Regional Safety Specialist

Townsend Corporation•Morristown, NJ

14d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Regional Safety Specialist is a frontline safety leadership role responsible for supporting safety performance within an assigned brand and geographic area. This position serves as the primary bridge between field-facing safety staff and operational leadership by coaching crews, supporting frontline leaders, conducting audits, leading training, and investigating minor incidents and near misses. The Regional Safety Specialist helps translate company safety expectations into practical field application and supports Townsend’s commitment to Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) and Safety Differently principles. This role works closely with operations to strengthen learning, improve consistency, and support the safe execution of work. Supports operations across multiple states and travels up to 50% as needed to meet business and operational requirements.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required
3+ years of experience in utility vegetation management, arboriculture, or field-based safety leadership.
Strong working knowledge of ANSI Z133, OSHA 1910.269, DOT requirements, and utility vegetation management operations.
Experience conducting incident investigations, field coaching, audits, and safety-related training.
Demonstrated ability to influence field teams and frontline leaders through credibility, communication, and practical problem-solving.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and digital reporting or inspection systems.
Valid driver’s license required.

Nice To Haves

associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Safety, Forestry, Environmental Health, or related field preferred.
Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP) preferred.
Experience supervising or mentoring field safety personnel.
Familiarity with Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) or learning-focused safety approaches.
Experience supporting multiple operating units, regions, or brands.

Responsibilities

Serve as a frontline safety leader for the assigned brand and region, with support to other brands or territories as assigned.
Maintain regular field presence at pullouts, staging areas, job sites, and active work locations to support crews and frontline leadership.
Complete minimum crew site visits as required by the VP of Safety to maintain visible field engagement through safety walks, pullout observations, and direct interaction with crews and frontline leaders.
Coach field employees, General Forepersons, Forepersons, and other local leaders on hazard recognition, risk controls, job planning, and safe execution of work.
Build trust with crews through visible field engagement, practical coaching, and collaborative problem-solving.
Reinforce stop-work expectations and support resolution of immediate high-risk conditions when identified.
Support the day-to-day coordination, mentoring, and development of Regional Safety Specialists and Associates when assigned.
Lead and support safety coaching sessions, field discussions, stand-downs, and other learning activities with crews and supervisors.
Assist with onboarding, field evaluations, and practical skills development for new employees and frontline leaders.
Partner with training and operational leaders to improve safety education based on field conditions, trends, and observed needs.
Help ensure safety expectations, policies, and required work practices are understood and applied in a practical manner.
Promote learning-focused conversations following events, close calls, and operational challenges.
Ensure that all incidents are reported in accordance with the company policy.
Investigate minor incidents, close calls, near misses, and good catches, with emphasis on understanding work conditions, contributing factors, and learning opportunities.
Support PSIF and HSIF investigations under the direction of the VP of Safety, Legal, or other designated leadership.
Assist with collection of facts, documentation, interviews, scene review, and follow-up actions as assigned.
Help communicate lessons learned, corrective actions, and improvement opportunities to field leadership and crews.
Conduct job site audits, crew observations, pullout reviews, and field verification activities to support compliance and operational consistency.
Support compliance with OSHA, ANSI Z133, DOT, client requirements, and company expectations through field engagement and coaching.
Assist operations in identifying gaps in readiness, planning, equipment condition, documentation, and field execution.
Support vehicle, equipment, PPE, and work-practice inspections as needed.
Escalate significant compliance concerns, repeated breakdowns, or unresolved high-risk issues to appropriate leadership.
Identify recurring trends, field constraints, and opportunities to improve systems, training, and work planning.
Contribute to development and refinement of policies, procedures, alerts, and field tools based on operational experience.
Collaborate with Safety Managers, Regional Safety Directors, and Health & Safety leadership on initiatives that improve organizational learning and field performance.
Support cross-regional audits, special projects, and enterprise safety initiatives when assigned.