Director of Safety Strategy & Standards (Administrative Staff) PN 20076186

A Little About Us:
With roughly 1,500 employees in 7 offices across Ohio, BWC is the state agency that cares for Ohio workers by promoting a culture of safety at work and at home and ensuring quality medical and pharmacy care is provided to injured workers.  
For Ohio employers, we provide insurance policies to cover workplace injuries and safety and wellness services to prevent injuries. 

Our Culture:
BWC is a dynamic organization that offers career opportunities across many different disciplines.  BWC employees strive to maintain an inclusive workplace.  We begin by being an equal opportunity employer.  Employees can participate in and lead employee resource groups, participate in online forums discussing society’s impact on our services and workplace, and learn about how different perspectives can improve leadership skills. 

Our Vision:
To transform BWC into an agile organization driven by customer success.

Our Mission:
To deliver consistently excellent experiences for each BWC customer every day.

Our Core Values:
One Agency, Personal Connection, Innovative Leadership, Relentless Excellence.

What our employees have to say:
BWC conducts an internal engagement survey on an annual basis.  Some comments from our employees include:

• BWC has been a great place to work as it has provided opportunities for growth that were lacking in my previous place of work.
• I have worked at several state agencies and BWC is the best place to work.
• Best place to work in the state and with a sense of family and support.
• I love the work culture, helpfulness, and acceptance I've been embraced with at BWC.
• I continue to be impressed with the career longevity of our employees, their level of dedication to service, pride in their work, and vast experience. It really speaks to our mission and why people join BWC and then retire from BWC.

BWC’s core hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm, however, daily start/end times may vary based on operational need across BWC departments.  Most positions perform work on-site at one of BWC’s seven offices across the state.  BWC offers flex-time work schedules that allow an employee to start the day as early as 7:00am or as late as 8:30am. Flex-time schedules are based on operational need and require supervisor approval.

 

Location is TBD: Permanent reporting location will be determined once a candidate has been recommended.  BWC offices are located in the following locations: Columbus, Cambridge, Canton, Cleveland, Springdale, Toledo, or Youngstown.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Lead statewide safety strategy and set standards for occupational safety, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, and safety analytics.

• Oversee development and alignment of safety consultation standards, technical directives, procedures, and Ohio Administrative Code safety rules.

• Direct quality assurance and evaluation processes to ensure consistent safety service delivery and continuous improvement.

• Provide expert technical consultation to agency leadership and stakeholders on complex safety and industrial hygiene issues.

• Manage research, data analytics, dashboards, and performance metrics to guide strategic initiatives and operational decisions.

• Represent the agency in cross-functional teams, external partnerships, and national forums, presenting findings and recommendations.

• Supervise staff, budgets, and resources to ensure compliance, effective service delivery, and alignment with statewide objectives.

Major Worker Characteristics:

Knowledge of budgeting, management, labor relations, work force planning, employee training & development, supervision, public relations, human relations, BWC policies & procedures*, Safety  Services policy & procedures*; federal, state & local safety, health & fire prevention laws, rules, regulations & national voluntary standards , including OSHA requirements & procedures, Public Employment Risk Reduction Program (PERRP) requirements & procedures*, Industrial Commission Codes*, Ohio Administrative Code Specific Safety Rules*, BWC rules & regulations regarding risk administration (e.g., risk classifications, experience rating, retrospective rating, loss control, loss prevention, premium rates)*; principles of safety management; safety training techniques & program development; industrial & construction safety practices; physical sciences (e.g., physics, chemistry, ergonomics, industrial hygiene) or engineering; accounting, management, employee training, worker’s compensation, interviewing, counseling, principles of BWC claims operations*; BWC rehabilitation services*; supervisory principles & techniques; human relations; public relations; sales & marketing principles & techniques. 

Skill in PC operation & proficient in use of Microsoft Office 365 suite (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, etc.); Power BI, Oracle, Coresuite*, Risk Control Technology (RCT)*; Tableau, safety testing equipment (e.g., noise meter, video equipment, velometer). 

Ability to comprehensively analyze & evaluate solutions for problems & make appropriate decisions; identify problems in a complex set of variables; establish professional rapport & effective working relationship with employers, special interest groups, other BWC departments, & the public; investigate & resolve complaint/problems; handle sensitive face-to-face & telephone inquiries from employers, special interest groups, other BWC departments, & the public; effectively manage remote/teleworking employees; build & maintain a positive working atmosphere of growth & participation; define problems, collect data, establish facts, & draw valid conclusions; read & record figures accurately; add, subtract, multiply & divide whole numbers; maintain accurate records; understand manuals & verbal instructions; write meaningful, accurate & concise reports; read & understand technical documents; prepare & deliver speeches before specialized audiences & general public, work alone on most tasks, handle sensitive inquiries from contacts with officials & general public.

(*) Developed after employment.
 

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

Preferred Qualifications:

Education 

• Master's degree in Occupational Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Ergonomics, Public Health, Engineering, or a related field.

Experience

• 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in occupational safety, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, or related technical fields.
• Experience leading statewide or multi-regional safety programs, standards development, or technical operations.
• Experience supervising technical staff and managing programs, projects, or cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience applying federal and state occupational safety regulations (e.g., OSHA, ANSI, OAC safety rules) in complex environments.
• Experience using safety analytics, dashboards, or performance metrics to inform decision-making.

Skills 

• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to leadership, external partners, and diverse audiences.
• Strong leadership, strategic planning, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships and align technical work across multiple stakeholders.

Certifications

• Professional certifications such as CIH, CSP, CPE, CHMM, or PE.
• Training or certification in data analytics, safety program evaluation, quality assurance, or continuous improvement methodologies.

 

Unusual Working Conditions:

• This position is overtime exempt.

• THIS POSITION IS UNCLASSIFIED PERSUANT TO ORC 124.11(A)(9).

• Position requires travel; therefore, persons occupying this position must provide their own transportation and/or legally operate a state owned vehicle.

• The position may involve overnight travel.

• The final external applicant selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis prior to appointment to test for illegal drug use. An applicant with a positive test result will NOT be offered employment.

• The final applicant for this position must submit to and pass an extensive background check by the Ohio State Patrol prior to appointment.

   

EEO & ADA Statement:
The State of Ohio is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of applicants or employees due to protected classes as defined in applicable federal law, state law, and any effective executive order.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its employment opportunities pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable laws. To request a reasonable accommodation due to disability, pregnancy, or religion, please contact the ADA mailbox at: [email protected].

Educational Transcripts:
For any educational achievements to be considered during the screening process, you must at least attach an unofficial transcript that details the coursework you have completed.

All applicants must submit an Ohio Civil Service Application using the online Ohio Hiring Management System. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Background Check:
Prior to an offer of employment, the final applicant will be required to sign a background check authorization form and undergo a criminal background check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.