Construction Safety Lead

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Construction Safety Lead

Job Description

The Construction Safety Lead serves as the senior safety authority for a major advanced manufacturing construction project, providing strategic leadership and hands-on oversight of safety programs for large-scale, complex work including heavy excavation, civil construction, concrete, and underground utilities and electrical systems. This role leads the safety function for a single business unit or multiple smaller units, drives the implementation of a strong safety culture, and ensures that project teams consistently apply best-in-class safety practices on a large semiconductor facility.

Responsibilities

• Lead the safety function for a single business unit or multiple smaller business units, acting as the primary safety resource and decision-maker.
• Oversee the successful implementation of a proactive safety culture across all assigned projects and teams.
• Develop, distribute, and ensure understanding of project-specific safety plans for new projects, based on Safety Alignment Assessments.
• Utilize Hammertech to audit and monitor project team implementation of the safety plan, ensuring compliance and continuous improvement.
• Analyze Hammertech trending reports and share findings with project teams to drive corrective actions and risk reduction.
• Coach and mentor project teams in effective hazard identification, risk assessment, and correction of safety issues using SafetyNet and other tools.
• Ensure that open Hammertech items are addressed and closed in a timely and thorough manner.
• Assist project teams with developing and implementing corrective action plans in response to identified safety concerns or incidents.
• Identify, coordinate, and provide relevant safety training within the business unit(s), including IIF programs, topical sessions, Blocking & Tackling, Playbooks, and other safety-related courses.
• Ensure all incidents are investigated, documented, and closed in accordance with company policy and regulatory requirements.
• Analyze leading and lagging safety indicators, provide direction to business unit leadership on focus areas and trends, and recommend corrective actions when needed.
• Provide development, support, and mentorship for Safety Managers under your oversight, including career guidance and performance feedback.
• Support business development efforts by responding to client safety pre-qualifications and preparing or delivering safety presentations.
• Attend peer group meetings as directed by the corporate safety leadership and contribute insights and best practices.
• Develop professional safety relationships internally and externally, and participate in industry peer meetings and professional organizations.
• Assist the Safety Director with safety initiatives and requests for information, contributing to company-wide safety strategy and programs.
• Perform tasks that may typically be assigned to more junior positions when needed to support project and business unit needs.
• Take responsibility for the career development and coaching of team members, fostering growth in safety expertise and leadership skills.
• Foster a positive and inclusive work environment that motivates and engages team members and encourages strong safety ownership.
• Interpret and translate organizational strategy into clear actions, ensuring team members understand their role in accomplishing strategic safety and business goals.
• Collaborate closely with business development to integrate safety considerations into sales strategies, performance metrics, pursuits, and client deliverables.
• Actively participate in opportunities to strengthen client, partner, and industry relationships, positioning the organization as a builder of choice from a safety perspective.
• Engage directly with client EHS staff, including data analysis, incident investigation, and incident management activities.
• Apply strong business insights, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and team-building skills to enhance safety performance and project outcomes.

Essential Skills

• Minimum of 10 years of construction safety management experience, with extensive background on mega projects and heavy management and oversight of multiple trades.
• Demonstrated experience leading safety programs on advanced manufacturing projects such as semiconductor facilities, data centers, or similar large-scale technical projects.
• Comprehensive knowledge of construction safety and health principles, techniques, methods, regulations, and interpretations.
• Proven ability to identify current and future potential safety exposures and recommend effective corrective actions.
• Strong management and leadership skills, including experience building and leading high-performing teams.
• Ability to manage and execute a safety program within a business unit, including strategy, planning, and operational oversight.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and educate diverse stakeholder groups.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and strong general computer skills.
• Experience using safety management platforms such as Hammertech and SafetyNet for auditing, monitoring, and trend analysis.
• Client engagement skills, including interfacing with client EHS staff, analyzing safety data, conducting incident investigations, and managing incident response.
• Certifications such as Associate Safety Professional (ASP) or Certified Safety Professional (CSP).
• Certified and authorized instructor credentials from GU and OSHA to teach safety courses to employees and contractors.
• Technical safety expertise related to civil construction, general contracting, and semiconductor or advanced manufacturing environments.
• Ability to leverage business insights, understand industry trends, and act on local market and economic conditions to enhance safety and project outcomes.
• Capacity to deploy a strategic mindset and take a broad, long-term perspective when considering safety risks and opportunities.
• Emotional intelligence, including the ability to recognize and manage personal and others emotions in a high-pressure project environment.
• Ability to drive team accountability by setting priorities, delegating work, monitoring progress, and assessing quality and timeliness of results.
• Skill in coaching and developing others, providing feedback, instruction, and guidance to help team members excel in current and future roles.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Occupational Safety Management or Engineering is preferred.
• CHST certification and OSHA 30, OSHA 500, and OSHA 510 credentials are highly valued.
• Experience working for or with general contractors on large, complex construction projects.
• background in civil construction, heavy excavation, concrete work, and underground utilities/electrical installations.
• Experience with semiconductor projects, advanced manufacturing facilities, and data centers.
• Participation in industry peer meetings and professional safety organizations.
• Ability to attract, select, develop, recognize, and retain talented safety professionals.
• Experience establishing performance metrics and assessing the impact, quality, and timeliness of safety results.
• Track record of learning from mistakes and using those lessons to strengthen safety programs and team performance.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with business development teams on pursuits and client deliverables.
• Combination of education and experience that demonstrates advanced capability in construction safety leadership, even if formal degree requirements are met through equivalent experience.

Work Environment

This role is based onsite at a large semiconductor construction project in the Syracuse, NY area, within White Pine Commerce Park. The work environment centers on a major advanced manufacturing facility, involving heavy excavation, civil construction, concrete placement, and installation of underground utilities and electrical infrastructure. The Construction Safety Lead works primarily in the field alongside project teams, trade partners, and client EHS staff, with regular use of office and trailer-based workspaces for planning, documentation, data analysis, and meetings. The position requires frequent site walks, interaction with multiple trades, and use of digital safety tools such as Hammertech and SafetyNet, as well as standard office technologies including the Microsoft Office suite. The environment is fast-paced and highly collaborative, with a strong emphasis on safety culture, continuous improvement, and professional development. Appropriate construction-site attire and personal protective equipment are required when working in field areas.

This is a Permanent position based out of Clay, NY.

The pay range for this position is $150000.00 - $180000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Gilbane offers an excellent total compensation package which includes competitive health and welfare benefits and a generous profit-sharing/401k plan. We invest in our employees education and have built Gilbane University into a top training organization in the construction industry. Qualified applicants who are offered a position must pass a pre-employment substance abuse test. Gilbane is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or disability status. Click here to view the physical demands and working conditions required to perform this role. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

This is a fully onsite position in Clay,NY.

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 16, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications withoutregard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protectedby law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification oradjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in thecity and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicantswith arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as acondition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this lawshall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applicationsand qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, youacknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.