Safety & Health Specialist I, II, SR

Southern Company • Rockford, IL

7h • $58,388 - $121,406 • Hybrid

About The Position

The purpose of this position is to ensure Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) compliance, focusing on occupational safety programs. Responsible for managing and administering company policies and procedures to support Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, other local/state/federal EHS regulations, and industry best practices to ensure compliance across regionalized Southern Company Gas employee work groups and territories (including non-reg). This position is part of a job family of individual contributor positions that spans from entry level safety compliance positions (i.e., recent college grad) through seasoned safety professionals with decades of knowledge and experience, and substantial budgetary responsibility. The three position titles 1) Specialist I, Safety Compliance; 2) Specialist II, Safety Compliance; and 3) Specialist Sr. Safety Compliance will be based on years of experience and/or education; demonstrated knowledge, skills & ability; complexity of programs administered, risk and responsibility, and budgetary value managed. Additionally, competency criticality is elevated with each position with higher risk elements.

Requirements

• BA/BS degree in Occupational Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Engineering or other related technical or science degree
• Minimum of 1-2 years experience in occupational safety, motor vehicle safety, process/contractor safety, and/or industrial hygiene (Specialist I)
• Working knowledge of OSHA/DOT regulations and programs
• Implements safety programs and initiatives to field operations employees/contractors
• Utilizes compliance software systems and databases
• Develops and conducts safety related training and presentations
• Presents safety related data and proposed action plans to leadership to improve safety performance
• Equivalent academic education and experience (Specialist I)
• Minimum of 2-4 years experience in occupational safety, motor vehicle safety, process/contractor safety, and/or industrial hygiene (Specialist II)
• Equivalent academic education and experience (Specialist II)
• Minimum of 4-6 years experience in occupational safety, motor vehicle safety, process/contractor safety, and/or industrial hygiene (Specialist Sr.)
• Equivalent academic education and experience (Specialist Sr.)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Knowledge of safe work practices and procedures
• MS Office Suite - intermediate proficiency, ability to learn other databases and technology tools quickly
• Project management skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects with limited supervision
• Ability to understand and analyze legislation and regulation and translate into corporate summaries and policy
• Competency to work independently, to be a self-starter, and take initiative
• Strong presentation and team facilitation skills
• Strong leadership skills (Specialist II and Sr.)
• Ability to implement Safety Culture programs to improve safety performance (Specialist II and Sr.)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to effectively communicate to all levels of the organization (Specialist Sr.)
• MS Office Suite – advanced proficiency, ability to learn other databases and technology tools quickly (Specialist Sr.)
• Strong competence in implementation of Safety Culture programs to improve safety performance (Specialist Sr.)

Nice To Haves

• Certification such as CSP (Certified Safety Professional), CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist), PMP (Project Management Professional) or equivalent

