Safety Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Safety Engineer

Role Overview

Our client is seeking a dedicated and proactive Safety Engineer to join our client’s team at their facility in Martinez, CA area. Reporting directly to the Safety Manager, this critical role serves as the primary site lead for incident investigation processes and personal safety evaluations.

The ideal candidate will leverage safety data and metrics to continuously refine site programs, driving our operations toward the complete elimination of personal safety incidents while protecting our employees, environment, and community.

Key Responsibilities

Program Oversight & Compliance

• Ensure site compliance and continuous improvement with federal, state, and county regulatory requirements, industry best practices, and internal standards.
• Interpret regulations and standards to develop, update, and improve core site safety programs.
• Support key regulatory areas including permit to work, energy isolation, hot work, confined space entry, contractor safety, turnaround safety, and joint health & safety initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Industrial Hygienist to identify, manage, and mitigate health risks across the facility.

Field Presence, Coaching & Audits

• Maintain a strong, visible presence in the field to observe, guide, coach, and audit daily operations and maintenance activities.
• Provide active safety oversight and coaching during major turnarounds, maintenance outages, and high-intensity field operations.
• Audit the implementation and effectiveness of site safety programs and routine work practices.

Incident Investigation & Preventative Actions

• Lead and support site incident and near-miss investigations as the primary focal point.
• Become certified in—and utilize—ABS Causal Analysis and Triangle of Prevention (TOP) methodologies.
• Work with site teams to track, develop, and execute root-cause preventative and corrective actions.
• Consult site leadership and staff on investigation workflows and present key findings to site management.

Data Analysis, KPIs & Training

• Develop and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) to track program efficacy and safety performance.
• Analyze safety data to deliver actionable insights and influence positive operational change.
• Create and deliver training materials for site employees and contractors.
• Collaborate with safety peers across regional networks to share best practices and conduct internal health checks.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

• Work Environment: Combination of computer-based office work and hands-on field observation, inspection, and testing within active operational units.
• Physical Demands: Ability to climb ladders, navigate multiple flights of stairs, lift up to 50 pounds, and enter permit-required confined spaces.
• Environmental Exposure: Ability to work at elevated heights and outdoors in varied, inclement weather conditions.
• Schedule & On-Call: Standard full-time schedule with required availability for off-hours emergency response and on-call rotations. Modified schedules (including nights/weekends) may be required during plant turnarounds and maintenance outages.

Candidate Qualifications

• Active Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC®) card (or ability to obtain one).ducation: Bachelor’s Degree in Safety Engineering, Occupational Safety, or a closely related field.
• Experience: 5–10 years of relevant field safety experience in an industrial or processing facility.
• Prior safety engineering experience within petroleum refining or chemical manufacturing settings.
• Strong knowledge of industrial safety programs, including permit-required confined spaces and hot work.
• Experience on an industrial fire brigade.
• Proven experience engaging and working alongside a unionized hourly workforce.
• Expertise in root-cause analysis frameworks (e.g., ABS Causal Analysis, TOP).
• Strong technical and communication skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word) and safety database tools.
• Exceptional leadership, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to influence culture and drive alignment across all organizational levels.
• Active Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC®) card (or ability to obtain one).

Salary Range: $92,846.05 – $196,756.20 / year (commensurate with experience, and qualifications)