Safety Officer - Safety Regulatory Compliance Division (9069)

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.

DISCIPLINE RESPONSIBILITIES

Safety Regulatory Compliance Division

• Participates in the development of policies in the immediate manager’s organization and interpret such policies throughout the department.
• Develops objectives, policies, and procedures for the approval of immediate manager.
• Interprets and administers programs and procedures in accordance with approved policies.
• Performs special assignments for immediate manager, as requested.
• Reports performance to immediate manager.
• Plans, manages, facilitates, and coordinates SMS activities throughout SEPTA. Works to implement the System Safety Plan Final Rule (49 CFR Part 270), Safety Management Systems based upon MAP-21 Section 20021 (49 U.S.C. 5329), the Public Transportation Safety Program Final Rule (49 CFR Part 670), the National Public Transportation Safety Plan requirements, the Public Transit Agency Safety Plan proposed rule (49 CFR Part 673), and all successive FTA and FRA safety regulations as follows:
  • 49 CFR Transportation
  • National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
  • Federal Transportation Administration (FTA)
  • Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
  • American Public Transportation Associations (APTA)
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• Develops and refines safety management policies. Works with the Director of Safety Regulatory Compliance and management to define safety roles and accountabilities. Supports training and provides tools for Staff to support their role as leaders in creating a culture of safety within the Authority.
• Attends staff training to ensure the department goals and programs are being implemented. Instills a professional, positive, and supportive philosophy.
• Facilitates two-way communication between internal and external stakeholders on SEPTA's Safety Management Policy, performance targets, federal regulations, educational programs, training, and all aspects of advancing the SMS.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• B. S. Degree in related safety or safety engineering disciplines plus five (5) to seven (7) years’ experience in safety required. An equivalent combination of education and experience (two (2) years of related experience equating to one year of post high school education) may be considered in lieu of the degree requirement.
• Strong knowledge of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and PennDOT and applicable, local, state and federal regulations required.
• Must demonstrate the ability to pursue/perform multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Must have a strong understanding of union and management environment and demonstrate the ability to address health and safety matters directly to union employees.
• Must be able to review and analyze accident data and participate in the development of corrective action plans to resolve complex safety and health issues.
• Must be able to satisfy rigorous and demanding work schedules, which include non-traditional working hours, and short-term deadlines.
• Must have valid driver’s license.
• Must have excellent verbal and technical writing skills with experience writing quality technical reports and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Experience in Public Transportation Operations preferred.
• Must have PC experience with MS Office 365, Word, and Excel. Experience in VMIS, SMART, PowerPoint and Access preferred.