Excavating and Trenching Safety Specialist

**Job Information**

Job Requisition ID: 74730
Ministry: Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration
Location: Calgary or Edmonton
Full or Part-Time: Full Time
Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week
Permanent/Temporary: Permanent
Scope: Open Competition
Closing Date: August 26, 2025
Classification: Standards, Safety & Compliance 6

**Salary**: $3,390.37 to $4,259.44 bi-weekly ($88,488 - $111,171/year)

**Ministry of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration**

The Ministry of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration is responsible for leading efforts to grow Alberta’s economy by supporting Alberta’s entrepreneurs and employers, promoting trade and investment, helping recruit and retain skilled workers, promoting safe, fair and healthy workplaces, and supporting multicultural communities.

**Role Responsibilities**:
The Excavation and Trenching Safety Specialist is a provincial expert who provides technical guidance and supports on matters related to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act, Regulation, and Code. This position carries out a wide range of tasks, and plays a key role in both front-line service delivery and supporting government operations and priorities (including ongoing review and development of the OHS Code).

This position reports to the Mining Team Lead and works closely with other team members and staff across the OHS Program Delivery branch of the department of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration.

The incumbent will:
1.) Support OHS Program Delivery officers and investigators in work related to excavations and trenching:

- Accompany officers or investigators to observe excavations or trenches at Alberta work sites and provide expert advice in real time or post-event, as required.
- Review reports and findings from OHS inspections and investigations, and provide expert advice on options, risks and next steps to OHS officers and investigators.
- Provide formal expert opinions or reports, and attend court proceedings as an expert witness.
- Research identified and emerging trends in the excavation and trenching industry, and advise on the design and implementation of relevant proactive inspections.

2.) Participate in the regular review and revision of OHS legislation and policies relating to excavations and trenching in accordance with the department regulatory review plan:

- Support regulatory review working groups.
- Review current literature to stay up to date on current developments, advances, issues and practices.
- Draft recommendations for changes in legislation and assist with legal drafting of changes.

3.) Support external stakeholder compliance with requirements related to excavations and trenching:

- Draft explanations of the OHS Code.
- Review or develop publications, bulletins or other resources.
- Provide policy interpretations to stakeholders internally or externally.

4.) Carry out OHS Statutory Director duties:

- Consider industry best practices and practices followed in other jurisdictions.
- Approve technical standards recognized in other Canadian jurisdictions.

Please

**APS Competencies**:
Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies:

- **Creative Problem Solving -** Analytical, logic and problem-solving skills to design and execute valid research into policy and program content and develop policy and program content; and conduct sensitive assessments in the field and ensure their validity.
- **Systems Thinking -** Understanding of organizational theory related to relationship dynamics in the workplace in order to anticipate and respond to developments and issues sensitively and effectively.
- **Develop Self and Others -**Committed to career development, core values, diversity and inclusion and lifelong learning, with a desire to invest in personal growth and long-term capability to meet the evolving demands of the industry.

**Qualifications**:
Bachelor of Science degree in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Geology, Engineering, Geo-science, Soil Technician plus 4 years experience or Technologist diploma plus 6 years related experience. Preference for Professional Geologist with ability to register with APEGA, or Soil and Geotechnical Tech.

The Excavation and Trenching Safety Specialist must have the following skills and abilities:

- Experience classifying soils, designing or overseeing trench and excavation work, determining slope, designing/constructing shoring or other trench safety devices and knowledge of soil mechanics and geo-technical analysis for trench stability.
- Knowledgeable in occupational health and safety.
- Strong problem-solving and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to use common office software to perform research, gather and analyze data, prepare reports, policy and program mat