Occupational Safety Manager; HR Health and Safety Specialist III

Occupational Safety Manager

This role is an on-campus, in-person position. Oversees SMU's Occupational Safety and Health programs within the Office of Risk Management to prevent injuries and illnesses, reduce risk, and drive continuous improvement across academic, research, and operational environments. Provides university-wide leadership for general safety and occupational health/industrial hygiene programs, ensuring alignment with SMU policies, applicable federal, state, and local regulations, and relevant consensus standards.

Partners with departments and the University's occupational health provider on medical surveillance and exposure assessments; leads incident investigations and root-cause analyses; enforces compliance through audits and corrective-action governance; delivers and oversees in-person and online training for all programs; and serves as the primary OSHA liaison for inspections, recordkeeping, and regulatory interactions.

Essential Functions:

• Design, implement, and continually improve campus-wide safety programs grounded in recognized best-practice frameworks.
• Ensure conformance with policies administered by the Office of Risk Management, as applicable; coordinate cross-functional safety governance; conduct periodic program effectiveness reviews; and provide regulatory interpretation and guidance to departments.
• Maintain written programs, procedures, and guidance for general occupational safety (e.g., Confined Spaces, Hazard Communication, Respiratory Protection, Control of Hazardous Energy, Walking-Working Surfaces, Powered Industrial Trucks, Fall Protection, etc.); set and enforce expectations for permit-controlled work; and support for departments conducting fieldwork or off-site operations.
• Perform risk based inspections and audits against SMU requirements, applicable OSHA 29 CFR 1910 & 1926, and other relevant codes/consensus standards; document findings and initiate corrective actions.
• Set the role-based training requirements for all relevant safety programs; develop curricula; deliver effective in-person training, including CPR/AED training; administer online training through university platforms; maintain training records, assignments, and refresher cycles; align training governance with recognized best practices; evaluate comprehension and continuously improve content.
• Plan and oversee exposure assessments and monitoring strategies (e.g., noise dosimetry, heat stress evaluations, indoor air quality investigations) consistent with OSHA requirements and consensus guidance. Translate findings into prioritized controls, verification, and campus communications.
• Lead investigations of significant injuries, illnesses, high-potential near-misses, and recurring incidents; apply recognized root cause methods; document findings; assign and track corrective/preventive actions; analyze trends and communicate lessons learned to departments and leadership.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for OSHA and related authorities; coordinate inspection responses and corrective actions; monitor regulatory/consensus-standard changes and update programs, accordingly; and maintain institutional injury/illness record-keeping and required postings.
• Define participation criteria for the medical surveillance program; coordinate medical evaluations/clearances; maintain appropriate records (e.g., respiratory protection medical evaluations, audiometry where applicable, etc.).
• Collaborate with and support the Office of Risk Management on injury case reviews, campus event operations, general safety guidance, and culture-building initiatives that reduce total risk across the University. Other duties as assigned, including 24 hour emergency response as necessary.

Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree is required. Candidate with master's degree is preferred. A minimum of five (5) years of experience coordinating occupational safety programs in a university or industrial setting. Candidate fluent in Spanish is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Candidate must demonstrate ability to work effectively with people at all levels of skill and authority. Must be able to multitask and to manage and prioritize day-to-day work alongside project responsibilities. A solid understanding of facilities infrastructure and university operations is preferred. Candidate must demonstrate ability to learn quickly. The ideal candidate must demonstrate strong time-management and problem-solving skills. Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University and develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of constituencies.

Must also demonstrate strong written communication skills. Candidate must possess strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions. Must also have strong organizational and planning skills. Proficiency in Microsoft Office is required;…