Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Integrated Service Network 6 (VISN 6), at the Richmond VA Medical Center, within the Director's Office of the Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Service. This position reports directly to the Chief of the Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Service. This position primarily serves as a Diagnostic Radiologic Medical Physicist for the Richmond VAMC.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Major Duties:

• Provides diagnostic radiological medical physics support to the Service.
• Establishes and manages a Service Line radiation protection program and a comprehensive quality assurance program for diagnostic imaging equipment, magnetic resonance imaging and angiography.
• Maintains equipment/system documentation in order to verify compliance with regulatory body/agency requirements.
• Performs comprehensive quarterly, semi-annual and annual equipment quality control checks.
• Develops procurement specifications and site plans.
• Performs acceptance testing and initiates periodic quality control testing for related new equipment acquisitions within the Service.
• Provides radiation safety training in support of the Richmond VAMC's Radiation Safety Directives to both human use and non-human use ionizing radiation workers.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Tour determined by Supervisor.
Position Description Title/PD#: Physicist/ #2928
Physical Requirements: The work is performed by this position in both sedentary and non-sedentary in nature and requires some physical exertion/effort, such as when moving objects weighing over 45 lbs and when occasionally lifting imaging phantoms on and off the imaging tables. Regular and recurring periods of standing, bending crouching, stooping, stretching, and reaching are required when testing or adjusting diagnostic imaging machine components. The work performed by this position regularly occurs in areas/environments that involve moderate risks and hazards, such as exposure to ionizing radiation. Equipment testing and verification duties require the use of tools around unshielded high voltages and present a risk of electrical shock. Such hazards/environmental conditions require the incumbent to remain alert, to observe special safety precautions and to wear protective items of clothing and gear.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Individual Occupational Requirement (IQR): In order to meet the basic requirement of the Physicist, you must possess:
Degree: physics; or related degree that included at least 24 semester hours in physics. OR
Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major in physics totaling at least 24 semester hours, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In either A or B above, the courses must have included a fundamental course in general physics and, in addition, courses in any two of the following: electricity and magnetism, heat, light, mechanics, modern physics, and sound.

In addition to the above, applicant must possess one year of specialized experience.

GS-14 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Provides diagnostic radiological medical physics support Service, the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) and the various services/sections using radiation and the treatment of the disease, provides radiological physics education, develops, oversees and analyzes technologist's quality control testing of radiation and designs, monitors and continually re-evaluates the equipment quality control program for the Medical Center. 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.

Education

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.

Additional information

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/ .

Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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 view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in alphabetical order.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

Documents Accepted:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Documents Required:

• Resume
• Transcript

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

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.