Health and Safety Manager

Position Summary

The Health & Safety Manager will lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the site Health & Safety Management System. This role is responsible for ensuring compliance with MSHA, OSHA, and company safety standards while fostering a proactive, safety-first culture across all site activities, including project development, construction, mining, processing, maintenance, and contractor operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Safety Leadership & Culture
• Promote a visible and proactive safety culture across all site operations.
• Provide field leadership and coach employees, supervisors, and contractors on hazard recognition, risk assessment, and safe work practices.
• Reinforce company values related to safety, accountability, teamwork, and operational discipline.
• Support open communication regarding hazards, near misses, and improvement opportunities.
• Health & Safety Management Systems
• Develop, implement, and maintain the site Health & Safety Management System.
• Establish policies, procedures, training programs, inspections, audits, reporting tools, and compliance processes.
• Develop systems for incident reporting, corrective action tracking, risk assessments, inspections, and training documentation.
• Support operational readiness by integrating safety requirements into construction, maintenance, and operational planning.
• MSHA & Regulatory Compliance
• Ensure compliance with MSHA, OSHA, and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Manage MSHA training plans, documentation, inspections, audits, and regulatory communications.
• Serve as the primary site contact for MSHA inspections, inquiries, and compliance matters.
• Maintain accurate incident reporting and regulatory recordkeeping.
• Contractor Safety Management
• Develop and manage contractor safety programs, onboarding, audits, and performance monitoring.
• Ensure contractor compliance with company standards, MSHA requirements, and site procedures.
• Support safe contractor mobilization, execution, and demobilization activities.
• Incident Management & Risk Control
• Lead incident investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective action management.
• Conduct field inspections, job hazard analyses, and critical risk reviews.
• Monitor and verify critical controls related to mobile equipment, energy isolation, confined space, explosives, lifting operations, and emergency response.
• Share lessons learned and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Training & Emergency Preparedness
• Develop and maintain site safety training matrices and competency programs.
• Cook up safety meetings, onboarding, emergency drills, and refresher training.
• Develop and maintain emergency response plans, evacuation procedures, and crisis management protocols.
• Coordinate with local emergency responders and regulatory agencies as needed.
• Reporting & Continuous Improvement
• Prepare regular safety performance reports, metrics, dashboards, and management updates.
• Analyze safety trends and recommend improvement initiatives.
• Support annual safety planning, budgeting, and performance target development.
• Benchmark programs against industry best practices to improve safety performance and culture.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Engineering, Environmental Science, Industrial Hygiene, or related field preferred.
• Equivalent combinations of education and relevant mining experience will be considered.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive health and safety experience in mining, construction, or heavy industrial environments.
• Minimum 5 years in a safety leadership role.
• Direct MSHA experience required.
• Experience supporting open-pit mining, heap leach operations, processing plants, or development-stage mining projects preferred.
• Strong contractor safety management experience in multi-contractor environments.

Technical Skills & Certifications

• Strong knowledge of MSHA regulations, inspections, training, and compliance requirements.
• Experience with incident investigations, root cause analysis, audits, and safety management systems.
• Understanding of mining and construction hazards including mobile equipment, blasting, confined space, working at heights, hazardous materials, and emergency response.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and safety management software.

Preferred Certifications

• Certified Safety Professional (CSP)
• MSHA Instructor Certification
• First Aid / CPR / AED Instructor
• Incident Investigation or Root Cause Analysis Certification

Leadership & Competencies

• Strong field presence and ability to influence safety performance at all organizational levels.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and leadership skills.
• Ability to balance regulatory compliance with practical field execution.
• Hightly organized, self-motivated, and capable of building systems in a fast-paced project environment.
• Strong judgment, professionalism, and problem-solving abilities.

Success in the Role

Success will be measured by the development of a strong site safety culture, effective implementation of scalable safety systems, strong MSHA compliance, improved leading safety indicators, proactive contractor safety management, and successful support of the project’s transition into operations