Chief Safety Officer

Position Summary

Allegheny County seeks a strategic and collaborative Chief Safety Officer to lead and advance a comprehensive occupational health and safety program across diverse County operations. This role reports directly to the County Manager and drives enterprise-wide risk reduction, regulatory compliance, safety culture, and emergency preparedness initiatives while serving as a trusted advisor to executive leadership. People-management or supervision of staff is an essential function of this job.   

Duties

Safety Strategy, Program, and People Leadership

• Leads the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the County’s occupational health and safety program; Oversees direct report staff supporting these initiatives.
• Establishes countywide safety goals, standards, and performance metrics.
• Standardizes safety systems and monitor departmental compliance.
• Chairs and guides Countywide and site-specific Safety Committees. 

Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensures compliance with applicable statutes.
• Conducts audits, inspections, industrial hygiene assessments, and hazard analyses.
• Oversees accident, injury, and near-miss investigations and implement corrective actions.
• Analyzes safety data and trends to prioritize and mitigate risk exposure.
• Serves as liaison to regulatory agencies and coordinate joint inspections. 

Emergency Preparedness & Incident Response

• Leads safety components of County emergency preparedness initiatives.
• Develops and implements infectious disease response and business continuity strategies.
• Recommends proactive loss-control and risk mitigation measures.

Training, Communication & Culture

• Identifies training needs and develop impactful safety education programs.
• Delivers and evaluate training for employees, supervisors, and leadership.
• Promotes a culture of safety accountability and continuous learning.
• Communicates safety standards, updates, and performance insights across departments.

Advisory & Stakeholder Engagement

• Advises County leadership on safety risks, legislative impacts, and policy improvements.
• Partners with departments, unions, vendors, and external stakeholders to strengthen safety practices.
• Provides technical guidance on PPE and safety equipment procurement. 

Knowledge

• Comprehensive safety/risk management and mitigation as well as loss prevention practices.
• Regulatory expertise in occupational safety standards.
• Crisis leadership and emergency response planning.

Skills

• MS Office Products, especially Excel.

Abilities

• Effectively manage all levels of direct report staff.
• Design and evaluate safety initiatives and programs; Develop related policies.
• Mine and analyze relevant data to mitigate risk.
• Oversee administration of safety training programs compliance.
• Engage and manage executive-level stakeholders and communications.
• Effectively manage projects and multi-site coordination.
• Address and resolve conflicts using negotiation and influence skills.

Minimum Requirements

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Safety Management, Industrial Hygiene, Engineering, Public Health, or related field.
• Minimum four (4) years of progressive occupational health and safety experience, including developing and leading comprehensive safety programs.
• Previous people-management or supervision of staff is essential for success in this role. 
• Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or similar credentials are preferred. 
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

Residency

Allegheny County within 1 year.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted online until the position is filled and/or the posting is closed. After reviewing this job announcement, please click on the link at the bottom of the page to apply online. A resume is required with the application. Further instructions on submission of documents are available in the online application. A resume may not be substituted for an application.