About the Department

Work Unit Overview: The Safety Coordinator/Risk Manager is responsible for the administration and maintenance of the County's safety and health policy, providing safety and loss control services, supervising maintenance of county owned vehicles (both pool and those assigned to certain departments), and ensuring regulatory compliance. This position protects employees and the County's physical assets by reducing hazards and risks in the work place through preventive actions in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
Job Summary: The Safety Coordinator/Risk Manager supervises and manages safety and risk management operations and functions for the County according to departmental policies and applicable rules and laws to promote safe workplaces. Duties include providing safety and loss control services and ensuring regulatory compliance. Duties also include analyzing, developing, and recommending new and improved safety/risk management initiatives, procedures, and programs to promote awareness of workplace health and safety throughout the County which include the two county owned nursing homes.

Position Duties

Plan, implement, coordinate, and manage the operations of safety/risk management including safety and health management and awareness; regulatory functions; and the other roles safety/risk management serves with efficiency and in accordance with rules and laws.

Develop and evaluate methods used to minimize and mitigate county liability; and make administrative recommendations to the Human Resources Director. Present final recommendations to the Finance Director, Elected Officials, Departmental Heads, and County Commissioners regarding mitigation principles and practices. Provide budget analysis information.
Assist department heads, commissioners, and elected officials with conducting inspections of job sites, building facilities, equipment, workstations vehicles, and other assigned areas for compliance with safety and health laws, rules, regulations, and industry-related standards. Make recommendations to correct unsafe conditions.
Direct and evaluate the effectiveness of the County’s safety and health programs and fire prevention systems to ensure maximum effectiveness.
Oversee safety investigations and accident prevention for the County. Work with agents responsible for adjusting and investigating insurance claims. This includes coordinating with County Legal Counsel; maintaining liaison with County departments, and providing consultation on safety, health and risk management challenges.
Establish policies, and training to minimize further losses or accidents under the auspices of safety and risk management.
Conduct and organize training sessions for supervisors and employees.
In consultation with the Human Resources Director, prepare the budget for safety and risk management, manage the budget to ensure that expenditures are properly controlled in order to conform to approved funding levels, and maintain proper accounting procedures and records administration for all budget-related matters. Provide risk management financial reports and disperse information to appropriate departments and elected officials managing the County.
Coordinate and oversee data and records management functions to ensure accessibility, security, and accuracy of essential program data. This includes working with management and information technology staff to develop and establish procedures for data collection and transfer, monitor data management systems to ensure effectiveness, oversee quality control reviews of data, and ensure compliance with records retention and disposal requirements.
Plan, implement, coordinate, and manage the maintenance of county-owned vehicles in the general pool and those assigned to specific departments as dictated by the Commissioners.
Represent the County at professional gatherings, public meetings, or legislative hearings.
Ensure compliance with the Montana Safety Culture Act.
Manages special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

The job requires education and/or experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in safety and health, public administration, business administration, or a closely related field and two (2) years’ experience in loss control, safety management, insurance administration, or a related field. Equivalencies include an associate’s degree with coursework and/or other related courses and four (4) years of related experience. A certification in Safety (Associate Safety Professional / Certified Safety Professional) or Ergonomics (Associate Ergonomics Professional / Certified Professional Ergonomist) is highly desired.

Other Qualifications

The job requires knowledge of principles and practices of safety, health and/or risk management to include influencing management and employee participation; hazard evaluation, prioritization and control, program and/or project implementation for corrective actions, cost/benefit and follow up.
The job requires skill in evaluating programs, policies and procedures; analyzing, interpreting, and communicating complex information related to safety, health, and risk management practices; and establishing effective working relationships with staff, elected officials, directors/managers, and the general public.
The job requires the ability to analyze injury and liability claim trends; formulate policies and plan, coordinate, and initiate actions necessary to implement decisions which improve the overall safety and health of the county employees and county assets. The safety manger must interact with personnel at all organizational levels and on occasion function in stressful situations requiring persuading and negotiating; initiate, plan, and complete work assignments with a minimum of direction and control so that objectives, procedures, and policies are accomplished in an efficient and economical way.