Corporate Safety Director – Shoring, Foundations and Geotechnical Construction

Location: San Diego, CA
Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time
Compensation: $150,000–$185,000 (DOE)

Overview

An established geotechnical construction contractor is seeking a Corporate Safety Director to lead and evolve its safety program across diverse operations including deep foundations, shoring, ground improvement, and drilling. This role is focused on strengthening an already strong, field-driven safety culture by building relationships, driving practical improvements, and partnering closely with operations leadership. The ideal candidate is a hands-on safety leader who can balance strategic oversight with active field engagement, influence teams at all levels, and ensure safe, consistent execution across complex and high-risk projects.

Must Haves

10+ years of construction safety experience in heavy civil, geotechnical, foundations, or similar high-risk environments with progressive leadership responsibility.
Proven ability to lead and improve company-wide safety programs across multiple projects and regions.
Strong field presence and ability to build trust with superintendents, project teams, and craft workers.
Experience with OSHA/state regulations, incident investigations, root cause analysis, and safety performance metrics.
Experience managing or mentoring safety staff and partnering closely with operations leadership.
Willingness and ability to travel regularly and stay engaged in the field.

Nice to Haves

Direct experience in geotechnical construction (deep foundations, shoring, drilling, ground improvement, etc.).
Safety certifications such as CHST, ASP, or CSP, and/or a relevant degree.
Experience with workers’ compensation, risk management, and contractor compliance platforms.
Ability to deliver training and support client-facing safety efforts on projects or pursuits.

Responsibilities

Lead the company’s safety program across all operations, ensuring safety is embedded in planning, field execution, and leadership decision-making.
Build on the company’s established safety culture by strengthening what works, identifying practical improvements, and driving consistent safety performance across regions and projects.
Partner closely with operations, field leadership, HR, and executive leadership to align safety strategy with the realities of the business and the demands of the work.
Provide leadership, mentorship, and direction to regional safety personnel while helping districts address job-specific risks, resource needs, and performance priorities.
Maintain a strong field presence by visiting jobsites regularly, engaging directly with crews and supervisors, and reinforcing a culture of accountability, trust, and proactive hazard recognition.
Support superintendents and operations leaders in making sound safety decisions in real time, recognizing that safe project execution is driven first by the field.
Oversee incident response, investigations, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and lessons learned to reduce recurrence and strengthen organizational performance.
Monitor and analyze safety metrics, claims activity, near misses, observations, and trends to identify risks early and guide continuous improvement efforts.
Drive the use of leading indicators and proactive planning tools such as pre-task planning, JHAs, field observations, and hazard reviews before work begins.
Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, client, and project-specific safety requirements while maintaining a practical, operations-oriented approach.
Review, update, and improve safety policies, procedures, training expectations, and program documentation to support consistent execution across the business.
Support safety training efforts by ensuring employees receive required and role-appropriate training and by improving internal training delivery where practical.
Partner with project teams on complex or high-risk work, including drilling, heavy equipment operations, foundation construction, earth retention, constrained-access work, and other specialty geotechnical scopes.
Contribute to risk management processes involving workers’ compensation, insurance claims, return-to-work coordination, and communication with brokers or carriers as needed.
Represent the company professionally with clients, general contractors, regulatory agencies, and industry partners, including participation in meetings where safety leadership is a visible priority.
Support major projects, bids, and client engagements when a strong safety presence is needed to demonstrate the company’s capabilities, culture, and approach.
Help ensure regional differences, project conditions, and district-specific challenges are understood and addressed within an aligned overall company safety framework.
Foster a culture where employees at every level feel responsible for stopping unsafe work, speaking up about hazards, and contributing to safer outcomes.
Deliver clear, credible reporting and updates to executive leadership on safety performance, risk trends, priorities, and opportunities for improvement.
Serve as a trusted leader who brings humility, sound judgment, and relationship-based influence to a business built on skilled people, long-term commitment, and operational excellence.

Corporate Safety Director | Geotechnica...