Job Description
Job Announcement Are you an occupational safety professional committed to protecting the crews who maintain critical wastewater infrastructure? Do you want to strengthen safety culture and support field staff who work in high-risk environments every day? Join Fairfax County’s Wastewater Collection Division (WCD) and help safeguard the people who keep essential public services running. This position supports the Safety and Emergency Manager in advancing the division’s safety and emergency preparedness programs. This role helps develop, implement, and improve safety practices for sewer cleaning, repair, inspections, confined space entry, and pump station operations. It also supports emergency planning, training, and coordination to ensure the utility can respond effectively to system failures, severe weather, and other service-disrupting events. If you want to make a direct impact on worker safety and the resilience of critical public infrastructure, this role puts you at the center of that mission. The successful candidate will be responsible for the following duties: Assist in managing WCD’s health and safety program across roadway operations, pump station operations, and engineering/office functions. Help develop and maintain the division’s occupational safety program, including documentation, training, data tracking, and measuring program effectiveness. Assist WCD’s efforts to train, develop, and provide direction to employees on occupational safety procedures and best practices. Conduct routine safety inspections and audits of pump stations, facilities, equipment, and field operations to identify hazards, verify compliance, and support continuous improvement. Support departmental safe-driving procedures and policies for both commercial and non-commercial vehicles. Assist in managing the emergency management program for the wastewater collection system, including identifying risks, planning, preparing, and mitigating for emergency events. The ideal candidate must demonstrate: Situational Awareness – Ability to recognize hazards in dynamic environments such as roadways, confined spaces, pump stations, and active sewer cleaning operations, and adjust decisions as conditions change. Clear and Respectful Communication – Communicates safety expectations in a direct, respectful, and easily understood manner with field crews, supervisors, and leadership. Relationship-Building and Trust – Builds strong working relationships by being present, approachable, and consistent; understands that safety culture improves when employees trust the messenger. Coaching and Influence – Encourages safe behaviors through coaching rather than policing; uses influence, not authority, to promote compliance and continuous improvement. Ethical Judgment and Integrity – Handles sensitive safety concerns, incident information, and employee feedback with professionalism and confidentiality. Knowledge of Utility Safety Requirements – Demonstrates depth of knowledge in safety and emergency management requirements for water and wastewater utilities. Wastewater Management positions are responsible for providing uninterrupted sewer service to residents during extreme inclement weather or other emergencies. This position is designated as emergency service and is subject to 24-hour on-call and may be required to report to work during extreme inclement weather or other emergencies, including after-hours and weekend work during emergency incidents to fulfill emergency service duties. Overtime may be mandated when emergencies occur related to the health, welfare, or safety of either the public or employees.. Wastewater Management is part of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES), please visit us here to learn more about us. DPWES is a diverse, nationally accredited and award-winning public works agency with approximately 1,000 employees providing solid waste, capital facility development, wastewater, stormwater, urban forestry, and land acquisition management services for the most populous county in Virginia. Join our team to help us protect the environment and serve the people of Fairfax County by creating and preserving a sustainable community that is an ideal place to live, work, and play for everyone. Benefits Fairfax County Government is committed to our employees, and offers comprehensive benefits, including a defined-benefit retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; paid leave; tuition reimbursement; and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Through our LiveWell Program and the County Benefits Division, we endeavor to cultivate a culture of wellbeing that empowers, educates, and engages employees and retirees to make life-long choices that promote a holistic approach to their physical, ment