Job DescriptionThe RoleBAE Systems is seeking an experienced, strategic Safety Manager to support our San Diego Maritime Solutions facility. In this role, you will lead a multidisciplinary team-including Safety Specialists, Technicians, Competent Persons, and Administrative staff-to ensure the safe execution of shipyard repair and production activities.
We are looking for a leader with a forward-leaning mindset who moves beyond traditional compliance to implement a SIF-focused (Serious Injury and Fatality) program. Your goal will be to transition the organization from simply tracking incidents to proactively identifying and mitigating the high-energy hazards that lead to catastrophic events. You will develop critical partnerships across the organization to foster a culture of psychological safety, proactive hazard identification, and industry-leading health and safety performance.
Key Responsibilities- SIF Prevention & Strategy: Lead the development and execution of a SIF-focused program, prioritizing the identification and control of critical risks that could result in serious injury or fatality.
- Advanced Incident Investigation: Lead and mentor staff in sophisticated incident investigations. Move beyond surface-level causes to identify systemic failures and implement robust process improvements to prevent recurrence.
- Proactive Risk Oversight: Design and oversee a robust inspection and audit framework. Shift the focus from "checking boxes" to identifying precursors and "near-misses" that signal a potential catastrophic failure.
- Risk Assessment & Control: Ensure a rigorous approach to hazard analysis and the determination of controls throughout the facility. Train and coach employees in advanced root cause analysis and the hierarchy of hazard elimination.
- Strategic Partnership: Provide the Project Management team with expert guidance to ensure project sites exceed industry, local, state, and federal guidelines.
- Training & Development: Oversee and modernize occupational safety and health training, ensuring all employees are equipped with the skills necessary for their specific roles in a high-risk shipyard environment.
- Culture Leadership: Serve as the subject matter expert and catalyst for advancing a proactive safety culture, moving the organization from "enforcement" to "engagement and coaching."
- Policy Governance: Review and modernize Safety and Occupational Health policies (including Gas Free, Industrial Hygiene, and OSHA standards) to ensure they reflect current industry best practices and regulatory requirements.
- Performance Metrics: Develop and report on leading indicators and KPIs that measure the effectiveness of risk controls, rather than relying solely on lagging injury data.
- Certification Management: Maintain external certification programs, specifically OSHA VPP Star and ISO:45001.
Overall Objectives & Goals- Predictive Analytics: Implement proactive monitoring and reporting of metric KPIs to predict and prevent risks before they manifest.
- Collaborative Problem Solving: Partner with Facilities, Production, and other business units to find innovative, operational solutions to compliance gaps.
- Fiscal Stewardship: Manage budget monitoring and compliance to ensure the safety program is efficiently resourced.
Required Skills and Education- Typically requires a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Health, Engineering, or a related discipline, and eight (8) years of progressive safety leadership experience (or equivalent professional experience).
- Proven track record of leading safety programs in high-hazard industrial environments, preferably within shipyards or heavy manufacturing.
- Expert-level proficiency in OSHA regulations and consensus standards, with the ability to translate complex requirements into practical operational controls.
- Demonstrated ability to identify, analyze, and mitigate high-energy hazards and critical risk precursors associated with shipyard activities.
- Experience implementing SIF (Serious Injury and Fatality) prevention strategies and utilizing leading indicators to drive safety performance.
- Ability to utilize conceptual and innovative thinking to develop creative solutions for complex safety challenges.
- Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels, from the shipyard floor to senior executive leadership.
- Proven experience leading, mentoring, and developing a diverse team of direct and indirect reports across multiple shifts.
- Experience designing and delivering impactful safety training that drives behavioral change and improves safety culture.
- Strong working knowledge of Industrial Hygiene (IH) principles and their application in a maritime industrial setting.
- Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and experience using project and departmental budget tools.
Preferred Skills and Education- Experience working in manufacturing or a shipyard environment.
- Familiarity with NAVSEA standards.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP) or in the process of obtaining.
- Current certifications in First Aid, CPR, OSHA, 30-hour Maritime Safety and Industry Standards plus familiarity with 29 CFR Part 1915 highly desirable.
- Familiarity with the concepts of Serious Injury and Fatality programs.
- Knowledgeable in Safety & Health management systems such as ISO 45001.
- Root cause analysis software experience.
This position will be posted for at least 5 calendar days. The posting will remain active until the position is filled, or a qualified pool of candidates is identified.
