Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of Security Programs (OSP). The AOC is seeking an energetic professional with comprehensive knowledge of the Safety and Occupational Health field to be responsible for safety, occupational health, environmental health activities and emergency preparedness.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The selectee will have non-competitive promotion potential to the GS-13.

Duties Include:

Safety and Occupational Health (SOH) Operations

• Coordinates, schedules and conducts a full range of inspections throughout the OSP area of accountability to identify and evaluate the hazard potential of a wide variety of conditions.
• Determines the extent to which mechanical and physical conditions comply with standards.
• Renders professional advice on accident hazards and methods of control. Surveys construction sites to observe actual construction and ensure proper adherence to safety rules and regulations.
• Advises top-level management of the OSP on the status of the safety and occupational health program and recommends changes to meet new safety and occupational health standards.
• Instructs employees and contractors on a variety of safety and occupational health subjects including regulations, practices and procedures appropriate to their work.
• Develops safety and health training curriculum and presents formal training sessions.
• Complies with national safety and occupational health laws, policies, regulations and standards.
• Ensures new developments and changes in industrial processes and materials involving high hazard risks are explained to employees. Teaches techniques and procedures applied by practitioners in related safety and occupational health specialty areas. Develops safety and occupational health surveillance programs for general and specialized industrial practices, methods and techniques.

Safety and Occupational Health Program Management

• Manages and administers the SOH program for OSP. Formulates OSP policies and procedures and provides program direction by issuing technical guidance. Conducts regular surveys, evaluations, studies, audits and accident investigation reporting. Advises management on safety and occupational health matters.
• Establishes the SOH program according to Federal regulations, as applicable, as well as AOC policies, programs and standards. Develops program policies, procedures and objectives for accomplishment of the SOH program. Determines resource requirements.
• Conducts regular and recurring activity hazard analyses and surveys corresponding operating activities to assure the proper application of appropriate safeguards and controls. Assures that safety policy is incorporated into all operating plans and objectives. Prepares and implements procedures and guidelines applicable to complex operating activities, with emphasis on such issues as; employee qualifications and training, employee exposure to hazardous substances, control of hazardous energy, permit required spaces, respiratory protection, exposure to blood borne pathogens, personal protective equipment, equipment operator licensing and testing, ergonomics, hazard communication and emergency incident response.
• Serves as SOH advisor to contracting officers. Serves as the Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR) on contracts, when appropriate. Develops or reviews scopes of work for contracts. Assures contracts that relate to specific SOH and environmentally-related issues are properly written and/or revised. Prepares Government cost estimates. Specifies qualifications of contractor safety personnel. Reviews, evaluates and documents contractor safety performance.

Emergency Management

• Manages and administers support for emergency management, emergency preparedness and security operations. Serves as lead Office Emergency Coordinator (OEC) manager and ensure training and procedures are provided to all OSP OECs.
• Maintains Emergency Action and Response Plan (EARP) and conducts regular training sessions and exercises to ensure OSP staff are well-informed of requirements for safety during emergency events.
• Conducts regular emergency drills, exercises and training sessions for life safety response management.
• Completes detailed after action reports which include recommendations and action plans to resolve deficiencies and improve emergency management at the jurisdiction level.

Technical Advisor

• Serves as a technical advisor managing safety and occupational health requirements, criteria and compliance strategies for OSP operations.
• Oversees safety and health requirements criteria and compliance strategies for OSP personnel that may require coordination with the AOC Office of Safety, Fire and Environmental Programs (SFEP), other AOC jurisdictions, the U.S. Capitol Police, emergency responders, other federal agencies and specialized private contractors.
• Prepares site-specific safety and health program guidelines, instructions and standard operating procedures related to operational requirements.
• Serves as OSP safety and health emergency responder and subject matter expert in disaster planning meetings, committees and teams.
• Develops and maintains relationships with Federal, State, local and private -sector safety and health professionals.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• You must be able to pass a drug test.
• Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
• You must meet the definition of specialized experience.

.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM qualification standards

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Candidates for the GS-12 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes: (1) Planning, developing, administering, evaluating, and coordinating a comprehensive safety and occupational health, hazardous materials, and environmental management program; (2) Managing and administering support for emergency management, emergency preparedness and security operations; (3) Developing, planning and facilitating training exercises; and (4) Serving as Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR) or equivalent.

Education

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit OPM vet guide

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC's suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test.

The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.

The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Moving expenses are not authorized.

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.

All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions.

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

- Comprehensive knowledge of the Safety and Occupational Health field sufficient to apply new developments to problems not susceptible to treatment by accepted methods and make decisions or recommendations significantly changing, interpreting or developing important safety and occupational health policies or programs.

- Knowledge of occupational safety and health requirements, criteria and compliance strategies for security and disaster operations.

- Knowledge and experience with emergency response safety and health, private sector safety and health capabilities and acknowledged as an OSHA authorized trainer.

- Knowledge and experience as a technical safety officer responsible for personal protective equipment, personal decontamination and asset decontamination.

- Skill in communicating effectively, orally and in writing, with subordinates and management officials at all levels in the AOC, outside agencies and with outside experts and consultants.

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the "Required Documents" section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

The Architect of the Capitol's job application process is designed to ensure that we only ask you for the information that is absolutely needed to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position.

To apply for this position, you only need to submit online the following: a) your resume and 2) answer the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant supplemental information. No additional documentation or attachment is required at the time of application.

We ask that you prepare and submit a resume that best describes fully your background experience, skills, abilities, education, training and other relevant credentials. The resume should include dates of employment.

Nothing further is required until it is requested by the staff of the Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for a position, you will be asked to provide it during the selection process or upon selection. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.

For example, we may ask you to provide documents such as college transcripts, copy of diploma or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires a license or certification, we will ask candidate(s) to provide proof at the time of selection.

If you are claiming veterans' preference, we may ask you to submit proof of Veterans preference (DD-214, and, if claiming 10-point preference, the SF-15 plus proof required by that form).

If you fail to provide the required documents, we will withdraw a tentative job offer made and/or remove you from further consideration.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.