Countywide Risk And Workplace Safety Manager (Administrative Manager), Risk Management & Safety Div.

Howard County

Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

Howard County is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work!  We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team.  

What are we looking for?

We're looking for an exceptional Risk Manager in the Howard County Risk Management and Safety Division.

What you'll like most about working at Howard County:

We are committed to workplace excellence.

We take great pride in offering our workforce the best benefits and compensation packages in County Government, and we think you will too. This includes great medical, retirement, wellness programs.

Everyone at Howard County Government contributes to the development of programs, regardless of role. Your input will not only be heard; it will be encouraged.

As a member of our HR team, you'll be driving our culture and what makes us an amazing place to work.

POSITION SUMMARY:

This position is located in Howard County Administration, Office of Human Resources' Risk Management and Safety Division.

The Countywide Risk and Safety Compliance Manager (Administrative Manager) leads and manages the activities of the Howard County Risk Management and Safety Division.  The Division is responsible for, determines and mitigates risks to employees and patrons of the County, and is responsible for the County's property and casualty claims administration, safety and loss control, ensuring appropriate insurance levels, and managing self-insurance programs with major emphasis on protection of the County's employees, patrons, and assets.

The Countywide Safety Compliance Manager supervises staff performing the full range of programmatic work to administer the County's safety and environmental health programs, ensuring compliance with Federal and State of Maryland safety and occupational health mandates, regulations, and requirements and providing training and loss control initiatives for all County operations. The Countywide Safety Compliance Manager ensures the completeness, soundness, sufficiency, and integration of division work across all program areas and throughout the County, as appropriate. This position serves as a member of the Office of Human Resources' management team, acting as a senior functional expert and providing internal consultancy on risk management affairs. The position performs work that is, at times, confidential or highly sensitive in nature, with substantial County-wide impact.

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Performs senior administrative work, which may include supervision, under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work includes directing and coordinating significant departmental administrative programs, preparing, and monitoring complex budgets and performing management studies to effect efficiency and cost-effective operations.

Include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.

• Manages Howard County's Risk Management and Safety Division. Serves as the Countywide Risk and Workplace Safety Compliance Manager and oversees the day-to-day operation of the Risk Management and Safety Division. Leads the work of key programs, including risk control, safety, health, liability, employee and third-party claims, and the liability insurance portfolio for the County.

• Establishes division program goals and objectives; sets work standards; enforces work rules; plans, schedules, assigns, and reviews the work of the division; provides input for, recommends, and administers approved division budgets, monitoring and controlling expenditures specific to the Risk Management and Safety division.

• Manages division staff and other personnel in support of programmatic objectives and operational requirements, performing full range of supervisory Human Resources management functions across the division, including but not limited to recommending personnel actions such as recruitment, selection, and transfer; training and developing staff; approving or disapproving leave; establishing and communicating objectives and expectations of staff; and evaluating staff performance.

Safety Program:

• Manages the administration of the County's safety and environmental health programs ensuring that the County's programs are compliant with all appropriate laws and regulations and internal policies and procedures affecting programs.

• Oversees physical and work site inspections for adherence to County safety policies, develops programs to ensure MOSH/OSHA compliance, and reduces hazards to county employees, property, and/or visitors.

• Leads accident investigations pertaining to workplace safety and liability concerns.

• Develops programs to reduce accidents and injuries of employees and customers/visitors and guidelines to monitor program.

• Develops and implements workplace safety and liability mitigation training to ensure understanding with relevant Federal, State, and County safety and health regulations, policies, and sound risk management practices.

• Conducting risk assessments of County operations, recommending corrective actions, and monitoring occupational safety concerns.

• Implements a program for workplace safety inspections in coordination with coordination with operating departments.

• Stays abreast of safter regulations. Researches, analyzes, and drafts policies and procedures to ensure compliance with federal/state requirements, best practices, and improve existing protocols.

• Reviews technical literature, meets with vendors, conducts surveys, and exchanges information with other agencies.

• Communicates and presents technical information to audiences in a manner that facilitates comprehension and awareness in all audiences, from lowest grade to senior management.

• Serves as County representative with compliance agencies for site inspections. Ensures communications demonstrate cooperation, understanding of issues, and timely follow up.

Risk Management Functions:

• Manages the Risk Management Self-Insurance Program, covering claims involving damage to County vehicles, property, and equipment ("first party claims"); claims arising from damage or injury to citizens for automobile, general liability, property, public official's liability, law enforcement liability and environmental exposures ("third party claims") and claims arising from employee on-the-job injuries ("workers' compensation claims".)

• Manages Workers' Compensation program to include appropriate coordination with departments, employees, and human resources on decisions by the Third-Party Administrator (TPA). Ensures timely and appropriate payments are made on claims and services to claimants.

• Manages liability program to include risk assessments and oversight/administration of liability claims.

