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. This role will travel within the divisional footprint throughout New York state.

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.

Qualifications

Preferred:

• 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: $64,000 - $74,000.
• 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).