Assistant Safety Director

Location: Chicago office. Position requires regular national travel to project sites.

Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Chicago, Novak Construction Company is a premier national general contractor and construction management firm. We specialize in delivering complex, high-profile projects across various sectors, including retail, healthcare, industrial, and cold storage. Our commitment to excellence, safety, and client satisfaction drives our reputation as a trusted partner in the construction industry. 

The Assistant Safety Director will help lead and oversee Novak's nationwide safety program, ensuring consistent compliance, proactive risk management, and a strong culture of safety across all projects. This role provides strategic leadership, manages regional safety staff, develops company-wide safety policies, and partners closely with operations teams to identify hazards and implement corrective actions. Responsibilities include directing incident investigations, conducting jobsite audits, overseeing training programs, ensuring OSHA and DOT compliance, and managing safety performance metrics. The position requires a minimum of 15 years of commercial construction safety experience, strong leadership abilities, and national travel with regular onsite presence in the Chicago office.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee Novak’s national safety program across all projects.
• Establish and enforce company-wide safety policies in compliance with OSHA and regulatory standards.
• Mentor and manage the Safety Team.
• Conduct audits, inspections, and risk assessments to ensure proactive hazard control.
• Oversee safety training, incident investigations, and corrective actions.
• Partner with operations and leadership to integrate safety into all project phases.
• Manage regulatory compliance (OSHA, DOT, environmental) and serve as agency liaison.
• Track and report safety performance metrics; drive continuous improvement.
• Lead emergency response planning and crisis management.

Requirements

• Minimum 15 years of progressive safety experience in commercial construction, including senior-level leadership.
• Frequent national travel required (3–5 days per week); onsite presence in the Chicago office as needed.
• Proven ability to manage multi-state safety operations.
• Strong leadership and communication skills with the ability to influence and build a culture of safety across large teams.
• Skilled in incident investigation, documentation, and root cause analysis.
• Deep knowledge of OSHA regulations, hazard prevention strategies, and construction safety systems. OSHA 30 certification required.