Safety Specialist

Carolina Foods, the maker of Duchess Brand snacks and the creator of one of America’s first Honey Buns
, has been delivering quality and innovation for over 90 years
. As a leading manufacturer of sweet baked goods
, including honey buns, baked pies, fried pies, and gem donuts
, we are entering an exciting phase of growth and expansion
. We are looking for motivated and experienced leaders to join our journey and help shape the future!

The Safety Specialist is responsible for supporting and advancing the company’s safety strategy within a high-volume commercial bakery manufacturing environment. Reporting to the Head of HR, this role partners closely with plant leadership, operations, maintenance, and warehouse teams to ensure compliance, reduce risk, and foster a proactive safety culture.

This position blends systems management and documentation rigor with strong field presence and leadership influence. The Safety Specialist will maintain safety programs and records while actively coaching leaders and employees to drive safe behaviors and sustainable operational practices.

• Maintain and continuously improve site safety programs, policies, and procedures in alignment with federal, state, and local regulations (including OSHA standards).
• Manage required safety documentation including training records, incident reports, audits, inspections, SDS management, and compliance logs.
• Coordinate and support workers’ compensation processes, return-to-work programs, and incident case management.
• Lead and document Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs), risk assessments, and safety observations.

• Ensure regulatory compliance in a manufacturing environment involving heavy machinery, automated systems, confined spaces, lockout/tagout (LOTO), machine guarding, powered industrial trucks, and food production operations.
• Maintain safety metrics and dashboards; analyze trends and present findings with actionable recommendations to leadership.
• Administer safety management systems and digital reporting platforms; ensure accuracy and integrity of data.
• Prepare for and support internal and external audits.

• Partner with business leaders to integrate safety into daily operations and decision-making.
• Coach frontline supervisors on incident investigations, corrective actions, and accountability practices.
• Facilitate safety meetings, training sessions, and awareness initiatives.
• Influence leaders and employees at all levels to reinforce ownership and compliance.
• Serve as a visible presence on the production floor to proactively identify hazards and reinforce safe behaviors.
• Lead or support thorough incident investigations using root cause analysis methodologies.
• Develop corrective and preventive action plans and monitor completion.
• Identify systemic risks and recommend engineering, administrative, or behavioral controls.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that reduce recordable incidents and improve leading indicators.

• Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Environmental Health & Safety, Industrial Engineering, or related field preferred (or equivalent experience).
• 3–5+ years of industrial or manufacturing safety experience required (food manufacturing experience preferred).
• Demonstrated knowledge of OSHA regulations and manufacturing safety standards.

• Strong computer systems proficiency, including Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).
• Experience with safety management systems, HRIS platforms, incident tracking software, and digital documentation systems.
• Ability to analyze data and create clear, actionable reports and presentations.
• Proven ability to influence and coach leaders without direct authority.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• High attention to detail and documentation accuracy.
• Ability to balance strategic program oversight with daily operational execution.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Active presence required on production floor in a commercial bakery environment including exposure to moving machinery, temperature variations, noise, and flour dust.
• Ability to walk the facility regularly, stand for extended periods, and respond quickly to incidents or hazards.

• Reduced recordable incidents and improved leading safety indicators.
• High levels of leadership engagement in safety ownership.
• Audit-ready documentation and regulatory compliance.
• A visibly improved safety culture integrated into daily operations.

Carolina Foods is an Equal Opportunity Employer
. All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.