Occupational Health and Safety Specialist

Minimum Qualifications
Education and/or Equivalent Experience:

• Graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field.
• Experience in a technical or other appropriate occupation related field may substitute for the education up to the maximum of four (4) years.

Licenses or Certifications:

• Valid Texas Driver License.
• Licensing for specific disciplines may be required.
• Appropriate certifications as specified for the assignment.

Notes to Applicants

Position Overview: This position will lead safety initiatives in high-risk utility environments, including construction and plant operations. This critical role will investigate collisions, injuries, and near-miss incidents. Conduct site audits and inspections and develop corrective actions and recommendations. Responsibilities include incident reporting, interviewing for witness statements, documentation, and facilitation of monthly review meetings. Strong communication skills and knowledge of occupational safety regulations are essential. Additionally, occasional emergency response to major incidents is required outside of regular working hours.

Working with Austin Water provides a number of benefits including medical, paid leave time, a great retirement plan, training opportunities and more! Click HERE for more information.

Driving Requirement:

This position requires a Valid Texas Driver License or the ability to acquire one by your hire date. External New Hires must meet the City of Austin’s Driver Record Evaluation ( DRE ) requisite . To be considered for a driving position, applicants cannot have more than three moving violations or a total of six Driver Record Evaluation points within a period of thirty-six (36) months.

When completing the City of Austin employment application:

• Please be sure to detail on the application all previous employment that you wish to be considered as part of your qualifications.
• A detailed, complete employment application is required. It helps us to better evaluate your qualifications and will be used to determine salary if you are selected for this position. Be sure to provide job title and employment dates for all jobs you wish to be considered. Please include contact information from previous employers. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• A resume is required but will not substitute for a complete employment application.

If you are selected as a top candidate:

• Verification of your education (which may include high school graduation or GED , undergraduate and/or graduate degrees) will be required. You must provide proof of education from an accredited organization/institution and proof of your professional licenses or certifications.
• If you are in the military or a veteran, you will need to provide a copy of your DD-214 prior to confirming a start date.

Travel:

• If you are selected for this position, and meet the Driver Safety Standards in the City of Austin Driver Safety Program, you may drive when necessary to multiple locations as part of your regular job duties. Otherwise, you are responsible for getting to and from these locations.

Secondary Employment:

• All Austin Water employees are prohibited from accepting or engaging in any secondary employment that might conflict or interfere with an employee’s duty and responsibility to the Department.
• Austin Water must review all secondary employment.
• Employees are required to submit a Secondary Employment Application for review and approval upon being hired with Austin Water, as well as current Austin Water employees considering secondary employment.

Effective October 1, 2014, all Austin Water worksite locations are tobacco-free. Use of tobacco products and/or e-cigarettes is not permitted on any AW worksite - including construction sites, parking lot, garage or in any personal vehicle located on the premises.
Pay Range
$28.29 - $34.80
Hours

• Monday through Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with some flexibility.
• May require other hours as needed to support 24-hour utility operations.

Job Close Date 12/26/2024 Type of Posting External Department Austin Water Utility Regular/Temporary Regular Grant Funded or Pooled Position Not Applicable Category Professional Location 3907 S Industrial Dr, Austin, TX 78744 Preferred Qualifications
Preferred Experience:

• Experience working in a Utility with high-risk environments such as construction site operations and plant operations.
• Experience handling incident reporting and documentation for a Utility in high-risk environments.
• Demonstrated knowledge and hands-on experience overseeing the investigation and documentation of safety incidents like collisions, injuries, and near misses in a Utility with high-risk environments.
• Experience working with or on safety committees and delivering information and content regarding safety incidents like collisions, injuries, and near misses.
• Experience implementing or working with corrective actions and corrective action plans.
• Experience acting as a safety investigator or advisor to an operational group in a Utility and administering, developing, or implementing safety programs.
• Experience inspecting work activities for hazardous conditions, including consulting and effectively communicating with all levels of employees on safety-related topics and ensuring compliance with occupational safety regulations, safety policies or operational needs related to specific job conditions.
• Experience conducting safety meetings and presenting safety topics to all levels of employees, including preparing and maintaining training materials, presentations, and related safety program documentation.
• Proficiency with computers and experience using Microsoft Suite products.

Duties, Functions and Responsibilities
Essential duties and functions, pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.

