Safety Specialist

About the role

Join a company that grows people. At Lewis, we’re not just trimming trees — we’re building a future. As the second-largest utility vegetation management company in North America and a proud employee-owned business, we believe every person on our team matters. When you join Lewis, you're not just taking a job — you're investing in your future.

Experience the great outdoors while working in nature, not stuck behind a desk! Elevate your career with us — we prioritize training and internal promotions! Join a vibrant team that champions safety, values your feedback, and fosters a strong sense of camaraderie! Shape your future with us through our fantastic Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)!

Responsibilities

What You’ll Do as a Safety Specialist:

• Serve as a visible leader, influencing and motivating while modeling Lewis’s Operating Principles.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with Operations to drive positive and continuous safety improvements.
• Participate in morning huddles and deliver safety tailgates/safety moments to job crews.
• Conduct worksite observations to identify potential risks and compliance with company and regulatory requirements; provide feedback to Operations Leadership.
• Provide timely assistance and consistent interpretation of company safety policies/procedures and regulatory requirements.
• Train and coach employees on:
  • Working safely with utility line clearance tools (saws, pruners, hanger poles, rigging tools, saddles, harnesses, aerial lifts, etc.).
  • Technical skills from fundamentals to advanced (roping and rigging, collision avoidance, climbing techniques).
  • Safety-related processes and risks (aerial rescue, electrical safety, First Aid/CPR).
• Investigate and analyze incidents using current methods to facilitate organizational learning and build capacity to fail safely.
• Prepare evaluations and provide summary reports and recommendations for Operations and Safety Leadership.
• Communicate safety program needs with regional leadership.
• Report timely and accurately to Safety and Operations Regional Leadership.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.
• Significant travel is required, providing governance and oversight during field visits with Safety Specialists, Operations Leadership, and field crews.

Requirements

What You Bring:

• Associate degree in a related field or equivalent combination of High School diploma/GED with safety/industry-related credentials (CUSP, CTSP, ASP, GSP, ISA Arborist) or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 1 year of experience in line clearance or related industry.
• Knowledge of OSHA and ANSI requirements; OSHA 30 Hour or equivalent.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Safety Management, Safety Engineering, or Occupational Health and Safety.
• Minimum 1 year in a safety leadership role.
• Experience in line clearance, ISA Arborist, or related industry.
• Certified Tree Care Safety Professional (CTSP) – required within 1 year of hire.
• Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP).

Skills

• Strong ability to lead teams and drive change.
• Excellent written, oral, and presentation skills.
• Proficiency with computers, smartphones, and MS Office Suite.
• Knowledge of vegetation management tools, practices, and procedures.
• Familiarity with OSHA, ANSI, DOT, and tree industry regulations and standards.

Physical Demands

• Ability to write, type, file, and organize.
• Observe and respond to visual and oral instructions/messages.
• Adjust quickly and efficiently from task to task.
• Bend, reach, grasp, and organize materials.
• Communicate clearly in a professional manner.
• Perform in the presence of distractions or work frustrations.
• Maintain regular and timely attendance.
• Participate in employee and professional training events.
• Travel 30–40% of the time, including overnight.

Frequency of Activities:

• Continuously: Communicating, observing, documenting, traveling.
• Frequently: Standing, walking, driving.
• Occasionally: Bending, reaching, lifting.
• Rarely: Exposure to hazardous materials.

Environmental Conditions

• Regularly: Field environment with exposure to outdoor elements.
• Occasionally: Office environment, temperature extremes.
• Rarely: Hazardous materials, air quality issues.

PPE required per OSHA and ANSI standards.

Tools & Equipment

Equipment May Include:

• Computers, phones, tablets.
• Communication devices.
• Safety and training equipment.
• Utility vegetation management tools.

Benefits

• Competitive pay $65,000 - $85,000.
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
• Paid training and certifications.
• Health, dental, vision & HSA options.
• 401(k) + match.
• Paid time off and Employee Assistance Program (EAP).