OVERALL DESCRIPTION

The Safety Officer will coordinate and cooperate with all levels of Authority management and collective bargaining unit employees to provide expert assistance toward identifying, assessing, and prioritizing line management’s prevention of safety, health, and environmental hazards. The Safety Officer must be able to satisfy rigorous and demanding work schedules, which include non-traditional working hours (nights and weekends), and short-term deadlines.

The Safety Officer’s work effort will be concentrated in one of the five (5) primary specialty areas; Operational Safety, Occupational Safety and Health, Construction Safety, Accident Prevention and Investigation, and/or Safety Regulatory Compliance. To maintain a diverse and broad level of subject matter expertise that is needed to perform all the Division’s responsibilities, the required expertise and responsibilities will vary for each hire and be based on the current status of vacancies and needs of the division.
Based on the vacancies and needs of the Division. The Safety Officer will be required to be experienced in one of these five (5) areas and would be expected to perform functions based on the specific responsibilities selected for the position at that time and identified in the job posting. The Chief Safety Officer, Deputy Chief Safety Officer, System Safety and/or the Department Director will make this determination of what responsibilities are required based on the current staffing needs at the time of posting.
 

Specific Responsibilities

1. Acts as a key contributor to SEPTA’s Safety Management System (SMS), ensuring compliance with 49 CFR Part 673 and alignment with the organization’s safety objectives.

2. Supports the implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of SEPTA’s Safety Risk Management (SRM) processes, including hazard identification, risk assessment, and risk mitigation.

3. Serves as a liaison between the System Safety Division, other departments, safety committees, and external regulatory agencies to ensure a cohesive approach to managing safety risks.

4. Provides technical expertise to SEPTA staff and stakeholders on hazard identification, risk analysis methodologies (MIL-STD 882), and mitigation strategies to promote a proactive safety culture.

5. Collects and tracks hazards identified through various intake methods, including SEPTA’s employee safety reporting program, operations reporting, public feedback, and regulatory data.

6. Evaluates hazards identified through operational activities, safety assurance findings, and system changes such as capital projects, engineering modifications, or rule changes.

7. Maintains and updates the Salesforce-based hazard log, ensuring all hazards are accurately assessed for probability/severity, documented, categorized, and prioritized for the application of appropriate controls.

8. Supports the development of corrective action plans (CAPs) for hazards classified as unacceptable, working with the responsible departments to implement effective mitigations.

9. Monitors mitigation performance and ensures compliance with SMS requirements by leveraging safety data from the Safety Assurance and Safety Data & Statistics teams.

10. Assists in the investigation of safety events, conducts root cause analyses and documents findings in accordance with SEPTA and regulatory standards. Collaborates with internal stakeholders to develop recommendations and corrective action plans to mitigate hazards identified in the investigation process.

11. Prepares and submits required reports and updates to regulatory entities, including monthly hazard log reviews and progress updates on corrective actions.

12. Assists in implementing and maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements, including PennDOT SSOA and Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) programs.

13. Duties may be required on a 24/7 basis, with a varying work schedule as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Safety Risk Management Specialist

• 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.
• Experience in operations in the Public Transportation Industry preferred.
• USDOT Transportation Institute Transit (TSI) Safety and Security Program (TSSP- Rail and/or TSSP-Bus) certificate.
• Federal Transit Administration Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program Certification (PTSCTP).
• Knowledge of Military Standard 882, identification of safety hazards and mitigation.
• Experience in Transit Safety and Security.
• Knowledge of the FTA Safety and Security Certification Handbook.
• 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.