Safety Specialist (ODOT Only)

Initial Posting Date:
09/22/2026

Application Deadline:
10/06/2026

Agency:
Department of Transportation

Salary Range:
$4,519 - $6,904

Position Type:
Employee

Position Title:
Safety Specialist (ODOT Only)

Job Description:

Safety Specialist 1 – Safety Specialist
Oregon Department of Transportation
Delivery & Operations Division – Region 5
Safety Section
La Grande , Baker City , Pendleton , or Ontario

The role:

Join ODOT as a safety specialist and play a key role in helping ODOT maintain a safe, healthy environment for employees, contractors and the traveling public. This position reinforces ODOT’s mission by identifying hazards, promoting safe work practices and partnering with crews and leaders to prevent incidents and strengthen safety across the region. It’s an excellent opportunity for someone who values meaningful work, enjoys collaborating with people and wants to make a real difference in communities throughout Oregon. Apply today!

You must be a current Oregon Department of Transportation employee at time of application in a permanent, seasonal, limited duration or temporary position to be eligible for this position.

This position can be based out of La Grande, Baker City, Pendleton, or Ontario.

If applying for Ontario, the majority of the work performed by the person in this position will be performed in the Eastern Oregon Border Economic Region.

- If you are a current Malheur County resident, you will receive 5% preference for this recruitment unless you opt out of receiving the preference.    A resident applicant who received preference and accepted the position must maintain residency in Malheur County for at least five consecutive years following the hire date.

- Failure to maintain residency in Malheur County is considered a voluntary termination of employment from the position.

We provide a safe and reliable multimodal transportation system that connects people and helps Oregon's communities and economy thrive. We encourage people from all backgrounds and abilities to apply for our positions.

Before applying, visit our applicant information website to learn more about our process. If you are a current State of Oregon employee, you must apply through your employee Workday profile .

A day in the life:

- Conduct safety training, evaluate program effectiveness and recommend updates or new training as needed.
- Participate fully in statewide Safety Assistant meetings and assist ongoing safety program operations.
- Assist the region 5 safety officer in analyzing and evaluating accident prevention, loss control, hearing conservation, wellness and employee assistance programs.
- Interpret safety laws, rules, policies and procedures and apply them appropriately to routine and non-routine situations.
- Advise managers and employees on safety issues and help develop plans to improve overall safety culture.
- Monitor work sites, identify safety deficiencies and recommend corrective actions, including updates to traffic control plans.
- Support workers’ compensation claim management by helping employees and managers report claims, coordinating information, maintaining data and generating status reports.
- Conduct independent inspections of job sites, facilities and equipment, investigate safety complaints and provide basic safety services when the Region 5 Safety Officer is unavailable.
- This role requires approximately 50% of time to be spent outside of the office and about 50% in the office. Work outside of the office may involve exposure to difficult terrain, all weather conditions, heavy traffic, construction equipment, construction traffic, unstable slopes requiring fall protection, and other hazardous conditions.
- To request a copy of the position description, which includes all duties and working conditions, please email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

What’s in it for you:

- Work/life balance, 11 paid holidays a year, flexible work schedules, paid leave and so much more. Learn more (https://www.oregon.gov/odot/About/Pages/Career-Opportunities.aspx) about working at the Oregon Department of Transportation and the benefits (https://www.oregon.gov/odot/about/pages/employee-benefits.aspx) we offer.
- Comprehensive and equitable base salary offer within the listed range. Through an equal pay assessment, we will determine the salary offer using the information you provide in your submitted application materials. Please ensure your application materials are detailed, accurate and reflect your skills, experience (paid and unpaid) and education as they relate to the position when applying.
- The salary range listed is the non-PERS (https://www.oregon.gov/pers/Pages/index.aspx) monthly salary range. If you are already a participating PERS member or once you become PERS eligible, the salary range will increase (https://www.oregon.gov/das/hr/pages/cc.aspx) by 6.95%.
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service) opportunity!

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Minimum qualifications:

Three years experience that included duties working with Workers' Compensation loss prevention, the return to work of injured employees, and/or occupational health and wellness programs;
OR
A bachelor's degree in industrial hygiene, occupational health and safety, or a related field.

What we’d like to see:

If you have these attributes, let us know in your application materials! It's how we will choose whom to move forward! You do not need to have all these qualities to be eligible for this position. We may also use transferable skills, experience and education to help us decide who will move forward.

- Experience in demonstrating a strong commitment to workplace safety and risk prevention.
- Experience in identifying hazards, documenting findings and following established procedures with attention to detail.
- Experience in clearly communicating safety expectations, concerns and recommendations.
- Experience in building positive working relationships with employees, supervisors and stakeholders.
- Experience in using sound judgment to assess risks and develop practical safety solutions.

How to apply:

- Complete the following required steps: Fill out the application or attach a resume. Please contact the recruiter under the ‘Need help?’ section if you have any questions about how to fill out the experience fields or to attach a document. Your submitted experience fields or attached resume must include dates (MM/YYYY) for each employer.
- Attach a cover letter. Your cover letter should clearly demonstrate how your experience and training relates to the qualities that you have under the “what we’d like to see” section above. Your cover letter must be limited to no more than two (2) pages.
- Please address your cover letter to Ken Patterson, Region 5 Manager .
- Generic cover letters that do not address the qualities that you have under the “what we’d like to see” section may receive lower scores than those that addressed the desired qualities.
- You must upload your cover letter in the ‘Resume/Cover Letter’ section of the application.

- Complete questionnaire. Answer the checkbox-style questions before submitting your application.

- After you submit your application, please respond to the public records request authorization and gender identity questionnaire. This screen will come after you submit and will complete the process. If you are a current State of Oregon employee, the tasks will come to your Workday inbox.
- If you are a veteran or Oregon National Guard servicemember, you may receive preference (https://www.oregon.gov/jobs/Pages/Veterans.aspx). The task to upload your documents (https://www.oregon.gov/jobs/Documents/Submit%20your%20veteran%20documents%20for%20preference.pdf) will be available after you submit your application. For privacy reasons, please do not attach your military service document(s) to your application or combine it with any other required document attachments.

Need help? For questions, call 503-930-6376 or email [email protected]

Additional information:

- We do not offer visa sponsorship. If you are hired, you will be required to fill out the US Department of Homeland Security’s I-9 form confirming you are able to work in the US. We are not an E-Verify participating employer, and we are unable to proceed if E-Verify participation is required [e.g., STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) Extension].
- The State of Oregon does not request or require your age, date of birth, attendance or graduation dates from an education institution during the application process.
- We may use this recruitment to fill multiple or future vacancies.
- We will conduct name-based criminal background checks on final candidates, including current ODOT employees . All applicants may be subject to additional pre-employment check(s) such as driver license, LEDS (Law Enforcement Data System), and/or education verification as required for the position.
- You will be represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

ODOT is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or any other class protected by state or federal laws in admission or access to our programs, services, activities, hiring, and employment practices. Applicants with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. For questions, concerns, or complaints regarding EEO/AA/ADA, contact 1-877-336-6368 (1-877-EEO-ODOT). This information can be made available in an alternative format by contacting ODOT Recruitment at 503-986-3700. Oregon Relay Service can be reached by calling 7-1-1.

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