Utility Safety Manager Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Benchmark Utility Services is a premier design-build, site, and underground utility construction firm with over 500 completed projects and a heavy focus on mission-critical facilities. We build the infrastructure communities depend on, and we take safety seriously enough to invest in the leadership that makes it real. This role is part of a deliberate safety department buildout, reporting to the Safety Director with direct authority over a team of Safety Managers and Assistant Safety Managers.

The Opportunity

This is a field leadership role with real authority. As Senior Safety Manager, you’ll be the highest-level safety presence across a portfolio of active construction and utility projects — overseeing complex, multi-trade work environments, leading a team, and serving as the primary safety authority your organization and your clients trust when it matters most.

You won’t be auditing paperwork from a desk. You’ll be on sites, in the work, coaching Safety Managers, investigating incidents yourself, and holding the line on safety standards with the credibility that comes from knowing the work. If you’ve spent years building that credibility and you’re ready for a role where it’s actually used — this is it.

What You’ll Own

• Direct safety oversight across a portfolio of complex construction and utility project sites simultaneously — active presence, not periodic check-ins
• Lead pre-task planning, Job Hazard Analyses, and project-specific safety plan development for high-risk and multi-trade scopes of work
• Supervise, mentor, and develop Safety Managers and Assistant Safety Managers; set performance standards, assign coverage, and give direct feedback that changes behavior
• Lead investigations of serious injuries, recordable incidents, and high-potential near misses; conduct root cause analysis and drive corrective action to closure
• Ensure consistent implementation of Benchmark’s Safety Management System across all assigned projects
• Own OSHA compliance and recordkeeping accuracy for your project portfolio
• Represent Benchmark in client safety meetings, GC safety reviews, and pre-construction safety conferences
• Intervene in unsafe operations without hesitation; exercise stop-work authority when required and document every intervention
• Partner with Project Managers and Superintendents as a peer in production planning — integrating safety controls into the work sequence, not bolting them on afterward

Requirements

• 7+ years of construction safety experience, including at least 3 years in a supervisory or lead safety role

• OSHA 30 Construction required; OSHA 500 or 502 strongly preferred
• CSP (Certified Safety Professional) or CHST (Construction Health and Safety Technician) certification required
• Strong, applied knowledge of OSHA 29 CFR 1926 and 29 CFR 1910 — not just familiarity, but the depth to apply it accurately under pressure and in front of a regulatory inspector
• Demonstrated experience managing safety across multiple concurrent active construction sites
• Proven ability to lead serious incident investigations and produce root cause analyses that drive real corrective action
• A track record of developing safety staff — not just supervising them
• Credibility with field crews, subcontractors, and GC safety representatives that is earned through presence and consistency, not title
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record

Bonus Points

• CUSP (Certified Utility Safety Professional) certification
• Experience in underground utility, trenching and excavation, or mission-critical construction environments
• Bachelor’s degree in occupational health & safety, Construction Management, or a related field
• Bilingual in English and Spanish — a meaningful advantage given Benchmark’s field workforce composition

Benefits

• A safety department that is being built deliberately — with the structure, staffing, and leadership investment to do it right

• Direct reporting to the Safety Director with executive access and organizational support
• A field-first culture where safety authority is respected, not worked around
• Complex, interesting work — underground utility, multi-trade site work, mission-critical infrastructure — that demands and rewards genuine expertise
• Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a company that is growing fast with a strong track record

Benchmark Utility Services is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive workforce and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply.