OVERALL DESCRIPTION

The Director, Safety Certification leads and manages SEPTA’s organization-wide Safety and Security Certification (SSC) program, to ensure compliance with federal, state, and agency-level SSC regulatory requirements. While overseeing the SSC Program, this critical role engages in the identification, assessment, and mitigation of safety risks and security vulnerabilities related to capital projects before those projects enter service.

The execution of an effective SSC program requires coordination between SEPTA departments, design consultants, construction contractors, safety and security consultants, and state and federal regulators. The Director, Safety Certification provides over-arching Program Management, coordinates cross-functional teams, advises stakeholders as a subject matter expert, and oversees the full lifecycle of safety certification for capital projects, from risk assessment through final verification.

This includes training and advising internal and external partners on SSC, managing the development and review of certification deliverables, participating in design review, maintaining thorough and accurate records of certification activities, and supporting SSC administrative functions, including management of SSC committees. The Director, Safety Certification, also develops strong relationships with regulatory stakeholders and manages routine correspondence, updates, and required submissions and reviews.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Leads and program-manages Safety and Security Certification (SSC) program requirements and activities for applicable capital projects at SEPTA; actively monitors ongoing projects and system changes to identify works subject to SSC requirements.
2. Develops, updates, and implements the plans, policies, and procedures for the SSC program.
3. Leads SSC governance bodies, including primary and project-specific committees, and oversees scheduling, documentation, and stakeholder coordination.
4. Partners with SEPTA EM&C to ensure implementation of SSC requirements for applicable capital projects according to regulatory and program requirements; assists and advises EM&C to identify projects requiring SSC.
5. Contributes to capital project design reviews and ensures proper documentation aligns with SSC program requirements.
6. Oversees the development and quality assurance of the development of SSC program documents and records, including safety design criteria, preliminary and operating hazard and threat analyses, certifiable elements and items lists, criteria conformance checklists, testing and pre-revenue programs and reports, final and interim certificates, and final verification reports; manages the storage, securement, and distribution of SSC documentation.
7. Designs, delivers, and monitors SSC training programs for SEPTA staff and contractors; identifies training needs and serves as an instructor when appropriate.
8. Serves as primary liaison for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and PennDOT State Safety Oversight Agency (SSOA) on SCC matters, under the direction of the DCSO, Safety Engineering.
9. Maintains active communication and collaboration with other System Safety departments to integrate outputs of the SSC program, including lessons learned, risks that may apply to other projects or to current operations, mitigations that warrant close monitoring, and other information that reinforces the Safety Assurance function served by SSC.
10. As directed by DCSO, Safety Engineering supports management of change and configuration management processes for system modifications not requiring formal SSC, including management of records, participation in change reviews, and communication with other SEPTA divisions.
11. Performs other duties as required by the DCSO, Safety Engineering.
12. Duties may be required on a 24/7 basis, and work schedule may vary.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Safety Management, Operations Management, Emergency Management, Transportation, Business Management, Quality Management, Systems Management, or related field; five (5) years’ experience in System Safety, Transportation Operations or Maintenance, Project Management, or Engineering.
• An equivalent combination of experience and education (one year of formal education equating to two years of work experience) may be considered in lieu of the above requirements.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license.
• Must demonstrate the ability to pursue/perform multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Must have excellent verbal and strong technical writing skills.
• PC experience with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint required.

IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• USDOT Transportation Institute Transit (TSI) Safety and Security Program (TSSP- Rail and/or TSSP-Bus) certificate preferred.
• Federal Transit Administration Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program Certification (PTSCTP) preferred.
• Working knowledge of Military Standard 882, hazard identification and mitigation preferred.
• Experience in Transit Safety and Security preferred.
• Knowledge of the FTA Safety and Security Certification Handbook preferred.
• Prior experience with SSC strongly preferred.
• Project management experience strongly preferred.
• Experience in operations in the Public Transportation Industry preferred.