Salary: $107,112.17 - $153,016.80 Annually
Location : City of Long Beach, CA
Job Type: Unclassified - Full-Time, Permanent
Job Number: HR27-007
Department: Human Resources - (UC)
Opening Date: 11/05/2026
Closing Date: 12/4/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
DESCRIPTIONThe City of Long Beach is currently looking to fill a vacancy in the Human Resources DepartmentTHE POSITIONThe Department Safety Officer is an unclassified, at-will management position that reports to the City's Safety Manager in Human Resources. This position interfaces with field and office staff to ensure they are performing their work in a safe environment.
The Department Safety Officer administers the occupational safety programs at the Energy and Environmental Services Department within the City of Long Beach. This individual develops, communicates, and implements a comprehensive Department emergency management plan and occupational safety/health programs in accordance with Federal, State, and City requirements/policies and best industry work practices and standards.
The Department Safety Officer analyzes employee injury trends and designs and implements programs to reduce injuries and productive time lost due to injuries. The Department Safety Officer also develops cost-effective solutions for operational issues that present technical and regulatory challenges. The Department Safety Officer reviews the training needs of client departments, as well as develops and conducts training classes in-house or coordinates training classes with external vendors. This position ensures that safety and disaster training is provided for client departments as needed.
The Department Safety Officer is the lead person for occupational safety and health matters and works with the City Safety Manager to ensure a uniform safety program. Additionally, this position will act as a liaison with regulatory agency representatives such as Cal/OSHA, Fed/OSHA, and South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) as it pertains to Department issues.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES- The Department Safety Officer ensures workplace safety and compliance with California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) standards and regulations.
- The management position provides occupational safety training to employees and works closely with managers to ensure Cal/OSHA compliance.
- The Department Safety Officer develops and implements safety programs and procedures for the department as necessary, performs department hazard assessments to properly identify and evaluate job hazards, and identifies and coordinates department safety training needs and develops cost-effective strategies for implementation.
- In a leadership capacity, coordinates Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) reviews and updates with the workgroup manager, as necessary.
- Analyzes department incident data and trends, reports findings, and makes recommendations to address these trends.
- Organizes department occupational safety meetings, monitors Safety meetings and training effectiveness, and represents the department and participates in Citywide safety meetings and functions.
- Responds to serious employee incidents and is on-call for other occupational safety-related emergencies.
- Communicates orally and in writing with staff on key areas concerning occupational safety, including federal and state legislation, which may affect safety requirements and programs, and acts as the department's liaison with Cal/OSHA, Department of Transportation (DOT), and other regulatory agencies.
- Maintains department Cal/OSHA recordkeeping, promotes safety among management staff and employees through various means, including coordination of safety meetings, training updates, safety tips, and site visits.
- Establishes Cal/OSHA required occupational safety training programs for water treatment and distribution employees, sewer employees, and natural gas distribution employees; and coordinates with workgroup managers to schedule training at regular intervals.
- Develops and conducts relevant occupational safety training classes in-house, or coordinates training classes with external vendors.
- Recommends corrective actions for program improvements and works with the City Safety Manager to ensure compliance with Citywide Safety Programs and Policies.
- Interfaces with the Energy and Environmental Services Department's Personnel Division and ensures a coordinated response to employee injuries and incident reporting.
- Updates department occupational safety policies to remain in compliance with Cal/OSHA and conducts employee training as policies and programs change.
- Supports Department Managers with Occupational Safety investigations, documentation, and compliance.
- Acts as a liaison with regulatory agency representatives such as Cal/OSHA, Fed/OSHA as it pertains to Department issues.
- Communicates with other personnel, vendors, contractors, other City Departments, customers, and outside organizations to coordinate activities, facilitate projects and tasks, resolve issues and conflicts, and exchange information.
- Attends and conducts a variety of meetings.
- Provides consultation to administrators and department staff.
- Applies principles of budgeting, accounting, financial record keeping, and reporting.
- Keeps the City Safety Manager and other staff informed regularly on the status of open issues.
REQUIREMENTS TO FILEEDUCATION- A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is required; however, candidates may substitute experience offering specific and substantial preparation for the duties of the position for the required education on a year-for-year basis.
EXPERIENCE- Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience working with safety operations and overseeing safety programs. Experience offering specific and substantial preparation for the duties of the position may be substituted for the required education.
- One (1) year of full-time experience working in a supervisory or lead capacity.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS- Coursework in occupational safety.
- A certification issued by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, such as Associate Safety Professional (ASP), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), or Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST).
IDEAL CANDIDATEThe ideal candidate will have a demonstrated ability to provide consistency and strong leadership in the safety environment and possess excellent organizational and interpersonal skills to serve as a valuable resource throughout the City. The ideal candidate will be customer service oriented with a history of building effective partnerships and a proven track record of responsiveness, problem solving, and conflict resolution. This position requires a hands-on manager who has in-depth field and technical knowledge, presentation skills, and is willing to work alongside staff at all levels to get the work done.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
- Knowledge of the laws and regulations concerning Cal/OSHA and occupational safety programs, policies and requirements, including general industry and construction safety standards, applicable environmental regulations, and a working knowledge of the principles and methods of safety, training, incident investigation, hazard identification and correction, and the prevention of employee injury/illness.
- Understanding of Cal/OSHA procedures and practices.
- Basic understanding of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA)
- Principles of business letter writing and report preparation.
- Modern office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and both networked and cloud-based software systems
- Principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
- Pertinent federal, California, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
- Ability to conduct employee group training
- Business writing
- State and federal occupational safety rules and regulations.
- Ability to connect, coordinate and add value to occupational safety and workplace culture.
- Interpersonal skills using tact, patience, and courtesy.
- Ability to connect with and train employees on new processes and procedures.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with managers and employees, at all levels of the organization including City and department management, public officials, and employees.
- Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
- Excellent writing including grammar and document formatting.
SELECTION PROCEDUREThis recruitment will close at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Friday, December 4, 2026. To be considered, please submit an online application, including a
cover letter, resume, and proof of education in PDF format. Applications that fail to include all necessary documents will be considered incomplete and will not be taken into consideration.
