Program Manager – Utility Field Safety Operations

Program Manager – Utility Field Safety Operations

• Location: Somerset, NJ / Central New Jersey
• Job Type: Full-time
• Schedule: Monday through Friday, with field support as needed
• Anticipated Assignment: Utility field safety program support; contingent upon client award or notice to proceed
• Travel: Local travel to utility field locations as needed

About Us

CARIAN is a purpose-driven, woman-owned consulting and advisory firm dedicated exclusively to the power sector. We partner with leading electric and gas utilities to provide strategic advisory and disciplined execution across program management, business intelligence, and field execution oversight. Guided by integrity, trust, excellence, and accountability, our team helps deliver complex capital programs and build the resilient energy infrastructure that communities depend on.

Position Overview

CARIAN is seeking a Program Manager – Utility Field Safety Operations to lead day-to-day delivery of utility field safety operations across active construction and infrastructure environments.

This role is responsible for managing field program execution, workforce deployment, supervisor coordination, client communication, reporting cadence, issue escalation, and operational performance. The Program Manager will work closely with safety leadership, field supervisors, program controls, operations support, recruiting, and client stakeholders to ensure field personnel are properly deployed, trained, credentialed, and supported.

This is not a traditional corporate Safety Manager role. The successful candidate will be a field-oriented program leader with strong utility, construction, safety-sensitive operations, workforce management, and client-facing delivery experience.

Key Responsibilities

Lead day-to-day execution of utility field safety operations across assigned work areas and field locations

Manage workforce deployment, staffing coverage, schedule alignment, and field resource coordination

Serve as a primary operational point of contact for client stakeholders, field supervisors, internal leadership, and support teams

Coordinate with safety leadership to support field safety expectations, training readiness, observation practices, escalation protocols, and documentation standards

Oversee regional field supervisors and support consistent execution across multiple field locations

Monitor active staffing levels, upcoming manpower needs, schedule changes, deployment gaps, and coverage risks

Partner with program controls to review labor hours, staffing forecasts, utilization, reporting dashboards, issue logs, and performance trends

Partner with operations support to ensure onboarding, credentialing, training, badging, access readiness, timesheets, expenses, and field documentation remain current

Establish and manage regular program operating cadence, including field check-ins, status meetings, weekly reporting, issue reviews, and action-item tracking

Support ramp-up, ramp-down, replacement staffing, and redeployment planning as program needs change

Escalate operational, staffing, training, access, safety, or performance issues in a timely and professional manner

Maintain strong communication with client representatives and internal leadership regarding field readiness, schedule changes, risks, and required actions

Qualifications

8+ years of experience in utility, construction, infrastructure, field services, safety-sensitive operations, or related program delivery

3+ years of experience managing field teams, supervisors, multi-site operations, or client-facing field programs

Strong understanding of utility construction, field safety expectations, worksite coordination, access readiness, and operational risk management

Experience coordinating field staffing, workforce deployment, schedule changes, manpower planning, or multi-location coverage

Demonstrated ability to manage client communication, internal coordination, issue escalation, and program reporting

Working knowledge of OSHA requirements, construction safety practices, utility field environments, and safety-sensitive work activities

OSHA 30 required, or ability to obtain prior to field deployment

First Aid / CPR / AED certification required, or ability to obtain within 60 days of hire

NFPA 70E training required, or ability to obtain within 90 days of hire

Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-moving field environment

Ability to read, interpret, and manage field schedules, staffing plans, action logs, reports, and operational dashboards

Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint

Ability to work from the Somerset, NJ office and travel locally to field locations as needed

Valid driver’s license required

Preferred Experience

10+ years of relevant experience preferred

Experience supporting electric or gas utility programs, transmission and distribution work, substations, construction management, field services, or contractor oversight

Experience with safety observation programs, field safety coordination, utility access requirements, or high-risk work environments

STS-C, CHST, OHST, CSP, CUSP, or similar safety credential strongly preferred

Experience with NERC-CIP, utility badging, site access, background screening, drug testing, or credential-readiness processes

Experience leading program start-up, workforce ramp-up, regional field supervision, or large-scale deployment programs

Experience working with project controls, manpower forecasting, dashboards, weekly reports, and client performance metrics

Why CARIAN

Purpose-driven work – Help deliver infrastructure that powers communities

Industry reputation – Trusted by leading utilities for our reliability and results

Career growth – Opportunities to lead major programs and mentor high-performing teams

Collaborative culture – Join a team that values delivery excellence and long-term relationships

Competitive total rewards – Strong compensation, full benefits, 401(k) match, and meaningful work

Equal Employment Opportunity

CARIAN is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We hire and develop talent based on qualifications, performance, and business needs. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. As a women-owned firm dedicated to the power sector, we are committed to building a team that reflects professionalism, expertise, and integrity at every level.

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is $115,000 – $150,000 annually. This range represents a good-faith estimate at the time of posting; actual compensation will depend on experience, qualifications, skills, project assignment, and business needs. CARIAN offers a competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, holidays, and 401(k) participation with company match. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonus incentives or other compensation programs based on company and individual performance.