Health and Safety Specialist

Health and Safety Specialist

Salary

$64,621.00 - $101,337.00 Annually

Location

730 East Broad Street, VA

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

35M00000749

Department

Public Utilities

Opening Date

08/18/2026

Closing Date

9/1/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Are you Richmond R.E.A.D.Y? Respect. Equity. Accountability. Diversity…YOU!!!

This is an EXCITING time to Join the City of Richmond! We are committed to nurturing talent, fostering growth opportunities, and building strong connections within our workforce. As we continue to make strides to becoming the employer of choice, we are thrilled about the below employee benefit enhancements:

• Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
• Language Incentive
• Referral Bonus
• Tuition Assistance Program

Description

The anticipated hiring range is $64,621 - $82,979

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities is seeking a qualified Health and Safety Specialist to ensure a safe and compliant work environment by identifying potential hazards, conducting risk assessments, and recommending effective control measures. The incumbent will develop, implement, and maintain health and safety policies and procedures in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations, including OSHA standards. The Health and Safety Specialist leads workplace inspections, incident investigations, and compliance audits, ensuring that all findings are documented, and corrective actions are taken. Additionally, they design and deliver employee training programs to promote safety awareness and ensure staff understand proper protocols. This position plays a key role in emergency preparedness by coordinating response plans, conducting drills, and training employees on emergency procedures. By collaborating across departments and promoting a culture of safety, the incumbent will help minimize workplace injuries and illnesses while enhancing overall organizational performance. The incumbent also involves maintaining accurate safety records, tracking key performance metrics, and staying informed on emerging regulations and best practices in occupational health and safety.

Duties include but are not limited to

• Conducting regular workplace inspections and hazard/risk assessments to identify and control potential safety issues

• Developing, implementing, and maintaining health and safety policies, procedures, and programs in compliance with OSHA and other regulatory standards

• Leading investigations into workplace incidents, accidents, and near-misses, including root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions

• Coordinating and delivering health and safety training sessions and onboarding programs for employees at all levels

• Maintaining accurate records related to incidents, training, inspections, audits, and regulatory compliance

• Assisting in the development and execution of emergency response plans, including organizing drills and training staff on emergency procedures

• Collaborating with management, supervisors, and employees to foster a strong safety culture throughout the organization

• Monitoring safety performance indicators and recommending continuous improvements based on data and trends

• Staying up to date with changes in health and safety regulations, standards, and industry best practices

• Supporting internal and external audits, inspections, and regulatory visits

This is an essential position, which requires the selected candidate to report to work for an emergency and on call duty in response to inclement weather/natural disaster.

The selected candidate will be required to work 24 hours on call, weekend and holiday call duty as scheduled.

Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelors degree in and occupational safety, safety management, environmental management, or a related field
• 2 years experience in the occupational safety field
• May require additional training such Workers Compensation, 40-hour HAZWOPER training courses, etc.
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• A valid Drivers License with a satisfactory driving record, and acquisition of a valid Commonwealth of Virginia Drivers License within 30 days of hire (position specific)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

TYPICAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: These are a representative sample; position assignments may vary.

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Occupational and general safety principles, processes, and procedures
• OSHA regulations and compliance, such as the use and placement of gas monitors, lanyards and harnesses, respirators, and fall protection equipment
• Risk management and process safety management guidelines
• OSHA 300 log, including understanding of recordable, lost workday, and lost time injuries
• Health and occupational safety machines, tools, and equipment such as hard hats, confined space permits, fall protection equipment, automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and hemostatic dressings
• OSHA reporting procedures

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Oral and written communication
• Public speaking/presentations and training
• Project management

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Work on multiple projects at a time
• Recognize an IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life & Health) condition and address the situation with authorized and affected personnel
• Follow directions
• Function independently with minimal supervision
• Pay attention to detail in writing and proofreading
• Manage timelines and deadlines
• Problem-solve

Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, stand, talk, see, and hear. The employee is climb, occasionally required to balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach extending hands and arms, push, pull lift, feel, grasp or finger, and use hands, wrist, or fingers in a repetitive motion. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be light work (exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects), but may differ based on area of focus.

• Internal use: HR Generalist to review.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The City of Richmond provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

The City of Richmond is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Richmond will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the job application and/or the interview process, please contact Veronica Kenner, by email at HR-ADA@rva.gov.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

The City of Richmond Values Veterans. We are an official V3 Certified Company.

The City of Richmond is a proud partner with the US Army Partnership for Your Success PaYS Program.

With over 4,000 employees, the City of Richmond is an "Employer of Choice" among cities throughout the nation. The City strives to hire and retain employees who bring dedication and talent to the workforce. Offering a competitive, cost effective, and quality benefits package is one element of an "Employer of Choice".

The City offers a full range of benefit programs from initial hire through retirement. Please visit our Web site for details.

01

10-point compensable veteran. You must have an existing compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more. Other 10-point veteran include disabled veteran or a veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart for wound or injuries received in action, veterans widow or widower who has not remarried, wife or husband of a veteran who has a service-connected disability, widowed, divorced or separated mother of an ex-service son or daughter who died in action, or who is totally and permanently disabled. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

02

5-point veterans must have been discharged under honorable conditions and had one of the following: Active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, in a war, or during the period 4/28/52-7/1/55 or active duty for more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 2/1/55 and 10/14/76 or active duty during the Gulf War sometime between 8/2/90 - 1/2/92 or active duty in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized or active duty for which more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 9/11/2001 and ending on the date prescribed by the Presidential proclamation or by the law as the last date of operation Iraqi Freedom. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

03

Are you a current City of Richmond employee?

• Yes
• No

04

Do you have OSHA 30?

• Yes
• No

05

Do you possess any specialized skills or trades such as Electrician, Emergency Medical Technicians, or Paramedic, etc.?

• Yes
• No

06

If answered "yes" to the previous question, please list all relevant specialized skills and/or trades. If answered "no" please type "NA".

07

Which best describes your years of experience with conducting workplace hazard assessments?

• Less than 3 years
• 4 - 7 years
• 8 - 11 years
• 12 or more years
• No experience

08

How many years of experience do you have developing and delivering health and safety training programs?

• Less then 3 years
• 4 - 7 years
• 8 - 11 years
• 12 or more years
• No experience

09

In the space below, please explain how your education, training and work experience has prepared you for this opportunity.

Required Question

Employer City of Richmond

Address 900 East Broad Street

Suite

Richmond, Virginia, 23219

Phone (804) 646-5660

804-646-5660

Website https://www.rva.gov/