How to hire a project safety manager

How to hire a project safety manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step project safety manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a project safety manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new project safety manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a project safety manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the project safety manager you need to hire. Certain project safety manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a project safety manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a project safety manager that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of project safety managers.

   Type of Project Safety Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Project Safety Manager	Health and safety engineers develop procedures and design systems to prevent people from getting sick or injured and to keep property from being damaged. They combine knowledge of systems engineering and of health and safety to make sure that chemicals, machinery, software, furniture, and other consumer products will not cause harm to people or damage to buildings.	$34-67
   Industrial Hygienist	An Industrial Hygienist plans and conducts health programs to educate employees about cleanliness, safety, and sanitation in the workplace. They investigate adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, and other conditions that can affect employees' health, comfort, or efficiency.	$21-49
   Manager, Environmental And Safety	An Environmental and Safety manager is responsible for overseeing environmental sustainability concerning production and manufacturing processes and mitigating nature's hazardous effects. Environmental and Safety managers evaluate the methods and resources used to produce and eliminate procedures that violate safety laws and internal regulations... Show more	$30-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • OSHA
   • Safety Program
   • Project Safety
   • Safety Standards
   • Site Safety
   • Safety Reports
   • Project Site
   • Safety Procedures
   • Local Regulations
   • CPR
   • Ladders
   • Project Management
   • Fall Protection
   • Corrective Action

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Achieve EPA approve closure of the chemical waste treatment plant through manufacturing process restructuring.
   • Collaborate with cross-functional team to successfully achieve initial ISO 14001certification.
   • Conduct weekly focuse inspections and audits on safety elements with different contractors to confirm compliance with project and GE EHS requirements.
   • Coordinate compliance visits by environmental agencies, OSHA inspections and utility inspections.
   • Ensure timely and proper implementation recommendations or corrective actions following OSHA plant inspections.
   • Conduct incident investigations and EHS audits and track resulting action items to completion.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your project safety manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A project safety manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, project safety managers' average salary in west virginia is 45% less than in louisiana.
   • Seniority. Entry-level project safety managers earn 49% less than senior-level project safety managers.
   • Certifications. A project safety manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a project safety manager's salary.

   Average project safety manager salary

   $100,955yearly

   $48.54 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level project safety manager salary

   $72,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 31, 2026

4. Writing a project safety manager job description

   A project safety manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a project safety manager job description:

   Project safety manager job description example

   Division: Kansas City
   
   Project Location(s): Kansas City, MO 64101 USA
   
   Minimum Years Experience: Travel Involved: Job Type: RegularJob Classification: ExperiencedEducation:Job Family:Environmental Health and SafetyCompensation:Salaried Exempt
   
   Position Description: Partner with the BU EHSD, PX, PM and Superintendents to ensure project site compliance with Company Environmental, Health & Safety and risk control policies and procedures. Lead, direct and enforce safety on a single construction project or on multiple smaller projects (not to exceed combined total of $40M) within the business unit's geographic area, based on the safety staffing requirements as defined by Headquarters EH&S*. Identify, eliminate and control hazardous conditions that may lead to injury and or property damage using job specific safety standards, best management practices, and the Building L.I.F.E. program.
   
   Reports to: Business Unit EH&S Director
   
   Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
   
   * Build working relationships with project staff and Subcontractor Safety Representatives.
   * Contribute to the development of the overall project safety program.
   * Enforce Safety Program and related policies and procedures and implement immediate corrective actions in accordance with Turner, Federal, State and Local regulations and owner requirements.
   * Hold pre-construction planning meeting with subcontractors to review overall site safety program and job hazard analysis for their scope of work, and ensure plans are in place to mitigate risks.
   * Ensure proper pre-planning for all activities and tasks for subcontractors and trades.
   * Manage time and resource allocation appropriately to provide overall safety leadership to assigned project(s).
   * Create safety reports for the project, analyzing metrics and making recommendations for improvement over baseline.
   * If applicable, supervise and provide guidance for the development of Project Safety Assistant, communicating clear objectives, goals and related deliverables and holding direct reports accountable.
   * Evaluate training needs and make recommendations to subcontractors.
   * Actively participate in reducing Project Incident Rates by meeting or exceeding established BU goals and manage regulatory exposures to zero citations.
   * Projects located in the greater Houston area and also have a position in Louisiana.
   
   Qualifications: Four year degree in Occupational Safety and Health, engineering or similar with at least five (5) years of building construction safety experience preferred or equivalent education and experience. A minimum of OSHA 30 hour training, First Aid/CPR/BBP and AED training. Demonstrated knowledge of safety/environmental principles and techniques is required. In addition, achievement of CHST is required within two years of appointment to this position. Demonstrated ability to identify known potential exposures and lead implementation of corrective actions. Demonstrated management, leadership and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate well both verbally and in writing and train others. Demonstrated computer skills and experience with Microsoft Office suite programs.
   
   Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Performance of the required duties will require physical ability to climb permanent and temporary stairs, passenger use of construction personnel hoists, ability to climb ladders and negotiate work areas under construction. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Performing this job requires use of hands to handle or feel objects, tools or controls, sit, talk, stand, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Ability to hear bells, alarms, whistles, etc. Employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
   
   Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works on-site at the construction work site where the employee is exposed to moving mechanical parts; high precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; outside weather conditions and risk of electrical shock. The noise in these work environments is usually moderate to very loud.
   
   May perform other duties as necessary or assigned.
   
   Turner is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer - minorities/females/veterans/individuals with disabilities/sexual orientation/gender identity.
   
   VEVRAA Federal Contractor

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right project safety manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with project safety managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit project safety managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your project safety manager job on Zippia to find and recruit project safety manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit project safety managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new project safety manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the project safety manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new project safety manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a project safety manager?