Senior Safety Specialist at URI INC – Encino, Texas

Senior Safety Specialist

Location: Encino, Texas (Frequent Travel Required)

Classification: Exempt

Position Type: Full-Time, HSE

Reports to: HSE Manager

Position Summary:

The Senior Safety Specialist provides leadership and technical oversight to promote a safe, compliant, and high-performing work environment across all drilling and completion operations, partnering with drilling owners, operators, and subcontractors to prevent incidents, strengthen safety culture, and ensure adherence to company standards and regulations in close coordination with the HSE Specialist. This role requires advanced safety expertise related to groundwater-sized drilling rigs—including rotary, auger, and mud rotary units—with a focus on hazards such as rotating equipment, well control, confined spaces, drilling fluid management, rig stability, and environmental protection to prevent injuries, groundwater contamination, and non-compliance. Additionally, the position ensures pipeline safety awareness by enforcing line locating, maintaining safe setbacks, coordinating with pipeline operators, and monitoring for buried infrastructure, while ensuring strict compliance with excavation protocols and emergency procedures to protect personnel, equipment, and the environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Safety Leadership & Culture: Promote a proactive safety culture, across all operations; engage employees and contractors in hazard identification, safe work practices, and continuous improvement.
• Collaboration & Communication: Work closely and frequently with the HSE Specialist to implement safety programs, communicate expectations, and align field execution with company standards and regulatory requirements.
• Risk Management & Assurance: Identify, assess, and mitigate operational and environmental risks, including hazards related to groundwater drilling rigs, pipelines, and general field activities.
• Technical & Regulatory Compliance: Oversee compliance with drilling standards, environmental protection, and pipeline safety protocols; monitor equipment integrity and crew adherence to procedures.
• Training & Support: Assist in delivering and reinforcing safety training, coaching field personnel, and ensuring understanding of hazards, controls, and procedures.
• Performance & Continuous Improvement: Drive improvement initiatives, monitor contractor performance, implement corrective actions, and track KPIs to ensure high performance and safety outcomes.
• Responsible for all other duties as assigned

Key Competencies

• Risk-based decision making
• Operational credibility
• Investigative mindset for root-cause analysis and corrective action implementation.
• Influence and authority to enforce safety protocols and corrective action
• Commitment to continuous improvement of safety culture.

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED required
• Associates or Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health & Safety or related field preferred
• OSHA certifications preferred
• Certified Safety Professional (CSP) preferred
• 10+ years of experience with small- to medium-capacity rotary, auger, and mud rotary drilling rigs.
• Strong knowledge of drilling safety, environmental, and regulatory compliance standards.
• Proven ability to influence teams and contractors without direct reporting authority.
• Must be able to read and write in English
• Must have a valid driver's license

Working Environment:

• Frequent travel to all current and future plant and project site locations. Travel to the Corpus Christi, Texas office will also be periodically required.
• Primarily field-based work in remote or limited-access areas, often over unpaved or uneven terrain.
• Exposure to extreme heat, high humidity, direct sunlight, and variable weather conditions
• Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) in controlled environments
• Regular interaction with drilling crews, contractors, and site personnel.
• Must adhere to all company vehicle and safety policies.

Physical Demands:

• Long periods of standing and walking outdoors, often in extreme temperatures, inclement weather or over uneven or rough terrain
• Frequent bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching
• Climbing ladders, rigs, equipment, stairways, or elevated platforms and working at heights for extended periods.
• Occasional lifting or carrying materials, tools, and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds independently (heavier with assistance)
• Maintaining situational awareness to ensure personal safety and the safety of others on-site.
• Extended periods of travel in a vehicle; must operate vehicle safely in accordance with company policies.
• Ability to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by the company for extended periods at all site facilities.