Responsibilities

• Review prospective safety legislation and regulations and work with company representatives and appropriate industry groups to prepare and submit comments, and work with multi-stakeholder groups to guide development of regulations. (Specialist I and II)
• Identify and document relevant safety compliance regulations and develop and write procedures and protocols relating to all Company operations and Business Units. (Specialist I and II)
• Serve as subject matter expert (SME) to internal Southern Company Gas’ business units and departments on matters of occupational safety and compliance. (Specialist I)
• Serve as contact point for OSHA inquiries and complaints; conducts safety investigations and submits reports. (Specialist I and II)
• Inventory, document and validate safety aspects of Southern Company Gas’ operations (e.g. fire extinguishers, respiratory equipment, vehicles, vehicle cameras, employee count). (Specialist I and II)
• Assess and coordinate any needs for occupational safety related permits (e.g. Lock Out Tag Out permits, Hot Work permits) (Specialist I and II)
• Provide content for training of employees pertaining to safety compliance programs and standards, and conduct training in some cases when a subject matter expert is needed. (Specialist I and II)
• Respond to Safety emergency situations (e.g. OSHA or other regulator field inspections, injuries, employee field hazards) to facilitate an investigation or corrective actions. (Specialist I)
• Champion the standardization of safety programs. Lead employees to merge programs, determine efficiencies, and drive a consistent safety culture across the enterprise. May supervisor other employees in the department and provide guidance for the standardization initiatives. (Specialist Sr.)
• Evaluate existing safety compliance programs for the applicable regions within control and determine and implement any corrections/modifications as needed. (Specialist I)
• Maintain and retain compliance documentation as required by OSHA. (Specialist I)
• Counsel and inform business leaders on new or modified EHS regulations and the affects of the regulations on company policies and work practices. (Specialist I and II)
• Provide safety-related statistics and best practices data to internal and external groups (e.g., American Gas Association (AGA)). (Specialist I and II)
• Document, analyze and evaluate occupational safety, process safety, and motor vehicle safety metrics. Interpret the data to determine trends and inform business units of those trends. (Specialist II)
• Evaluate EHS incidents and recommend corrective and preventive actions for EHS incidents (injuries, motor vehicle collisions, process safety incidents) (Specialist I and II)
• Represent the corporation at applicable association meetings on various EHS issues. (Specialist Sr.)
• Formulate and recommend the annual operating and capital budgets and track the budgets according to plan. (Specialist Sr.)
• Determine EHS best practices to support the company’s goals by consulting with company representatives (internal peers and other key business units) and external sources such as AGA and peer companies. (Specialist I and II)
• Facilitate department meetings and training sessions to coach and educate other employees. May supervise other employees in the department and be responsible for their knowledge of safety programs. (Specialist Sr.)
• Collaborate with business units to achieve shared results. (Specialist I and II)
• Advocate Company’s position regarding safety compliance legislative and regulatory developments in conjunction with internal government relations personnel and industry lobbying groups. (Specialist I and II)
• Demonstrate good communication and interpersonal skills at all levels within the Company necessary to guide business units and individuals with respect to EHS issues. (Specialist I and II)
• Develop and conduct presentations for business and safety meetings, safety committee meetings, safety summits, and other presentations on safety related standards and policies. (Specialist I and II)
• Partner with other key business units (e.g. Claims, HR/Medical, Fleet) to ensure all incidents / accidents are logged and recorded appropriately and relevant data is recorded and documented. (Specialist I and II)
• Motivate and encourage development of a safety culture by facilitating focus group exercises (e.g. Hazard Analyses, Safety Culture Assessments, Safety Committee Exercises, Job Hazard Assessments). (Specialist I and II)
• Build team spirit and direction. Train, motivate and guide other employees to work collaboratively with all business units. May supervise other employees in the department and coach on demonstration of strong communication skills. (Specialist Sr.)
• Develop, implement, and administer compliance programs (e.g. Hearing Conservation, Driver Qualification, Respiratory Protection); Direct EHS programs and projects by developing measurements and qualification processes and maintaining databases that support the programs. (Specialist I and II)
• Conduct safety compliance assessments. Create assessment reports with summaries of observations and corrective actions. Drive the business units to correct deficiencies by conducting follow-up meetings with the business leaders. (Specialist I)
• Direct and oversee investigations of EHS incidents such as higher severity injuries and motor vehicle collisions and process safety incidents. Monitor implementation of corrective and preventive actions to prevent further incidents. (Specialist I and II)
• Ensuring Company operations achieve and maintain compliance with applicable safety laws and regulations and existing safety policies and procedures. (Specialist I and II)
• Takes personal responsibility to ensure that compliance is achieved with high quality and efficiency. (Specialist I and II)
• Monitor EHS compliance, evaluate trends and provide reports to business units and regulatory agencies as required. (Specialist I and II)
• Provide sound business decisions and recommendations in a timely manner with appropriate sense of urgency. (Specialist I and II)
• Develop and maintain EHS related policies and manuals to ensure compliance with regulations. (Specialist I and II)
• Act and respond to OSHA inquiries, complaints, citations, and observations by overseeing an investigation of the inquiry and developing a report back to OSHA on the investigation findings. (Specialist Sr.)
• Lead and guide other employees to take responsibility for completion of tasks. May supervise other employees in the department to ensure safety related projects and programs are completed according to plan. (Specialist Sr.)

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Annual incentive awards for eligible employees
• Health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being
• Additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonus/awards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s)

What This Job Offers

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