Senior Health & Safety Specialist
American Water

Requisition ID: 106903

Share Our Purpose. Be Yourself. Feel Valued.

People are the heart of our business. As an American Water employee, you will be offered a competitive salary and health benefits package, along with opportunities to develop, grow, and evolve your career. Our benefits packages focus on key areas such as health & wellness, emotional & well-being, and savings for current & future goals.

We are Beautifully Different. We strongly believe having diversity across our company makes us more successful and helps us provide essential services to our customers. We are stronger because we embrace different ideas, viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. American Water is the best choice for your next role! Click here for more information on our inclusion, diversity, and equity journey.

About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people across 14 regulated jurisdictions and 18 military installations. American Water's 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

As one of the fastest growing utilities in the U.S., American Water expects to invest $40 to $42 billion in infrastructure repairs and replacement, system resiliency and regulated acquisitions over the next 10 years. The company has a long-standing history of executing its core operations, aligned with sustainable best practices, through its commitments to safety, affordability, customer service, protecting the environment, an inclusive workforce and strengthening communities.

American Water has been recognized on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year, ranked 18th on Barron's 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies 2023 List, earned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense® Excellence Award, among additional state, local and national recognitions.

For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Primary Role

• Responsible for assisting in the management of the company's Health & Safety and Department of Transportation (DOT) programs in order to maintain compliance with federal, state and internal regulations and practices. Examples of the primary roles of this position include but are not limited to:
• Providing Health & Safety/DOT leadership, guidance, and support to individual employees as well as the organization overall.
• Maintaining all associated regulatory records, reports, etc. according to internal and external requirements.
• Preparing and delivering reports to various levels of the organization.
• Establishing and maintaining compliance related schedules and activities.
• Conducting inspections and audits to identify known or potential hazards.
• Leading and/or participating in diverse teams or groups.
• Problem solving and making recommendations for corrective actions.
• Reviewing Safe Operating Procedures, engineering designs/plans, etc.
• Conducting research and making recommendations on safer alternatives of work methods/processes, tools, materials, equipment, etc.
• Planning, organizing, developing, scheduling, and delivering related training to all levels of the organization.
• Investigating incident and automobile and Workers Compensation insurance claims.
• Conducting thorough incident investigations to determine the root cause(s), reporting findings, recommending and verifying the implementation of corrective actions.
• Participating in community and professional organizations
• Providing assistance in implementing the company's Emergency Response, Risk Management, Process Safety Management and Business Continuity plans.
• Actively engaging with company approved contractors including participating in pre-construction meetings, project reviews and jobsite inspections/audits.
• Leading internal and external meetings,
• Acting as the company Safety Officer within the National Incident Command Structure or otherwise assisting during various types of events.
  

Key Accountabilities

• Provide leadership, expertise, and support.
• Build relationships with employees throughout the organization.
• Be an advocate for health & safety.
• Deliver results by driving proactive initiatives.
• Utilize the company's work management systems for recordkeeping and data management.
• Deliver effective training/education.
• Improve the Health & Safety and DOT programs through innovative thinking and purposeful action.
• Regularly engage with the workforce including contractors.
• Compile, analyze, and interpret program related data.
• Ensure that employees and contractors have the resources necessary to perform every task safely.
  

Knowledge/Skills

• Highly organized.
• Excellent communicator: both verbal and nonverbal.
• Must be able to work under pressure and maintain deadlines effectively and efficiently.
• Ability to maintain compliance while also allowing for flexibility.
• Ability to organize, actively participate in, and manage various cross functional groups.
• Must be self-motivated in order to plan and work independently to systematically achieve compliance requirements, goals, and targets.
• Must be able to diplomatically assert oneself in order to tactfully resolve conflicts while maintaining compliance.
• Highly adaptable and flexible to change.
• Ability to respectfully articulate one's thoughts even when there is a difference of opinion.
• Must be consistent, dependable, and reliable.
• Ability to remain objective.
• Ability to listen to and understand varying perspectives.
• Confidently assume a leadership role.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality.
• Must possess a sincere care and concern for employee's safety.

Direct experience and knowledge of the following is preferred:

• Conducting root cause analysis.
• Performing and maintaining Job Safety/Hazard Analysis.
• Creating, reviewing, and implementing Standard Operating Procedures.
• General awareness of DOT regulations.
• Ability to understand, interpret, and effectively convey information regarding regulations, policies and practices.
• Ability to integrate regulatory requirements into various processes across the organization.

Experience/Education

• 5+ years' experience as a Health & Safety professional in the utility, construction and/or general industries preferred.
• 5+ years' experience directly supervising or overseeing field work as a Health & Safety professional.
• Experience in successfully collaborating with both union and non-union workforces.
• Experience in delivering adult education/training.
• Experience managing DOT regulated fleet and drivers.
• Accredited 4-year bachelor's degree in occupational health & safety or other related field.
  

Certifications & Licenses

• CSP, ASP, GSP, CHST or other nationally recognized accreditation preferred but not required.
• Preferred trainer certifications/accreditations: Adult 1st Aid & CPR, Forklift Operator, OSHA 502, and OSHA 503, etc.
• Valid Driver's License.
  

Hours/Schedule

• Full-time
• Monday-Friday, daylight hours
• On-call responsibility as needed

Work Environment

• Requires work both indoors and outdoors in all types of varying conditions and environments (i.e., hot/cold, wet/dry, noisy, humid, light/dark, etc.) while wearing all required PPE.
• Ability to stand, walk on uneven surfaces, kneel and climb (stairs/ladders) frequently.
• Ability to occasionally lift and carry 20 lbs. or less.
  

Travel Requirements

• Travel is primarily limited to the local operating area, however travel within the state will be required periodically.
• Overnight travel outside of the state will be occasional.
  

Other

• Maintain professionalism with both internal and external relationships in compliance with the Company's Code of Ethics.
• This position is a field-based position and will require regular travel to and from multiple locations. This is not an office-based position.
• A company vehicle is provided for company related travel.
• Due to the nature of this position, there will be occasional times when work extends beyond the normal work shift, with or without advanced notice, including nights, weekends, holidays, etc.
  

Competencies

Champions safety

Customer obsessed

Cultivates innovation

Nimble learning

Drives Results

Collaborates

Join American Water...We Keep Life Flowing™

American Water is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based on his or her age, race, color, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, citizenship, or because they are an individual with a disability, protected veteran or other status protected by federal, state, and local laws.

Nearest Major Market: Washington DC

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