Safety Manager (6-month contract)

Pyka is looking for a highly experienced and results-oriented Safety Manager to join our growing hardware product manufacturing company. This is a 6-month contract position with a clear mandate: to design, implement, and fully establish a comprehensive safety program from the ground up. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of creating effective safety systems in a manufacturing environment and will be responsible for building a program that is compliant, scalable, and sustainable. Upon successful completion of the contract, the Safety Program Manager will train and transition responsibilities to an internal team member.

Pyka is based in a 106,000 Square Foot former Naval Air Station hangar located on Alameda Point. We’re looking for someone to help establish a Safety Program that only promotes a culture of Safety, prioritizes the safety of our employees, customers and suppliers, and is also compliant with the relevant laws and regulations.

About Pyka

Pyka’s goal is to provide society with a new form of safe, clean, and cost-effective transportation enabled by autonomous electric aviation.

To get there, we’re taking a different approach than most. We're applying our technologies to every industry where autonomous electric aircraft can be useful, starting with the highest value and most dangerous jobs. In doing so, we're building game-changing products manufactured at scale, while perfecting the safety, reliability, and capabilities of our autonomy engine and electric propulsion systems. 

We design, develop and manufacture an ecosystem of technologies including proprietary flight control software, avionics, high power density motors, motor controllers, batteries, and custom carbon-fiber composite airframes.

Today, we supply autonomous electric aircraft for cargo transport and crop protection to real-world customers across four separate continents and have secured industry-first regulatory approvals from the FAA. 

Our cargo aircraft enables remote connectivity, enhances express delivery networks, and ensures fast and reliable shipping of critical supplies to areas in need. Our crop protection aircraft offers agricultural services providers and farmers an autonomous tool to make aerial application safer, more precise, and less harmful to surrounding environments. Both vehicles are highly economical to operate, easy to deploy, and significantly reduce C02 emissions in their respective industries. 

What you work on at Pyka makes people’s lives better now and brings the future of electric aviation one step closer each day. 

Responsibilities

• Program Development & Compliance: Design and implement a complete Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) that is fully compliant with all relevant laws and regulations, with a specific focus on Cal/OSHA standards.
• Safety Policy: Develop a clear, unambiguous, and scalable safety policy that leaves no room for misinterpretation and aligns with the company's growth plans.
• Communication & Reporting: Establish methods and forums for open safety communication, including setting up a safety council, integrating safety topics into team meetings, and creating a system for employees to anonymously report incidents, near misses, and concerns.
• Management Responsibility: Define clear safety responsibilities for all team managers. Develop a framework for managers to promote safety during employee onboarding and daily operations, including establishing regular compliance checks and an escalation mechanism for safety issues.
• Hazard Assessment: Conduct and document comprehensive hazard assessments for all company sites and work areas. This includes inspecting machinery, electrical systems, and chemical storage. The manager will establish personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements for the production floor and specific work areas and manage certifications for machinery and employee training (e.g., forklifts).
• Incident Response & Investigation: Develop and document protocols for responding to accidents and incidents. Create a robust process for conducting root cause analysis and implementing preventative actions to avoid future occurrences.
• Training Program: Create a comprehensive safety training program for the entire company. The manager will develop and deliver specialized training on topics not covered by external providers, ensuring that each work area has a defined set of minimum required training.
• Record Keeping: Design and implement a secure record-keeping system for all safety-related documentation, including training records, incident reports, and certifications, ensuring data privacy and integration with HR systems.
• Emergency Preparedness: Lead the development of a company-wide Emergency Action Plan. This includes defining emergency procedures for events like fires and earthquakes, identifying rally points, establishing a safety alarm system, and organizing and conducting safety drills. The plan must also include clear safety protocols for visitors.
• Audit & Insurance Interface: Serve as the primary point of contact for external safety audits, including those conducted by the company's insurance provider. The manager will prepare for and facilitate these audits and implement any necessary recommendations. 
• Risk Assessment and Planning: Perform a risk assessment and make recommendations, for the site and its operations with a view of growing volumes and scale in the coming years.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in a safety management role, with significant experience in a manufacturing or production environment.
• Extensive, hands-on experience with Cal/OSHA regulations and the development of IIPP programs.
• Proven ability to build a safety program from the ground up, not just maintain an existing one.
• Strong technical writing skills for creating policies, procedures, and training materials.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage a project with a defined timeline and deliverables.
• Certification such as Certified Safety Professional (CSP) is highly desirable.
• Ability to train, mentor, coach, and develop skills of other staff members.
• Ability to solve problems and provide several options for resolution
• Must be able to work independently with little or no supervision
• Must be able to multitask and work in a fast paced-team structured environment
• Basic computer skills with the ability to effectively communicate within the company's software and email programs
• This is a contract position for a 6-month term.

Company Perks

• Wage range of $66-$88/hr. Compensation will vary depending on location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Hourly wage ranges are subject to change.
• Lunches and snacks available in-office
• Supportive, collaborative team culture

 

Export Control Requirements

This position requires access to technology, software and other information that is subject to governmental access control restrictions, due to export controls.  Employment in this position is conditioned on the continued availability of government authorization to authorize release of such items, to the extent required, including without limitation an export license, or other documentation required to establish authorization to receive access to such items. 

Company may delay commencement of employment, rescind an offer of employment, terminate employment, and/or may modify job responsibilities, compensation, benefits, and/or access to Company facilities and information systems, as Company deems appropriate, in order to ensure compliance with applicable government access control restrictions.

--

We do not work with external recruiters; if you are an external recruiter, please do not reach out.