Administers basic safety programs based on specialization including conducting safety meetings; conducting field inspections and accident investigations; assisting with safety training; inspecting safety equipment; hazardous materials record-keeping; assisting with development of emergency response plans; participating in emergency responses; and coordinating safety events such as drills, basic exams, or new employee orientation. Implements safety programs by inspecting or reviewing areas, equipment, work processes, and work activities for hazardous conditions. Provides assistance in establishing standards and procedures to ensure compliance with required government occupational safety regulations, internal City or Department Safety policies, or operational needs related to specific job conditions. Delivers technical safety and safety awareness training programs to department employees. Reviews departmental occupational safety plans and investigates work-related accidents according to designated procedures. Compiles data and information for the analysis of accident or injury trends and helps prepare recommendations for new or modified occupational safety programs to reduce or prevent accidents. Participates in writing City-wide or department safety policies and procedures. Monitors compliance with Federal, State, and Local occupational safety regulations. Maintains communication with internal customers and other agencies to support the safety function. Participates on teams with safety, technical, management, and other stakeholders. Researches occupational safety information to assure the best available methods and equipment are adopted to minimize the hazards in the work place.

Responsibilities- Supervision and/or Leadership Exercised:

May provide leadership, work assignments, evaluation, training, and guidance to others.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Must possess required knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience and be able to explain and demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodations, that the essential functions of the job can be performed.

• Knowledge of Federal, State, and Local laws and ordinances.
• Knowledge of City practices, policies, and procedures.
• Knowledge of safety and risk management principles, policies, and procedures.
• Skill in oral and written communication.
• Skill in handling multiple tasks and prioritization.
• Skill in using computers and related software.
• Skill in data analysis and problem solving.
• Skill in planning and organizing.
• Skill in investigative analysis.
• Skill in identifying safety and risk hazards.
• Ability to present oral presentations and training.
• Ability to handle hostility, conflict, and uncertain situations.
• Ability to work with frequent interruptions and changes in priority.
• Ability to develop and maintain current knowledge in occupational health and safety programs.
• Ability to develop and facilitate training sessions.
• Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with other City employees and the public.

Criminal Background Investigation This position does not require a Criminal Background Investigation EEO/ADA
City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you require reasonable accommodation during the application process or have a question regarding an essential job function, please call (512) 974-3210 or Texas Relay by dialing 7-1-1.

The City of Austin will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, creed, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, religion, veteran status, disability, or sexual orientation. In addition, the City will not discriminate in employment decisions on the basis of an individual’s AIDS , AIDS Related Complex, or HIV status; nor will the City discriminate against individuals who are perceived to be at risk of HIV infection, or who associate with individuals who are believed to be at risk.
Information For City Employees: If you are an employee within the department, are in good standing and meet both the minimum and preferred qualifications, then you will receive an initial interview.

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
* The minimum qualifications for this position require: Graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field. Experience in a technical or other appropriate occupation related field may substitute for the education up to the maximum of four (4) years. Do you meet these these requirements?

• Yes
• No

* This position requires a valid Texas Driver License. Do you have a valid Texas Driver License or if selected for this position, do you have the ability to acquire a valid Texas Driver License by your hire date?

• Yes
• No

* The City of Austin Driver Eligibility Standards require that External New Hires meet the City’s Driver Record Evaluation (DRE) requisite. To be considered for a driving position, applicants cannot have more than three moving violations or a total of six Driver Record Evaluation points within a period of thirty-six (36) months. Do you meet this requirement?

• Yes
• No

* Will you require sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B visa) either now or in the future?

• Yes
• No

* Please select your years of experience working in a utility with high-risk environments such as construction site operations and plant operations.

• None
• 0-2 years
• 2-4 years
• 4+ years

* Which of the following best describes your experience advising operational groups on safety in the workplace?

• None
• 0-2 years
• 2-4 years
• 4+ years

* How many years of experience do you have conducting training and delivering presentations?

• None
• 0-2 years
• 2-4 years
• 4+ years

* Which of the following best describes your proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, specifically with Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook?

• No experience
• Basic: create/edit simple documents, simple presentations, & emails; send/receive emails and schedule calendar items
• Intermediate: create/edit a variety of documents & presentations; reformat document features such as color, font style & size of text, change page size/width, & filter/sort data fields/reformat individual slides; set up read receipts, send meeting notices
• Advanced: create/edit complex documents& professional-quality presentations with transitions; integrate features such as tables, charts, mathematic formulas, hyperlinks, graphics; data/mail merge, import data from one document to another; view calendar

* Were you referred to this opportunity by an Austin Water employee? If yes, please provide the employee’s full name.
(Open Ended Question)


Optional & Required Documents

Required Documents Resume Optional Documents

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• City of Austin

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