Safety Manager

Job ID: 33348
Agency: Department of Transportation / Division of Operations
Location: Pierre - Negotiable
Salary: $77,214.24-$90,828.00 Annual Salary, depending on qualifications
Pay Grade: L
Closing Date: 11/05/2025

This is a full-time position with the Department of Transportation. For more information about the Department of Transportation, please visit http://dot.sd.gov .

The SDDOT is seeking a dedicated and experienced Safety Manager to lead our safety initiatives and ensure the highest level of safety within our operations. The Safety Manager will play a pivotal role in implementing safety policies, conducting risk assessments, and fostering a culture of safety excellence.

The Safety Manager is responsible for leading a program within the DOT to promote and sustain the safety, health, security, and welfare of all personnel, as well as provide focus, direction, leadership, and technical expertise in safety across the organization. The Safety Manager will Chair the SDDOT Executive Safety Committee to develop, implement, and administer safety standards and practices and communicate regularly with SDDOT Executive Management on safety program initiatives and statistics.

The Safety Manager will develop, monitor, and update safety regulatory and awareness policies and educational training for management and employees. This position will also be tasked with revising current policies and procedures to meet changes in operations, regulatory requirements, and industry and internal best practices. The Safety Manager will set SDDOT safety goals and benchmarks and be responsible for disseminating these to management and employees and tracking the progress of these goals.

The Safety Manager will participate periodically in project safety meetings as well as significant safety incident investigations and root cause analyses. In addition, this position will investigate complaints on possible safety violations or deficiencies and make recommendations for correction. The Safety Manager will collaborate with the Human Resources Manager in proactively managing the administration of case management as it relates to incident investigations and other relevant information and cost containment measures, such as return-to-work opportunities. This position will partner with the State Office of Risk Management in the administration and management of risk and loss control activities on SDDOT properties in a team-based effort to maximize employee safety and the protection of SDDOT assets.

Position location is negotiable.

What the SDDOT Offers:

• Health insurance (low and high deductible plans which include a $0 premium employee-only coverage plan)
• Well-being program
• Employee assistance program
• Dental and Vision
• Health savings account
• Free basic life insurance policy
• Membership in the South Dakota Retirement System with partial state match
• Paid leave (15 vacation days per year)
• Sick leave (14 days per year)
• Paid family leave (12 weeks for birth and adoption of child, equivalent to 40 hours per week)
• Military leave (15 days per year)
• 11 paid holidays
• Longevity pay
• Semimonthly pay periods
• Eligibility for meal per diems

The total compensation of Hourly Wage State/Federal Benefits for a typical year for entry level Safety Manager is approximately $101,271.00 annually.

Licenses and Certifications:

Related post-education training and certifications such as CSP, CIH, CHSP, CPEA, or CHMM preferred.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:
Bachelors degree in Health and Safety, Safety Engineering, Environmental Health, or related field required. At least five years of occupational health and safety experience in an industrial environment preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• organization-wide health and safety programs;
• strategic planning and project management;
• current SDDOT safety policies and applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.

Skills in:

• Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams);
• written and verbal communication, including public speaking;
• organization and attention to detail;
• leadership and supervisory observation.

Ability to:

• communicate effectively with all levels of the organization;
• influence change across functional boundaries;
• analyze safety performance and employ problem-solving expertise.

This position is exempt from the Civil Service Act.

This position is eligible for Veterans’ Preference per ARSD 55:10:02:08.

The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9. The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The State of South Dakota offers $0 premium employee health insurance option plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information here . This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.

Must apply online: https://gen-stateofsouthdako-trn.inforcloudsuite.com/hcm/xmlhttp/shorturl.do?key=2M8
You must apply online, emailed resumes or submissions will not be accepted.
South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources
Telephone: 605.773.3148 Email: careers@state.sd.us
http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus
"An Equal Opportunity Employer"

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