Safety Specialist

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Transparency. As a Safety Specialist you will be responsible for providing on-site observation of activities and reporting at the Vulcan Elements R&D facility in Durham, NC. You will ensure health and safety compliance with applicable regulations and existing company standards. This is a full-time, day shift position that will either remain at the Durham R&D facility or transfer to the Benson facility once the Benson facility is operational. Responsibilities • Review manufacturing and test procedures and work with the team to draft the job hazard assessments that shape how work gets done. • Run risk-based inspections and see corrective actions through to real closure. • Own the daily tailgate program: set the rhythm, make the content matter to that day's work, and build supervisors' ability to run it independently • Build and run the safety observation and suggestion program — the channel that turns floor-level instinct into trend data leadership acts on. • Lead self-assessments and safety checks across the floor, including the paperwork behind them, evaluating risk and trends to address gaps and establish best in class safety performance. • Monitor safety equipment inventories to ensure supplies such as PPE are readily available for employees. • Provide supplemental environmental compliance support as required by Environmental department • Co-develop OSHA-aligned safety policies with the EHS leader, built for the speed and variability of R&D pilot work, and pressure-test them with the team until they hold up on the floor. • Own the KPIs that prove safety is working — tailgate completion, observation closure, self-assessment trends, corrective action aging — and use them to drive where attention goes next. • Watch how new processes and equipment shift the risk picture, and keep documentation audit-ready as a matter of course. • Facilitate root cause analysis on safety incidents and higher potential near-misses and bring that same rigor to RCAs led by others. • Partner with R&D and process engineering during scale-up so safety gets designed in before new work ever reaches the floor. • Lead by influence — build the kind of trust with supervisors and area owners that makes them want to own tailgates, self-assessments, and corrective actions themselves. Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business. Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent education and/or experience. • 4-6 years of job specific experience. • Working knowledge of OSHA standards, JHA development, and incident investigation methodology. • Comfort operating with real authority and autonomy. • Strong communication skills and the ability to build trust and credibility. • Completed OSHA 30-hour training Desired Skills • Bilingual • First aid/CPR/AED certified Work Environment and Demands • Must have a valid driver’s license • Must be able to perform activities including climbing ladders and scaffolds, lifting (up to 35 lbs), walking, balancing, and stooping. • The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.