Director, Safety Culture & Human Factors (7421)

Septa • Philadelphia, PA

8d • $125,762 - $157,196

About The Position

The Director of Safety Culture & Human Factors provides strategic leadership to advance a strong, positive safety culture across operations in alignment with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Safety Management System (SMS) and Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) requirements. This role focuses on strengthening workplace culture at all levels, by addressing what people do (behaviors), how people feel (values and attitudes), and how SEPTA supports safety through its policies, systems, and structures. The role fosters labor and SAM collaboration and reinforces shared accountability to prevent serious incidents and support safe, reliable service. Working closely with executive leadership, labor representatives, operations, maintenance, and frontline employees, the Director promotes active employee engagement, increased reporting, moving beyond passive compliance toward shared ownership of safety outcomes. The role supports non‑punitive reporting environments where hazards, near‑misses, and errors can be reported without fear, enabling meaningful systemic learning rather than individual blame. The Director integrates human factors and human performance principles into daily decision‑making, incident learning, and work design—ensuring processes and environments account for human limitations such as fatigue, stress, and cognitive load. Using data‑driven approaches and leading safety indicators, the role helps shift SEPTA from compliance‑based safety to a proactive, integrated culture that prevents serious incidents and supports safe, reliable service. Serving as a trusted advisor, the Director influences safety outcomes through collaboration, clear two‑way communication, and alignment with SEPTAs long‑term strategic plan, while respecting collective bargaining agreements and workforce expertise.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in safety, engineering, human factors, industrial/organizational psychology, public administration, transportation, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8–10 years of progressive experience in safety, risk management, human performance, or operational leadership within public transit, transportation, the public sector, or similarly complex, safety‑critical environments.
• Demonstrated success advancing safety culture, human performance, or organizational change initiatives beyond compliance‑based programs in a medium to large organization.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with executive leadership, labor organizations, frontline employees, and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of safety and risk principles applicable to complex operating environments, including incident learning, hazard identification, and systemic risk management.
• Experience influencing policy, process, safety outcomes, or system design through collaboration rather than direct authority.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate safety and risk concepts for diverse audiences, including senior leadership and governing bodies.
• Professional certifications are preferred; however, equivalent experience may include substantial leadership experience advancing safety culture, human performance, or risk management in complex organizations, demonstrated use of safety data and systemic incident learning, and a strong record of collaboration with leadership and frontline workforces.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in safety science, human factors, engineering, organizational development, public policy, or related discipline.
• Experience working in public transit, rail, aviation, or other regulated transportation environments.
• Familiarity with Human and Organizational Performance (HOP), Human Performance Improvement (HPI), or similar frameworks.
• Experience supporting programs aligned with FTA SMS and PTASP, or comparable safety frameworks.
• Background working in a unionized workforce environment with demonstrated labor‑management collaboration.
• Professional certifications such as CSP, ASP, CHSP, Six Sigma, Lean, or human factors‑related credentials.

Responsibilities

• Advance a proactive, human‑centered safety culture across operations that goes beyond compliance to prevent serious incidents,  strengthen workforce engagement and improve employee morale.
• Apply human performance and human factors principles to risk understanding, incident learning, and system and process design, creating environments that account for human limitations and support learning and recovery.
• Facilitate cross‑functional incident and near‑miss review processes that emphasize systemic improvement, shared learning, and prevention rather than individual blame.
• Strengthen trust across the workforce by supporting non‑punitive reporting environments that empower employees to identify hazards and actively contribute to safety outcomes.
• Partner with executive leadership, labor representatives, frontline employees, and departments across the Authority (including Operations, Maintenance, System Safety, and Human Resources) to embed safety considerations into policies, capital projects, system design, and daily operations.
• Collaborate across departments to ensure safety culture and human performance principles are reflected in agency safety policies, procedures, and regulatory compliance activities.
• Guide the use of leading safety indicators—such as audits, workforce feedback, and cultural assessments—to proactively manage risk and improve understanding of cross‑department safety impacts.
• Advance collaborative safety processes aligned with SEPTA’s strategic plan and strengthen how safety risk and performance insights are communicated to senior leadership, governing bodies, and regulators.
• Complies with all Authority and departmental safety and security policies and procedures as well as all applicable job safety responsibilities. Reports any safety concerns, compromises or hazards affecting operations, the public, self and/or other employees. Responsible for personal safety and is encouraged to promote the safety of others.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Healthcare Coverage – Medical, prescription, dental, and vision plans with little to no employee premiums.
• Retirement Security – Participate in a Defined Benefit Pension Plan and a 457B Deferred Compensation Plan to build your financial future.
• Work-Life Balance – Enjoy paid parental leave, generous vacation time, and paid holidays to recharge and spend time with loved ones.
• Employee Wellness – Access wellness programs and resources to support your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
• Invest in Your Growth – We offer tuition reimbursement to support your education and career advancement.
• Student Loan Assistance – Our positions qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, helping you manage and reduce student debt.
• Free Travel Perks – Receive a FREE SEPTA Transportation Pass, giving you unlimited access to all SEPTA services!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director