The position is responsible for providing effective direction, supervision, leadership, and oversight to the department managers, employees, consultants, and contractors working to develop, implement and monitor the department's safety programs.

• Provides counsel to the Department Director and senior managers concerning safety matters; supports company employees regarding safety issues, concerns, problems, or challenges.
• Exercises their authority to suspend unsafe operations, as necessary, to protect employees and the public.
• Utilizes data and data analysis to recommend policy decisions.
• Establishes goals, strategies, plans, rules, procedures, and programs to improve safety throughout the department; foster and implement safety matters in a manner that?recognizes safety as a top priority for the department.
• Develops and implements the department's Public Transportation Safety Plan (PTASP) including documented Safety Management Systems (SMS) processes, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance, Safety Promotion, and employee reporting program; develop Performance targets based on the safety performance measures established?in FTA's National Public Transportation Safety Plan?(NSP).
• Directs and coordinates with the department divisions to ensure that all safety related activities conducted are performed in accordance with the Safety Plan (SSPP) and other program documents and in compliance with applicable codes and regulations.
• Serves as a resource to provide employees and the department with expert information on the operation of buses.
• Works with City's Public Safety departments to ensure that all security and safety related activities, including Safety Certification, are performed in accordance with the System Security and Emergency Preparedness Plan (SSEPP) and in compliance with applicable codes and regulations.
• Provides analyses of key safety issues and policy decisions at federal, state and local levels; serve as a primary liaison for safety matters for METRA Transit System, the Federal Transit Administration and the National Transportation Safety to ensure that all Federal, State and Local, when applicable, law, regulations, and industry standards are guidelines are being met with regard to safety and safety policy.
• Supports the department by collecting and coordinating internal compliance data; provide administrative support by implementing systems, procedures, and policies; completing projects in support of compliance requirements of the City, State and Federal governments.
• Oversees accident prevention programs that include safety inspections, compliance audits, industrial hygiene testing, surveys hazardous management, and oversees the inspection of departmental operations to enforce safe work practices that affect passengers, contractors, consultants, and employee safety.
• Directs appropriate personnel to take immediate corrective actions and/or cease operations, construction, or maintenance activities until the identified hazard(s) has been corrected.
• Oversees the review and approval of plans and specifications, blueprint drawings and safety certifications for such items as rolling stock, building, garages, yards, system and equipment for compliance with safety and fire protection requirements as part of METRA's Safety Program.
• Initiates the necessary analysis to identify potential hazards and recommend design changes or procedures to reduce or mitigate accidents.
• Oversees safety training, drills, exercises, and public awareness campaigns.
• Participates on professional committees, boards and task groups external to the organization as appropriate.
• Makes recommendation in the recruitment, training, discipline and promotion of the department's safety personnel.
• Responds to emergencies twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven days a week that METRA is in service.
• Maintains accountability for timely accident/incident investigations that involve company property, equipment, and personnel, including researching internal and external records/reports; accountable for any inherent actions resulting from such investigations.
• Responds to each inquiry, whether from a customer, vendor or co-worker in a courteous and professional manner consistent with METRA and the Columbus Consolidated Government customer service quality standard.

• Knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of personnel in dealing with hazardous situations and possess the ability to resolve and or direct solutions to those situations.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local rules, regulations, and processes to ensure departmental compliance with standards delineated.
• Knowledge of 49 CFR Parts 672 (Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program) and 673 (Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP)
• Skill in leadership and oversight in managing department staff, consultants, and contractors.
• Skill in excellent customer service, conflict resolution, negotiation, communication, speaking and writing.
• Skill in analysis, research, evaluation and communication that will benefit the department's Safety Management System (SMS).
• Skill in implementing a full Safety Management System (SMS).
• Skill in developing departmental policies and procedures.
• Skill in ensuring that departmental processes are accurately followed as written.
• Skill in strong coordination and task management.
• Skill in coordinating and implementing the System Security and Emergency Preparedness Plan and other codes/regulations as required.
• Skill in analyzing transit statistical data regarding ridership reports, mileage reports, revenue reports, and working with auditors.
• Skill in ensuring that safety inspections are properly scheduled, carried out, monitored, acted upon and documented.
• Skill in fully participating in all relevant committees, boards, groups, and organizations in a punctual manner.
• Skill in recognizing and/or identifying the strengths and weaknesses of personnel and identify organizational needs.
• Skill in responding to emergencies in a timely manner when required.
• Skill in listening, comprehension and communication.
• Skill in strong attention to detail when conducting inspections.
• Skill in offering support to the ARB as requested.
• Skill in flexibility and willingness to take on additional duties and responsibilities as requested by the departmental Director.

Bachelor’s Degree in Safety Engineering, Business Management, Risk Management or a related field is required. Sufficient experience to understand the basic principles relevant to the major duties of the position usually associated with having had 3 to 5 years of progressive experience in public transportation, risk management/assessment, training, or safety of which 2 years are in a supervisory or management capacity. Possession of or ability to readily obtain a valid driver's license issued by the State of Georgia for the type of vehicle or equipment operated.

The work is typically performed while intermittently sitting, standing, stooping, bending, crouching, or walking. The employee occasionally lifts light objects, uses tools or equipment requiring a high degree of dexterity, needs to distinguish between shades of color, and utilize the sense of smell.

• Crouching – bending body forward by bending leg, spine.
• Feeling – perceiving attributes of objects by touch with skin, fingertips.
• Grasping – applying pressure to object with fingers, palm.
• Hearing 1 – perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, receive information.
• Kneeling – bending legs at knee to come to rest at knees.
• Lifting – raising objects from lower to higher position, moving objects side to side, using upper extremities, back.
• Manual Dexterity – picking, pinching, typing, working with fingers rather than hand.
• Mental Acuity – ability to make rational decisions through sound logic, deductive reasoning.
• Reaching – extending hands or arms in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion – substantial movements of wrists, hands, fingers.
• Speaking – expressing ideas with spoken word, convey detailed, important instructions accurately, concisely.
• Standing – for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping – bending body downward, forward at waist, with full motion of lower extremities and back.

The work is typically performed in an office, library, computer room, stockroom, warehouse, or outdoors where the employee may be exposed to noise, dust, dirt, grease, machinery with moving parts, contagious or infectious diseases, irritating chemicals, and cold or inclement weather. The work may require the use of protective devices such as masks, goggles, or gloves.