Safety Program Manager

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY) , or via email at CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov .

About the Department

The mission of the Human Resources Department states: “Our Human Resources team recognizes that our employees power the City of San Jose and our success as a city is dependent on our ability to create a dynamic and engaged workforce. Our employees’ ability to provide excellent service is strengthened when we invest in attracting talent, provide opportunities for career growth, enable an environment focused on health, safety, and wellness, and retain a diverse workforce in a workplace that is equitable and inclusive.”

San Jose’s Human Resources Department offers key strategic support to the City and is responsible for the following core services:

• Employee Benefits - Provide benefit programs that best meet the needs of employees, retirees, their dependents, and the City, assist participants in effectively utilizing their plans and promote employee wellness.
• Employment Services - Facilitate the City’s ability to attract and hire a diverse and talented workforce.
• Health and Safety - Provide services that promote employee health, safety, and well-being.
• Learning and Development - Provide Citywide employee training and pipeline development programs that support employee recruitment, growth, engagement, and retention.

The Department also offers strategic support in Citywide Human Resources Systems Management and Records Management, Departmental Administration, Customer Service, Personnel Management, Financial Management, and Emergency Response and Recovery.

Position Duties

The Human Resources Department Is currently seeking to fill a full time Safety Program Manager.

Salary range for this classification is: $134,490.72- $174,851.04 annually.

Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience. The salary range includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable pay.

The Human Resources Safety Program Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, and administering the City-wide Occupational Health and Safety Program to ensure compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations. The incumbent will provide expertise in industrial safety programs, including but not limited to lockout/tagout (LOTO), confined space entry, machine safety, fall protection, hazardous materials management, commercial vehicle operation programs, and other core industrial safety elements.

This position requires demonstrated experience interpreting and applying state and federal occupational health and safety regulations across a wide range of work environments and job functions. These environments include general office settings, field utility work, work along creeks and waterways, heavy industrial operations, traffic and commercial vehicle activities, and emergency response situations throughout the City.

In addition, the Safety Program Manager is responsible for developing and implementing City-wide safety policies and programs; coordinating safety training initiatives; conducting ergonomic evaluations and safety inspections; investigating incidents, accidents, and claims; overseeing safety training programs; and supervising one Analyst-level employee.

The selected candidate will ensure that all related policies, procedures, and programs are effectively communicated, understood, and consistently practiced by employees, contractors, vendors, and stakeholders. This individual will also play a key role in fostering and strengthening a proactive culture of safety across the organization.

General responsibilities include:

• • Evaluate the City’s global Safety Management System and develop program improvement recommendations and implementation plans.
  • Serve as the primary liaison between the City and CAL/OSHA and other regulatory agencies.
  • Maintain effective communications between the City-wide safety team, department leadership, and City management to assess and mitigate worksite risks, implement new and improve existing safety programs, and strengthen a culture of safety.
  • Serve as a technical expert and Emergency Operations Safety Officer at times when there is a declared emergency.
  • Initiate contracts via the City’s Request For Proposal (RFP) process and manage third party safety consultants, budgets and agreements.
  • Provide management oversight of one direct report.
  • Collect and analyze safety metrics data, identify and communicate meaningful leading and lagging indicators and provide program recommendations.
  • Provide guidance and instruction regarding safety issues in coordination with City policies and procedures.
  • Maintain accurate and organized records for program needs and requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in a closely related field AND five (5) years of directly-related experience, including two (2) years of supervisory experience.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.

Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

Communication Skills - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills and displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Computer Skills - Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited to: MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel.

Decision Making- Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; uses effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions.

Fiscal Management - Understands the relationship of the budget and resources to the strategic plan; complies with administrative controls over funds, contracts, and procurements.

Initiative - Exhibits resourceful behaviors toward meeting job objectives; anticipates problems, is proactive, and avoids difficulties by planning ahead; displays willingness to assume extra responsibility and challenges; pursues continuing education opportunities that promote job performance.

Leadership - Leads by example; demonstrates high ethical standards; remains visible and approachable and interacts with others on a regular basis; promotes a cooperative work environment, allowing others to learn from mistakes; provides motivational support and direction.

Supervision -Sets effective long and short-term goals based on a good understanding of management practices; establishes realistic priorities within available resources; provides motivational support; empowers others; assigns decision-making and work functions to others in an appropriate manner to maximize organizational and individual effectiveness.

Desirable Qualifications - A certification such as the Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Safety and Health Manager (CSHM), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or equivalent is highly desirable.

Selection Process:

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered, or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Irina Orozcoat Irina.Orozco@sanjoseca.gov

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

AI and the Hiring Process

We recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of daily life and can be a valuable tool for learning, research, and professional growth. We encourage candidates to use AI responsibly as a support in preparing application materials, live assessments, and interviews. However, we value authenticity, accuracy and truthfulness. Application responses and interview answers must reflect your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. While AI can supplement preparation, it cannot replace the originality and judgment we look for in our employees. This ensures fairness, transparency, and equity for all applicants in the hiring process.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits pagefor detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks siteto explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

Closing Date/Time: 6/2/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

• 

• City of San Jose

• 408-535-1285

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