A Construction Safety Specialist completes workplace and equipment inspections at construction sites and monitors safety practices and procedures at construction projects. Audits construction sites for potential hazards, reviews employee safety and equipment training and monitors subcontractors.
Full-Time | Onsite Position Overview We are seeking experienced Construction Safety / CQV Field Representatives to provide field safety oversight for active construction, commissioning, qualification, validation (CQV), system turnover, and startup activities at a major life sciences facility in Rahway, New Jersey . This is a hands-on field position for a safety professional who is comfortable working directly with contractors, construction management, engineering, CQV teams, and craft personnel. The ideal candidate will have strong construction safety experience combined with an understanding of the changing hazards that occur as projects transition from construction into commissioning, qualification, startup, and operations. The successful candidate must demonstrate strong field hazard recognition, practical knowledge of construction safety, and the ability to identify and manage risks introduced by energization, testing, temporary configurations, equipment startup, and simultaneous construction and CQV activities. Key Responsibilities Provide field safety oversight of contractors, EPCM partners, and project teams throughout construction and CQV activities. Serve as a visible, hands-on safety resource in the field and promote a proactive, Zero Harm safety culture. Coach contractor leadership, supervisors, safety professionals, and craft personnel to strengthen hazard recognition and field-level risk management. Review JSAs, SPAs, permits, pre-task plans, and high-risk work plans to verify that hazards, interfaces, and appropriate controls have been identified. Conduct regular documented field inspections, participate in project safety walks, identify deficiencies, and verify timely corrective-action closure. Support incident and near-miss investigations, including root-cause analysis, CAPA development, effectiveness reviews, and corrective-action tracking. Monitor safety observations, near misses, first-aid cases, incidents, leading indicators, KPIs, trends, and contractor safety performance. Support project onboarding, orientations, Tier meetings, safety reviews, peer audits, pre-bid discussions, and contractor safety evaluations. Participate in Management of Change (MOC), construction completion, system turnover, commissioning readiness, and qualification readiness activities. Evaluate safety considerations associated with system energization, equipment startup, functional testing, pressure testing, flushing, cleaning, chemical introduction, and temporary system configurations. Help define and verify system ownership, hazardous-energy-control boundaries, work authorizations, permits, and escalation paths during construction-to-CQV transitions. Identify and address risks created by simultaneous construction, commissioning, qualification, maintenance, and operating activities. Coordinate closely with Project Management, Construction Management, EPCM partners, CQV, Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, contractor management, labor leadership, and site safety personnel. Escalate unresolved safety concerns and exercise Stop Work Authority when an imminent hazard or unacceptable risk is identified. Required Qualifications Minimum 6+ years of construction safety experience , including contractor oversight in active construction environments.
OSHA 510
required. Strong working knowledge of OSHA regulations and applicable state and local construction safety requirements. Demonstrated experience reviewing high-risk work plans, permits, JSAs, SPAs, and field-level hazard controls. Experience leading or supporting incident investigations, root-cause analysis, CAPA development, and corrective-action closure. Strong field hazard-recognition and risk-assessment capabilities. Ability to effectively coach and influence craft personnel, supervisors, contractors, project teams, and site leadership. Strong organizational, critical-thinking, written, and verbal communication skills. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to organize, track, and analyze safety-performance data. Ability to work onsite and periodically support alternate shifts, shutdowns, system startups, or other critical project activities. Preferred Qualifications
OSHA 500
preferred. Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety, Construction Management, Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent progressive field experience. CHST, CSP, or similar professional safety certification preferred. Pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life sciences, GMP, or similarly regulated construction experience. Direct experience supporting commissioning, qualification, validation, equipment startup, system turnover, or construction-to-operations transitions is highly desirable. Familiarity with Management of Change, pre-startup safety reviews, system energization, hazardous-energy control/LOTO, temporary configurations, and simultaneous operations. Construction & CQV Safety Experience Candidates should be comfortable managing the changing risk profile that occurs as a project moves from traditional construction into commissioning and startup.
Relevant experience may include:
Electrical and mechanical system energization Lockout/Tagout and hazardous-energy control Equipment startup and functional testing Pressure and leak testing Flushing and cleaning activities Chemical introduction Temporary power and temporary system configurations System turnover and ownership transitions Commissioning and qualification activities Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPS) Construction-to-operations transitions Work Environment Full-time, onsite position in Rahway, New Jersey . Work will be performed within an active construction and CQV environment. Regular field presence is required, including walking active construction areas and using stairs or ladders where authorized. Periodic evening, weekend, shutdown, startup, or alternate-shift support may be required depending on project activities. Local candidates are preferred. No per diem is available for this position. Authority & Expectations The Construction Safety / CQV Field Representative will have the authority and responsibility to: Stop work when an imminent hazard or unacceptable risk is identified. Require appropriate corrective actions before affected work resumes. Escalate unresolved safety concerns through project and site leadership. Challenge work plans when hazards, interfaces, responsibilities, system ownership, or controls are not adequately defined. What Success Looks Like Success in this role means: Establishing trusted working relationships with project teams, contractors, craft personnel, and CQV stakeholders. Maintaining a strong, consistent, and visible field presence. Proactively identifying hazards before they result in incidents. Improving the integration of safety into construction-to-CQV transition planning. Supporting meaningful KPI and leading-indicator reporting. Driving timely and sustainable corrective-action closure. Coaching contractors and project personnel rather than simply policing compliance. Ensuring changing risks are recognized and effectively controlled as systems are energized, tested, commissioned, qualified, started up, and transferred to operations. Candidate Submission Requirements Candidates submitted for consideration should provide a resume that clearly demonstrates: Construction field-safety leadership Contractor safety oversight High-risk construction work experience
OSHA 510
completion Commissioning and/or CQV experience Experience with system energization, startup, turnover, or construction-to-operations transitions Candidates should be prepared to provide specific examples of their involvement in system energization, equipment startup, commissioning, qualification, turnover, or construction-to-operations activities during the interview process.
Pay:
$105,000.00 - $135,000.00 per year
Benefits:
401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Disability insurance Flexible spending account Health insurance Paid time off Professional development assistance Referral program Tuition reimbursement Vision insurance
