders to strengthen hazard recognition, coaching skills, frontline safety engagement, and consistent execution across projects.
• Evaluate training effectiveness and ensure competency requirements are met for high-risk work activities.
• Promote clear communication, employee involvement, and ownership of safety responsibilities across the workforce.

Incident Management and Prevention:

• Lead or oversee investigations of serious incidents, recordable injuries, high-potential near misses, property damage, and other significant events.
• Ensure root cause analysis is completed effectively and corrective actions are assigned, tracked, implemented, and sustained.
• Review injury, near miss, audit, inspection, and observation data to identify trends and help prevent recurrence.
• Partner with operations to communicate lessons learned and drive accountability for prevention strategies.

Metrics, Reporting, and Continuous Improvement:

• Oversee the collection, accuracy, analysis, and communication of safety performance data, including leading and lagging indicators.
• Prepare and present safety performance updates, trend analysis, and recommendations to executive leadership and project leadership teams.
• Use data to evaluate program effectiveness, prioritize risk reduction efforts, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain accurate records and complete internal, client, and regulatory reporting on time.

Client, Subcontractor, and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Interface with clients, owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and regulatory representatives regarding safety expectations and performance.
• Oversee subcontractor safety prequalification, onboarding, documentation review, and field compliance processes.
• Represent the company during client safety meetings, audits, incident reviews, and pre-bid or pre-construction discussions.
• Build strong working relationships that support operational success, compliance, and a positive safety culture.

Culture Development and Leadership Influence:

• Support a safety culture built on hazard recognition, employee involvement, steady improvement, and disciplined field execution.
• Partner with executive and operational leaders to reinforce safety as a core business value and leadership responsibility.
• Identify lessons learned and practical improvements from projects and share them across the organization.
• Stay current on industry trends, evolving regulations, emerging risks, and construction safety best practices.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Health, Construction Management, Engineering, or related field preferred; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Professional certification such as CSP, CHST, ASP, OHST, or equivalent preferred.
• OSHA 30-hour Construction certification required; OSHA 500/510 or similar instructor-level training preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of construction safety experience, including progressive leadership responsibility and multi-site or companywide oversight.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA construction standards, environmental requirements, incident management, hazard control methods, and construction operations.
• Experience with behavior-based safety principles, systems, or implementation is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop safety professionals across multiple locations and influence project teams, field supervision, subcontractors, and senior leaders.
• Excellent communication, presentation, coaching, documentation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, make sound decisions, and shift effectively between companywide responsibilities and direct field support in a fast-paced construction environment.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly and maintain a visible field presence across the company's project locations.

Travel Requirement:

This position requires regular travel to jobsites, offices, client locations, and project meetings by automobile and commercial air travel . Overnight stays and periods of extended travel may be required based on project and business needs.

Physical Requirements:

Will frequently sit, use hands/fingers, talk/hear. Will frequently stand, walk, grasp, reach with hands/arms, bend/stoop/kneel/squat/crawl, climb stairs or ladders where required, and access active construction areas. May lift up to 30 lbs. Near vision and ability to adjust focus are required.

Work Environment:

Will frequently work in both office and construction site environments. Jobsite conditions may include moderate to high noise levels, changing weather, uneven terrain, elevated work areas, mobile equipment, and typical construction hazards. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is required in accordance with company policies, client requirements, and industry standards.

 

Additional Notes:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals to perform the essential functions of the position. This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or requirements.

 

This position may be based out of our Beaver Falls, Warrendale, or McMurray office locations.

McCarl's and Affiliates are Equal Opportunity Employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or on any other characteristic protected by law.