Health and Safety Specialist - Remote in New Jersey

Requisition Number: 2357641
Optum NY/NJ, is seeking a Health and Safety Specialist to join our team in Newark, NJ. Optum is a clinician-led care organization that is changing the way clinicians work and live.
As a member of the Optum Care Delivery team, you'll be an integral part of our vision to make healthcare better for everyone.
At Optum, you'll have the clinical resources, data and support of a global organization behind you so you can help your patients live healthier lives. We believe you deserve an exceptional career, and will empower you to live your best life at work and at home. Experience the fulfillment of advancing the health of your community with the excitement of contributing new practice ideas and initiatives that could help improve care for millions of patients across the country. Because together, we have the power to make health care better for everyone. Join us and discover how rewarding medicine can be while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.
The Health and Safety Specialist plays a critical role in supporting organizational environmental, occupational health, and safety initiatives. This position ensures compliance with applicable regulations, promotes a safe workplace culture, and provides direct support to staff and leadership across all sites. The Specialist will be responsible for developing and implementing safety programs, conducting inspections, investigating incidents, and providing education and training to employees.
This role will primarily support New Jersey sites, with regional program ownership and analytics.
You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. For all hires in the Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. area, you will be required to work in the office a minimum of four days per week.
Primary Responsibilities:

• Serve as a resource for safety-related inquiries, providing timely and accurate guidance
• Respond to employee concerns, phone calls, and emails in a professional and supportive manner
• Assist leadership and staff during emergencies, including chemical spills, workplace injuries, or security threats
• Support compliance with OSHA, EPA, and other regulatory requirements
• Conduct inspections, audits, and assessments to identify risks and recommend corrective actions
• Investigate incidents and occupational health events, documenting findings and corrective actions
• Manage compliance reporting, recordkeeping, and follow-up activities
• Assist in the development, review, and implementation of safety policies, procedures, and training programs
• Support safety program integration at new or relocated sites, ensuring compliance from the outset
• Coordinate vendor relationships related to waste management and other compliance services
• Deliver safety training for staff for annual refreshers, and specialized sessions
• Develop and update educational resources to promote safety awareness and best practices
• Actively participate in safety committees, workgroups, and organizational initiatives
• Respond to environmental and occupational health events such as spills, facility hazards, or regulatory inquiries
• Lead and manage EOHS-related projects across the region, ensuring timely execution, stakeholder alignment, and compliance with organizational and regulatory standards
• Develop, analyze, and maintain EOHS data and reporting, including trend analysis, dashboard development, and data reconciliation across systems (eg, RLDatix, Sedgwick, training platforms)
• Monitor and report on key EOHS metrics such as training compliance, occupational health titers, and workplace injury/illness data (BLS), supporting data-driven decision-making

You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.
Required Qualifications:

• Experience managing multiple projects and deadlines independently
• Experience in incident investigation, audits, or compliance monitoring
• Knowledge of OSHA regulations and general workplace safety standard
• Reliable transportation and ability to travel to site in New Jersey and New York on a regular basis

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional certification (eg, OSHA 30, CHSP, CSP, CIH, or similar)
• 2+ years of experience in occupational health and safety or environmental compliance
• Experience with safety management systems or reporting platforms
• Knowledge of waste management regulations and vendor coordination

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy
Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $60,200 to $107,400 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.
Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.
At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.
UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.
UnitedHealth Group is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.