Project Construction Health and Safety Lead

COCKRAM and COCKRAM

. Lead the project construction health and safety strategy and align it with company expectations, the global framework, project objectives, and legal requirements .

Posted 10/10/2026full-timeCharlottesville • Virginia • United StatesSenior💰 $120,000 - $160,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in developing and implementing construction health and safety strategies, plans, and procedures while ensuring compliance with regulations and industry standards. Capable of leading high-risk construction activities and managing contractor health and safety arrangements effectively.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Occupational Health And Safety DegreeCSP CertificationNEBOSH CertificationConstruction Health And Safety ManagementIncident Investigation And Root Cause Analysis

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Health And Safety Plan DevelopmentHigh-Risk Work Control ManagementCritical Control VerificationAudit And InspectionPerformance MonitoringEmergency PreparednessRisk ManagementCompliance With OSHA StandardsContractor Health And Safety ManagementData Analysis And Safety Performance Monitoring

Soft Skills

Influencing Project LeadershipCoaching And MentoringCollaboration With Multidisciplinary TeamsCommunication Of Lessons LearnedLeadership In Safety Management

Certifications & Qualifications

CSPASPCHSTMSPCSMSMSNEBOSH

Industry Keywords

Construction Health And SafetyPharmaceuticalsLife SciencesAdvanced ManufacturingIndustrial ProcessRegulatory ComplianceSafety GovernanceHigh-Risk Construction ActivitiesPermit-To-Work SystemsCrisis Response Planning

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead the project construction health and safety strategy and align it with company expectations, the global framework, project objectives, and legal requirements
Develop and maintain the project construction health and safety plan, procedures, governance arrangements, assurance activities, emergency preparedness, and high-risk work controls
Provide construction health and safety expertise across concept and design, procurement, contractor mobilisation, construction, commissioning, qualification, and handover to operations
Establish and manage contractor health and safety arrangements, including prequalification, selection support, mobilisation, onboarding, performance monitoring, assurance, intervention, and corrective actions
Drive control of high-risk construction activities, including work at height, lifting operations, excavations, temporary works, electrical safety, confined spaces, hot work, traffic management, and permit-to-work systems
Partner with project, engineering, and design teams to eliminate risks during design, construction planning, and change management
Lead or oversee audits, inspections, management reviews, contractor reviews, project health checks, critical control verification, and follow-up of findings
Develop, monitor, and analyse safety performance data, indicators, trends, audit findings, observations, incidents, high-potential events, and lessons learned
Support incident reviews and investigations, including root cause analysis, corrective action, escalation, and communication of lessons learned
Influence project leadership to promote visible safety leadership, risk-based decision making, accountability, and timely intervention
Coach project leaders, construction managers, supervisors, site teams, and contractors in safety management and high-risk work controls
Lead the client’s project construction safety team, set expectations, allocate resources, support development, and ensure effective coverage
Coordinate with the global construction health and safety function on standards, technical expertise, lessons learned, and significant risk escalation
Ensure compliance with applicable regulations and internal standards
Represent construction health and safety in governance forums, design reviews, contractor meetings, planning sessions, risk reviews, and leadership discussions
Contribute to emergency preparedness and crisis response planning, exercises, and reviews
Support safe transition to operations by ensuring construction, commissioning, qualification, and handover activities are appropriately planned, controlled, and documented

Requirements

What you’ll need

A degree or equivalent professional education in Occupational Health and Safety, Construction Management, Environmental Health and Safety, Engineering, or a related discipline
A recognised advanced health and safety qualification, such as CSP, ASP, CHST, MSP, CSM, SMS, NEBOSH certification or other equivalent certification
Knowledge of OSHA 29CFR1926 and applicable ANSI standards
Significant experience in construction health and safety, typically gained over 10 or more years, including major or complex project environments
Demonstrated experience leading health and safety on significant capital projects, preferably within pharmaceuticals, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, industrial, process, or similarly industries
Strong experience in contractor health and safety management, including prequalification, mobilisation, onboarding, governance, performance management, assurance, and intervention
Deep practical knowledge of high-risk construction activities and critical control management, including work at height, lifting operations, excavation, electrical safety, temporary works, confined space entry, hot work, traffic management, and permit-to-work systems
Experience developing and implementing project construction health and safety plans, procedures, governance, arrangements, and assurance programs
Demonstrated capability in incident investigation, root cause analysis, audit and inspection, critical control verification, and corrective action management
Experience working in a highly regulated or operationally sensitive environment where quality, compliance, business continuity, and safe delivery are critical
Strong experience engaging and influencing project directors, construction managers, engineering leaders, site leadership teams, procurement, quality, commissioning teams, and external contractors
Experience leading, coordinating, or developing construction safety professionals and influencing multidisciplinary project teams

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Relocation assistance
FSA/HSA/HRA options
Life insurance
Short-term disability insurance
Long-term disability insurance
401K with 4% match
3 weeks paid vacation
Paid sick time
8 paid holidays + 2 floating holidays
$250 annual wellness stipend
Tuition reimbursement