• Oversees the self-insurance and commercial insurance programs to ensure cost containment measures, claims projections, and management analyses are accomplished.

• Analyzes internal programs and provides recommendations for minimizing risk levels.

• Procures necessary insurance coverage.

• Reviews contracts to determine appropriate insurance requirements and potential liability to the County, and monitors insurance coverages to ensure timely renewal of coverages.

• Manages the placement and renewals of commercial insurance, contracts for third party administration of self-insured claims, and all related contract services.  Develops Request for Proposals (RFPs) to attain necessary insurance coverages including performance standards for vendors.

• Develops insurance recommendations, coordinate insurance procurement packages, prepares policy renewal applications, maintains underwriting data, evaluates competitive quotes for commercial insurance coverage, and places appropriate coverage.

• Serves as liaison with insurance brokers to ensure competitive and effective quotes, comprehensive coverages.

• Ensures timely reporting and coordination of claims.

• Prepares and submits all required State applications and reports to assure the County's compliance with self-insurance regulations for the Maryland Worker's Compensation Commission and Motor Vehicle Administration.

• Works with legal counsel and third-party claims administrators to ensure appropriate subrogation from third parties responsible for losses in liability and workers' compensation claims.

• Supervises all activities of the contracted Third-Party Claims Administrator and outside defense counsel.

• Supervises the claims management function involving the receipt, adjustment and settlement or denial of claims filed against the County. After complete investigation, refers appropriate claims to the Office of Law for defense, and assists as needed during the litigation process.

• Authorizes payment and denial of liability, property and workers' compensation claims in accordance with designated authority; provides request and justification to the Risk Management Committee for settlement authority for claims in excess of authority limit.

• Responds to major incidents involving damage to County property or other significant events.

• Resolves problems and citizen complaints regarding claims or make recommendations to upper management for the resolution of complex problems and disputes involving citizen's claims against the County or allied agencies.  

Management and Financial Responsibilities:

• Chairs panels to evaluate bids and approves contract award in coordination with corporate purchasing. Monitor work of consultants or contractors. Reviews and certifies invoices for payment; and otherwise manages contracts.

• Serves on internal committees and boards Accident Review Board and the County's Disability Review Board.  Organizes and staffs meetings and agendas of the Risk Management Committee for decisions on liability cases.

• Prepares the annual operating budget for Risk and Safety functions and monitors expenses to assure budget compliance during the fiscal year.

• Determines the allocated cost of self-insurance charged back to all County departments and agencies who participate in the self-insurance program using analysis of loss history, current exposure, and projected liabilities. Coordinates, develops, and manages in-house cost containment/loss control procedures.

• Facilitates annual actuarial analysis of the self-insurance fund and appropriate funding levels for operating budget and reserve levels.   Makes recommendations to senior management for appropriate funding.

Emergency Management:

• Works with County Emergency Management personnel to coordinate Risk Management's role in County Government emergency response.

• Participates in activities related to Emergency Management as requested including working outside normal business hours.

Bachelor's degree and six (6) years related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Bachelor's degree in Occupational Safety and Health, Industrial Hygiene, or related field. 

• 10 years of experience leading the design, development and delivery of workplace safety training, compliance inspections, and interpreting/applying Federal and State safety regulations.

• Demonstrated experience administering workers' compensation, liability reviews, and insurance portfolios.

• Management of staff and strong project management skills.

• Professional credentials/certification in related field such as Certified Safety Professional, Certified Industrial Hygienist, OSHA 30-Hour certification, etc.

• Strong analytical, critical thinking, presentation and writing skills.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The employee must be able to travel to meetings, accident scenes and job sites independently and with little notice.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions and adverse conditions inside damaged structures.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.

LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS, AND REASONING ABILITY:

• Skills in applying principles, methods, techniques, and practices of various areas of workplace safety, environmental health, and risk management in a wide range of programmatic work, including but not limited to, occupational safety and environmental health administration; auto liability, property damage, and general liability insurance administration; and workers compensation administration.

• Ability to lead regulatory or programmatic initiatives.

• Skills in conducting claims investigation and litigation management for automobile, property, general liability, and workers' compensation.

• Knowledge of Federal, State and County occupational safety and health standards, Workers' Compensation in Maryland and industry best practices.

• Knowledge of workplace operations, hazards, and environmental concerns across a wide array of occupations (including law enforcement and an array of skilled trade and labor jobs) to identify safety and occupational health issues, violations and practical ways of alleviation and remediation.

• Ability to conduct research, compile data and prepare statistical and narrative reports.

• Ability to evaluate for compliance using applicable laws and regulations, policy and procedures and other relevant regulatory standards.

• Ability to solve problems and take initiative on any compliance issues.

• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of executives and leadership members, managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

• Ability to travel to and move around job sites independently to conduct inspections, investigations, audits, assessments, and other related work.