About Wright-Hennepin

Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric utility serving rural Wright County and western Hennepin County since 1937. Today, we provide safe, reliable electricity to more than 59,000 member accounts while remaining committed to the communities we serve. 

Position Summary

The Safety Manager is charged with leading safety programs and assisting with driving the safety culture. This position will identify and promote safety best practices, conduct field observations, and lead contractor safety processes. This position will need to come with utility background and experience leading safety efforts. 

Location: Onsite - Rockford, MN.  Rockford is located on Hwy. 55, 15 minutes west of I-494. 

Pay & Benefits

Salary Range: $90,000-125,000 based on qualifications and experience

Wright-Hennepin offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, financial well-being, and work-life balance, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Generous 401(k) match
• Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions
• Annual bonus opportunity
• Paid time off and company-paid holidays
• Tuition reimbursement programs
• Flexible Spending Accounts (medical and dependent care)

What you'll do

40% Safety Leadership for Field Operations

• Conduct crew observations for all WH businesses and subsidiaries.
• Attend tailgates to coach and correct in real time.
• Provide safety oversight for storm assistance and mutual aid.
• Identify traffic hazards on jobs and recommend traffic control during normal business hours and after hours.
• Attend crew tailgates to coach and correct in real time.
• Assist with safety input on operational designs.

15% Safety Program Management 

• Drive safety culture and make recommendations for safety programs.
• Partner with senior leaders and provide guidance and support to ensure alignment with strategic plans and initiatives.
• Organize resources to achieve the safety goals and increase efficiency by leveraging synergies across the organization.
• Lead Safety Committees and Medical Response Team. Conduct meetings, assign action items, and ensure progress made towards actions.
• Manage and analyze safety metrics and influence organization.
• Track Safety Improvement Plan progress and act as primary contact for on-site safety audits. Create and lead action plans as a result of audit findings.
• Manage equipment and PPE testing, observation and tracking.

15% Safety Training

• Meet with department leaders to understand safety needs and conduct safety training based on needs assessment. 
• Coordinate safety events for employees, contractors, and public entities. 
• Create and facilitate safety training programs based on department and position needs. 
• Conduct internal safety trainings and curriculum, new hire on-boarding.
• Review trends on past injuries and create training to mitigate future injuries in those categories

20% Risk Mitigation and Accident Investigations 

• Lead intake process for near-miss, injury/incident review. Share findings with employees to ensure that employees can learn from the incident.
• Partner with HR team to ensure claims are filed appropriately. 
• Provide analysis of risks by evaluating the effectiveness of initiatives through safety assessments and compiling and interpreting data to identify gaps. Develop and implement action plans to mitigate risks.
• Coordinate and conduct safety training and field evaluations. Provide assessment and work with leadership on ongoing training and program needs. 
• Ensure employees have access to safety training and track progress towards completion. 
• Develop and communicate policies and procedures to manage workplace accidents and injuries.
• Conduct ergonomics assessments and ensure employees have proper equipment and resources to work safely.  

10% Contractor Safety Program

• Build contractor safety onboarding programs. 
• Provide oversight to contractors and ensure adherence to WH safety principles. 

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in safety, Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Health or related field strongly preferred
• 5+ years of experience in utility operations
• Experience in a safety or compliance role within a manufacturing, industrial, electrical, or related environment
• Experience with OSHA, DOT, EPA or other regulatory agencies

Licenses/Certificates

• Valid Driver’s License
• CSP or ASP preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of relevant regulatory, industry standards and best practices
• Demonstrated ability to use analytics and identify trends
• Must be capable of building strong relationships with partners throughout the organization and with external partners
• Demonstrated flexibility and ability to operate within an ambiguous and changing environment
• Proven strong planning, organization and prioritization skills
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills
• Ability to resolve conflicts and diffuse difficult situations
• Demonstrated strong consultative and influencing skills
• Proven experience in training delivery
• Ability to be on-call and take after-hours emergency calls