The Safety Director is a field-first safety leader who drives safe work practices across overhead electric, underground utility, and gas construction operations. This role is present where the work happens; alongside crews, coaching, teaching, correcting, and reinforcing safe behaviors in real time.
The Safety Director brings first-hand utility construction experience and deep working knowledge of applicable safety regulations. Crews and foremen respect them as a practical resource, and they are comfortable challenging unsafe acts or conditions regardless of position or tenure. While the position includes administrative responsibilities such as incident investigation, claims coordination, training facilitation, and regulatory compliance, most time is spent in the field observing work, engaging crews, improving processes, and strengthening the company’s safety culture through direct leadership.
Field Safety Leadership (Primary Focus)
- Spend most of the working time in the field observing active overhead, underground, and
gas utility construction activities
- Conduct real-time job site safety observations, audits, and task-specific hazard analyses
- Coach and mentor crews on safe work practices, equipment use, and regulatory compliance
- Provide immediate correction and constructive feedback to employees, Foremen, and
General Foremen when unsafe acts or conditions are observed
- Reinforce accountability at all levels of field leadership while building trust and credibility
with crews
- Actively participate in pre-task plans, tailboard meetings, and job briefings
- Identify recurring hazards, behaviors, or process gaps and work with operations leadership to
implement sustainable improvements
- Serve as a visible, approachable safety resource to all field employees
Training & Safety Culture Development
- Facilitate new-hire safety orientations with emphasis on field expectations and real-world
hazards
- Lead quarterly and recurring safety trainings tailored to overhead, underground, and gas
utility work
- Deliver toolbox talks, field-based training, and coaching sessions as needed
- Support Foremen and General Foremen in developing their own safety leadership capabilities
- Promote continuous improvement through open communication and lessons learned
Incident Investigation & Risk Management
- Lead or support investigations of incidents, near misses, property damage, and vehicle
accidents
- Ensure root cause analysis is conducted with emphasis on prevention and field process
improvement
- Coordinate with insurance carriers, vendors, and internal stakeholders related to claims
- Track and trend incidents, observations, and corrective actions to reduce future risk and
liability
Compliance & Administrative Responsibilities (Supporting Role)
- Maintain compliance with OSHA, DOT, state, and industry-specific utility safety regulations
- Develop, update, and enforce safety policies and procedures aligned with field operations
- Maintain required safety documentation, records, and reports
- Serve as a company representative during regulatory inspections or audits
- Monitor safety metrics and provide actionable insights to operations leadership
The Safety Director is a field-centric leadership position responsible for championing safety practices across overhead electric, underground utility, and gas construction operations. This role focuses on active, on-site engagement, working directly alongside crews to coach, teach, correct, and reinforce safe behaviors in real time. The ideal candidate combines hands-on utility construction experience with a strong working knowledge of industry safety regulations to build trust, command respect from foremen and workers, and proactively address unsafe conditions.
While most time is spent on field observation, crew engagement, and strengthening the company's safety culture, the role also includes essential administrative duties. Responsibilities include conducting incident investigations, coordinating claims, facilitating safety training, and ensuring ongoing regulatory compliance. This hands-on leadership opportunity is for a practical safety professional comfortable challenging unsafe acts at all levels of the organization.
