"Alerted.org

Summary The Industrial Hygienist services and reports within the area of responsibility of the VAMC, and might include responsibilities in one or more specialized areas, such as research safety, radiation, exposure to agents, respiratory protection program, asbestos control, water safety and testing, accident review, infection control and prevention, waste management, construction safety, sterile processing, etc., as they are related to industrial hygiene. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to the following: Provides regular and recurring expertise as a specialist in the broad practice of industrial hygiene, or in a specialty area of industrial hygiene, by furnishing advisory, planning, or reviewing services on specific programs or projects in addition to operating conditions directly affecting worker health and safety. Conducts workplace health hazard assessments using approved scientific sampling and statistical procedures; analytical testing; equipment selection and calibration; proper handling of hazardous materials, and hazardous exposure control procedures. Prepares comprehensive and legally sufficient written reports of all monitoring activities performed which are subsequently incorporated into comprehensive reports prepared to assess the overall effectiveness of the industrial hygiene program. Recommends engineering controls, inclusion in medical surveillance programs, and personal protective equipment for various work exposures. Plans and manages industrial hygiene and environmental construction projects that are related to achieving and maintaining compliance. Receives and disposes of hazardous wastes and maintains appropriate records in accordance with existing EPA standards, state laws, and VA regulations. Inspects the medical center to identify potential occupational health hazards and the need for further investigative studies and surveys. Interprets results of studies for the work environment in terms of possible impairment to health and potential for medical center damages. Responds to work operations and processes, examining work environments, analyzing findings, promulgating recommendations, and preparing various reports. Conducts written industrial hygiene reports within the area of responsibility of the VAMC, in one or more specialized areas, such as research safety, radiation, exposure to agents, respiratory protection program, asbestos control, water safety and testing, accident review, infection control and prevention, waste management, construction safety, and sterile processing. Recommends procedures that will be suitable and effective for the environment by determining the need for, and effectiveness of, control measures and changes in work procedures. Aids in the development of policies and procedures in the form of a written chemical hygiene plan and hazardous chemical communication policy. Provides support and program administration to a variety of health and safety challenges such as : indoor air quality (sick building syndrome); evaluating and controlling environmental lead exposure; emergency response planning; occupational disease (AIDS in the workplace, tuberculosis); potentially hazardous agents such as asbestos, pesticides, and radon gas; cumulative trauma disorders (carpal tunnel syndrome); radiation (electromagnetic fields, microwaves); reproductive health hazards in the workplace; setting limits on exposure to chemical and physical agents; detection and control of potential occupational hazards such as noise, radiation, and illumination; and hazardous waste management. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Ad-hoc May Be Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD14602A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May Be Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/10/2025. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: This position has INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT which is a basic requirement that must be met to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that cannot be waived. To meet the basic requirement for the Industrial Hygienist Occupational series, applicants must demonstrate one of the following: Basic Requirements The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science; or A bachelor's degree in a branch of engineering, physical science, or life science that included 12 semester hours in chemistry, including organic chemistry, and 18 additional semester hours of courses in any combination of chemistry, physics, engineering, health physics, environmental health, biostatistics, biology, physiology, toxicology, epidemiology, or industrial hygiene; or Certification from the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH)) Note: Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: conducting studies utilizing professional knowledge of industrial hygiene principles, procedures, standards, equipment, techniques and methods to a full range of industrial and hazardous operations, such as clinical, research, nuclear medicine and radiological procedures, hazardous drugs, building construction, maintenance shops, warehousing, grounds maintenance, hazardous waste handling and disposal; skill using a full range of sampling techniques, instrumentation, analytical methods and control measures, identify and control industrial hygiene exposures; and maintains records, preparing comprehensive reports, and presenting recommendations to management and health officials. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree, or Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond graduate level education and specialized experience may be used to meet total experience requirements. Only education more than 2 years (Post Master's Degree) is creditable towards meeting the combination requirement. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communication Compliance Inspection Environmental Engineering Technical Competence Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The performance of duties requires long periods of walking, standing, crawling, kneeling and bending. Moderate lifting and carrying of equipment, use of personal protective devices, and work in hazardous and confined spaces is required. Use of all appendages, good vision, and hearing are necessary. Emotional and mental stability are required. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Evaluation of Education All science or engineering courses offered in fulfillment of the above requirements must be acceptable for credit toward the completion of a standard 4-year professional curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in science or engineering at an accredited college or university. For engineering degrees to be acceptable, the curriculum must be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) as a professional engineering curriculum. Evaluation of Experience Qualifying experience involves the recognition, evaluation, corrective actions, and elimination of environmental conditions in the workplace that causes sickness, impaired health, or illness. This experience must demonstrate a professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of industrial hygiene and closely related sciences such as physics and engineering controls. Such work must have involved experience in all of the following areas: the acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data, and the measurement of exposures for a variety of chemical, physical, and biological stresses; the analysis of the data acquired and the prediction of probable effects of exposures on the health and well-being of workers; and the selection and recommendation of appropriate controls, including management, medical, engineering, education or training, and personal protective equipment. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.