Construction Safety/CQV Field Representative

Summary

ValSource is actively seeking a dedicated and experienced Field Safety Representative to join our team on a full-time basis at our client’s site in Rahway, NJ PA. This role offers an exciting opportunity to support a long-term Safety Leadership Program initiative within the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors.  The ideal candidate will play a key role in fostering a strong safety culture, ensuring the well-being of all personnel, and supporting various projects with a focus on safety excellence.

The Construction/CQV Field Safety Representatives will provide owner safety oversight during construction, commissioning, qualification, validation, system turnover, and startup activities. The representative will support high-risk work planning, contractor safety performance, assist with incident investigations, and the safe transition of systems from construction through CQV and into operations. The successful candidate must demonstrate strong field hazard recognition, practical knowledge of construction safety, and the ability to identify risks introduced by energization, testing, temporary configurations, equipment startup, and simultaneous construction and CQV activities.

Responsibilities:

• Implement client safety programs in alignment with owner requirements, applicable company standards, and federal, state, and local safety regulations.
• Serve as a visible field safety resource and provide owner safety oversight of contractors, EPCM partners, and project teams.
• Coach contractor leadership, supervisors, safety professionals, and craft personnel to strengthen hazard recognition and field risk management.
• Review JSAs, SPAs, work permits, and high-risk work plans to verify that hazards, interfaces, and controls are clearly addressed.
• Conduct regular documented field inspections, coordinate project safety walks, and verify timely corrective action closure.
• Support incident investigations, root-cause analysis, CAPA development, effectiveness reviews, and closure tracking.
• Monitor safety observations, near misses, first-aid cases, incidents, leading indicators, KPIs, trends, and contractor safety performance.
• Support project onboarding, orientations, Tier meetings, safety reviews, peer audits, pre-bid discussions, and pre-award safety evaluations.
• Participate in Management of Change, construction-completion, system-turnover, commissioning-readiness, and qualification-readiness activities.
• Review safety considerations associated with system energization, equipment startup, functional testing, pressure testing, flushing, cleaning, chemical introduction, and temporary system configurations, as applicable.
• Help define and verify system ownership, hazardous energy-control boundaries, work authorizations, permits, and escalation paths during construction-to-CQV transitions.
• Identify and address risk created by simultaneous construction, commissioning, qualification, maintenance, and operating activities.
• Coordinate with client project managers, Construction Management, EPCM partners, CQV, Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, contractor management, labor leadership, and site safety personnel.
• Escalate unresolved safety concerns and stop work when an imminent hazard or unacceptable risk is identified.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 years Construction Safety Experience 
• 4-year Degree or demonstrated progressive work experience
• Experience in Pharma industry preferred, but not required
• Experience or familiarity with Qualification and Commissioning desired
• OSHA 510 required; OSHA 500 strongly recommended
• Ability of developing and maintaining positive relations with owner’s site leadership, project management, construction management companies, workforce, and labor leadership

Skills:

• Experience coaching and counseling and mentoring on safety and hazard recognition
• Critical Thinking – Ability to identify hazards in the field and anticipate potential changes that could lead to increased risks
• Ability to manage change safely
• Ability to present owners safety expectations at pre-bid and bid meetings.
• Ability to promote and maintain a positive safety culture.
• Understanding of OSHA and/or State/Local safety regulations 
• Excellent communication and presentation skills at all levels from upper leadership      to field level
• Computer proficiency - Microsoft Office
• Data analysis
• Root Cause and CAPA development and mitigation
• Incident Investigation and Root Cause Analysis Skills 
• Proven organizational skills
• Promote a “Zero Harm” environment 

Primary Responsibility 

The role of this position will be to actively engage in regular project field reviews of work conditions. Primary Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assist with coordinating site safety activities with project managers 
• Lead JSA/SPA program on assigned projects at the site 
• Formulation & administration of Zero Harm Safety Program. Safety Observation Reports (SOR), Near Miss, First Aid Reporting at the site
• Monitor and participate in weekly project safety meetings 
• Timely reporting of project related incidents to GES leadership
• Ensure applicable company and regulatory HSE requirements are being met
• Oversee safety incentive program for assigned project
• Collaborate with stakeholders, project managers, EPCMs and safety officers 
• Work closely with project managers, EPCMs, safety officers, and site supervisors 
• Weekly documented job site safety inspections
• Be a mentor for all project team members. Engage contractor management and supervisors to raise safety awareness and hazard recognition 
• Participating in Tier meetings as required
• Ensure contractors adhere to Merck and OSHA standards 
• Coordinate weekly site project safety walks and monitor CAPA closures
• Participating in Management of Change initiatives 
• Participating in Peer Audits
• Support and promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Requirements:

• Minimum of 6 or more years of construction safety experience, including contractor oversight in active project environments.
• OSHA 510 required; OSHA 500 preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of OSHA and applicable state and local construction safety requirements.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing high-risk work plans, permits, JSAs, SPAs, and field controls.
• Experience leading or supporting incident investigations, root-cause analysis, CAPA development, and corrective action closure.
• Ability to coach, influence, and communicate effectively with craft personnel, supervisors, contractors, project teams, and site leadership.
• Strong organizational, critical-thinking, communication, and field hazard-recognition skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to organize and analyze safety-performance data.
• Ability to work onsite and periodically support alternate shifts, shutdowns, system startups, or critical project activities.

Additional Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in safety, construction management, engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent progressive experience.
• Pharmaceutical, biotechnology, GMP, or similarly regulated construction experience.
• Direct experience supporting commissioning, qualification, validation, equipment startup, system turnover, or construction-to-operations transitions highly desired.
• Familiarity with Management of Change, pre-startup safety reviews, system energization, hazardous energy control, temporary configurations, and simultaneous operations.