Sr Mgr, System Safety Eng and Risk Red

Metra•Chicago, IL

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Safety and Environmental Compliance Department is responsible for the implementation, oversight and coordination of the agency’s passenger and employee safety programs. In addition to safety programs, the department oversees rail safety education and outreach programs and emergency evacuation training for first responders. The department is also responsible for reporting railroad incident and accident data to federal and state regulatory agencies. The department’s environmental compliance function includes inspection and testing for environmental safety (air quality, hazardous materials storage, etc.) at Metra-controlled facilities. The department also oversees environmental mitigation, employee training and the agency’s hazardous waste disposal program. This position will manage the field-based system safety engineers' day-to-day activities. The position will also review safety incidents, injuries, and industry trends to develop and implement corrective actions and update processes and procedures to improve safety at Metra. Work with regulatory authorities and other Class I and passenger railroads to reduce regulatory fines, human caused incidents, and verify Metra is at the leading edge of Safety.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in safety and occupational health, safety engineering or a related field or in lieu of specified degree, any combination of education and experience may be substituted for the required degree that equals four (4) years of experience in the administration of safety regulations or occupational health.
Must have six (6) years of professional occupational health or safety management related experience applying applicable safety standards and best practices, preferably in railroad environment.
Strong project coordination and communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations and manage multiple priorities.
Working knowledge of essential business software, Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and a general understanding of working on a computer.
Knowledge of safety and regulatory regulations related to FRA, FTA, OSHA, ICC, and EPA.
Ability to conduct field observations/audits, including coaching and correcting.
Ability to prepare and conduct safety training materials, programs, and other relevant safety topics, which can be delivered in person or online.
Interpersonal communication skills with the ability to review and suggest safety improvements to task planning in the field.
Ability coach and mentor employees under their supervision and Metra employees as a whole about safety.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Experience using data and metrics to drive improvements.
Knowledge of principles of accident investigation.
Knowledge and ability to perform site evaluations, including exposure assessment strategies, risk assessments.
The ability to specify hazard control measures and assess their effectiveness.
Ability to stand, walk, and/or sit, for extended periods of time.
Hearing/Visual acuity, far/near, depth perception, field of vision, color vision.
Ability to lift and move up to 20 pounds.
Must be able to operate a vehicle.
Must be willing to travel within and outside of Metra’s 6-county region.
Must be available to work flexible hours in the early morning, late afternoon, evenings, or weekends.
Must be available on-call 24-hours/day, 7 days/week, 365 days/year, including weekends and holidays.

Nice To Haves

FTA Certified TSI Safety Professional Preferred but not required. Must obtain within 24 months of hire.
Certified Safety Professional (CSP)

Responsibilities

Manage and direct others, set priorities, develop work schedules, monitor progress towards goals, meet deadlines, and track varying activity details, data, and information.
Perform job safety analysis and incident investigations to determine probable cause, provide recommendations to resolve railroad safety issues based on root cause analysis, lead and direct incident investigations, and coordinate activities over cross-functional work groups.
Work collaboratively with other departments to coordinate safety practices to reduce incident occurrences; lead or participate in the development and implementation of various safety related projects and programs; ensure the appropriate resources and staff are allocated for projects and tasks; and participate in the development of the annual budget.
Serve as subject matter expert for safety training programs and classes, railroad safety, and hazard analyses; liaison between management, staff, and external stakeholders; assist in the development and implementation of programs, policies, and procedures meant to protect employee health and safety.
Manage the identification and reporting of safety defects and unsafe/hazardous conditions utilizing the hazard identification and resolution procedure, including the performance of root cause analyses, contributing factor determinations, corrective action recommendation.
Approve time off, coordinate staff schedules, fill vacancies as necessary, and ensure compliance with departmental and company policies and objectives.
Decide/implement staffing decisions, performance evaluations, and performance improvement, disciplinary, and/or termination procedures.
Make recommendations regarding hiring, performance evaluations, disciplinary and/or termination procedures.
Promote safe work practices and maintain and foster a safe work environment.
Responsible for the safety objectives, goals, and program of the organization ensuring compliance with applicable safety rules and regulations.
Perform other related duties as assigned to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.