Safety Director | Westmont, IL or Chesterton

Safety Director | Westmont, IL or Chesterton, IN Build More Than Projects. Build Your Future with an Exceptional Team.

At Berglund Construction, our success is driven by people who care deeply about their work, their teammates, and the communities they serve. We create an environment where collaboration, accountability, continuous learning, and innovation are encouraged at every level.

When you join Berglund, you'll have the opportunity to work on meaningful projects, develop professionally, and contribute to a company that values relationships as much as results. We believe that when our people thrive, our projects do too.

Come build your future with a team that's committed to excellence, growth, safety and making a lasting impact.

The Safety Director is responsible for leading and continuously improving Berglund Construction's safety culture and safety performance. This position combines strategic leadership with hands‑on field engagement, requiring a highly visible presence on jobsites and direct interaction with project teams, supervisors, craft workers, and subcontractors.

The Safety Director will build, implement, and improve safety programs while serving as a coach, mentor, and trusted resource to operations teams. Success in this role is measured by the strength of the company's safety culture and the ability to influence safe behaviors throughout the organization.

The Safety Director reports to the Senior Vice President and works closely with leadership, project managers, superintendents, and field personnel across all Berglund Construction operations.

Safety Culture Leadership

• Lead the development and continuous improvement of Berglund's safety culture.
• Promote safety as a foundational value throughout the organization.
• Build strong relationships with field personnel through consistent jobsite presence.
• Coach project teams on safety leadership, accountability, and risk management.
• Recognize and reinforce positive safety behaviors.
• Partner with operations leadership to drive ownership of safety at every level.

Field Leadership

• Maintain a highly visible presence on jobsites.
• Conduct regular jobsite audits, inspections, and safety observations.
• Assist project teams in identifying and mitigating risks before work begins.
• Participate in planning for high-risk activities and complex operations.
• Provide coaching and support to superintendents, foremen, and project managers.
• Verify corrective actions are implemented and sustained.

Safety Program Development

• Develop, implement, and improve company safety policies, procedures, and standards.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA requirements, client requirements, and company expectations.
• Establish and track leading and lagging safety indicators.
• Analyze trends and develop action plans for continuous improvement.
• Support project-specific safety planning and risk assessments.

Training and Development

• Lead company safety training initiatives.
• Conduct orientations, leadership training, toolbox talks, and specialized safety instruction.
• Ensure employees receive required certifications and training for equipment operation and task-specific work.
• Develop safety leadership capabilities throughout the organization.
• Support the growth and development of safety personnel.

Incident Investigation and Risk Management

• Lead investigations of incidents, injuries, property damage events, and near misses.
• Identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
• Communicate lessons learned throughout the organization.
• Monitor emerging risks and develop strategies to reduce exposure.

Subcontractor and Client Engagement

• Promote safety expectations with subcontractors and trade partners.
• Participate in client safety meetings and audits.
• Support prequalification efforts and safety-related business development activities.
• Represent Berglund professionally with owners, agencies, and industry organizations.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of construction safety program experience on commercial, healthcare, industrial, restoration projects.
• OSHA 500 preferred.
• CSP, CHST, ASP, or similar certification preferred.
• Ability to travel regularly to jobsites throughout…