Director of Construction Safety

Frontline Wildfire Defense•Los Angeles, CA

4d•$165,000 - $200,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Frontline Wildfire Defense is seeking a builder-minded Director of Construction Safety to lead safety across its growing residential and commercial construction and installation operations. The Director will set the safety strategy, develop a multi-state program, and lead the team that implements it in the field. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role partners with In-House Counsel, Operations, Project Management, Field Leadership, and Finance. The role has full stop-work authority and is responsible for building the safety function as the company scales nationally. Frontline field teams and subcontractors install and service wildfire-defense systems at residential and commercial/industrial properties, including occupied homes, active commercial sites, and new builds. Work includes frequent rooftop and ladder access, plumbing and low-voltage electrical tie-ins, trenching and water-line work where required, and material handling, often in hot, remote, and wildfire-prone terrain. The Director maintains a strong field presence and travels frequently throughout California and to other states. In the first 90 days, the Director is expected to assess current practices, audit active sites and subcontractors, and deliver a written safety strategy, gap analysis, and 12-month roadmap. By six months, core written programs and subcontractor prequalification and onboarding should be in place. By 12 months, the company expects regional audits, monthly KPI reporting, qualified and scored active subcontractors, and a team and budget plan for future growth. This is a hybrid role for candidates residing in Southern California within Los Angeles, Orange County, or the Inland Empire. Frequent travel throughout Southern and Northern California and occasional out-of-state travel are required. Field work includes climbing ladders, working on rooftops with fall protection, walking active job sites, and working outdoors in heat and variable conditions; reasonable accommodations are available. Employment offers are contingent on successful completion of comprehensive background checks, which may include employment and education verification and, for field roles, driving-record verification.

Requirements

10+ years of construction safety experience, including 5+ years in a safety leadership role, in residential or commercial construction, solar, roofing, HVAC, electrical, fire sprinkler/fire protection, or other field installation work involving daily rooftop work and fall protection.
Proven experience building a construction safety program from the ground up or substantially rebuilding one at a multi-location or multi-state construction company and driving adoption across field teams.
Experience leading safety professionals, including hiring, developing, and managing safety managers or coordinators.
Experience managing subcontractor safety, including prequalification, field oversight, and accountability to company standards.
Deep working knowledge of OSHA 29 CFR 1926 and Cal/OSHA Construction Safety Orders, especially fall protection, ladders, and multi-employer worksite responsibilities.
Experience owning OSHA recordkeeping, agency inspections, and workers’ compensation and EMR performance with insurance partners.
Hands-on experience leading incident investigations, root cause analysis, and preventive programs at scale.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to influence field crews, project managers, and executives across multiple regions.
Valid driver’s license and ability to travel frequently, including overnight, to job sites in California and other states.
Ability to climb ladders, work on rooftops using fall protection, walk active job sites, and work outdoors in heat and variable conditions.

Nice To Haves

CSP (Certified Safety Professional) or CHST (Construction Health and Safety Technician) certification; ASP also considered.
Authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer (OSHA 500).
Experience across residential and commercial work, including occupied homes and general-contractor-led commercial sites.
Experience with multiple OSHA State Plan programs, such as Cal/OSHA, Oregon OSHA, and Washington DOSH.
Experience with subcontractor management platforms such as ISNetworld, Avetta, or Highwire, and safety management software such as Procore, SafetyCulture, or HammerTech.
Bilingual English/Spanish.
Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Health, Construction Management, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Set the vision, strategy, and multi-year roadmap for construction safety across all regions and lines of business.
Lead, coach, and develop the safety team, beginning with an Area Safety Manager, and create a hiring plan and scalable organizational structure.
Own the safety budget, including training, PPE and fall protection equipment, safety technology, and third-party services.
Report safety performance, risk trends, and program priorities to the COO and executive team, and to the board as needed.
Exercise stop-work authority and foster a culture in which employees and subcontractors are empowered to stop unsafe work.
Travel frequently to job sites for site walks, crew observations, and leadership safety visits.
Own the construction safety program under OSHA 29 CFR 1926 and applicable Cal/OSHA and other state requirements.
Develop hazard-specific written programs covering fall protection, roof tie-off, ladders, heat illness, wildfire smoke, excavation and trenching, electrical and water-system work, tools, and vehicle safety.
Require Job Hazard Analyses and site-specific safety plans for residential and commercial jobs, protecting occupants, other trades, and the public.
Ensure safe operations on general-contractor-led commercial sites, including compliance with GC and owner requirements, aerial lift/MEWP use, and coordination with other trades.
Oversee fleet and driver safety for field teams traveling between job sites.
Design and build scalable multi-state safety policies, procedures, and written programs, including the Cal/OSHA IIPP, Code of Safe Practices, and equivalent state programs.
Build standardized worker training, track training records, and run a structured audit and inspection program, including unannounced rooftop audits.
Define and report leading and lagging safety KPIs, including TRIR, DART, lost-time rate, EMR, near-miss reports, audit scores, training completion, and corrective-action closure.
Lead serious-incident investigations using root cause analysis and ensure findings inform training, policy, and field practices.
Maintain OSHA 300/300A/301 records and manage timely reporting of serious injuries.
Build and own subcontractor prequalification, reviewing safety performance, logs, citations, programs, licenses, and insurance.
Partner with Legal to include safety requirements, insurance minimums, incident reporting, stop-work rights, and non-compliance remedies in subcontractor agreements.
Ensure subcontractors complete safety orientation and verify required worker training before work begins.
Audit subcontractors, track corrective actions, maintain quarterly scorecards, and make decisions about probation, retraining, or removal with Operations.
Require timely subcontractor reporting of injuries, near misses, and property damage, and lead or participate in investigations.
Build and manage a central system for subcontractor certifications, insurance certificates, license status, and expiration alerts.
Advise on Frontline's responsibilities at multi-employer worksites in partnership with Legal.
Lead safety and compliance readiness before entering new markets and maintain a framework for state-specific requirements, including OSHA State Plan programs.
Serve as the safety-regulations subject matter expert and lead responses to agency inspections, citations, and abatement.
Ensure regulatory filings, documentation, and reporting are timely and accurate in every jurisdiction.
Partner across Operations, Project Management, Field Leadership, Legal, and executive teams to incorporate safety into scheduling, job planning, hiring, and vendor selection.
Work with Legal, Finance, and the insurance broker on workers’ compensation, claims, return-to-work, and EMR strategy.
Use safety data and field insights to inform operational and risk decisions and drive continuous improvement.