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Industrial Hygienist

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Baltimore, Maryland
Closing date
Nov 25, 2020
Duties

Summary

The Industrial Hygienist manages and coordinates the Industrial Hygiene program for the VAMHCS. The incumbent is responsible for coordinating the efforts of staff involved with industrial hygiene and occupational health program to ensure it is developed and implemented in accordance with VA policy. The position will have responsibility for medical centers at the Baltimore and Loch Raven campuses, 5 VA Outpatient Clinics and 4 Vet Centers with 3,500 - 4,000 full-time staff.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Duties include but are not limited to:
  • Providing leadership and direction to leadership, management, professional and technical personnel regarding the development and implementation of the organization's industrial hygiene and occupational health program.
  • Assuming responsibility for, developing, and following through for publication, all aspects of the industrial hygiene program that includes, but is not limited to, the following major program elements: Hazardous materials and wastes management; asbestos control and lead abatement programs; medical surveillance; and hearing conservation. Developing review standards and constantly evaluates these programs and establishes a system of implementation to ensure compliance with various regulatory agencies, such as the VHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE).
  • Providing leadership and direction to leadership, management, professional and technical personnel regarding the development and implementation of the organization's industrial hygiene and occupational health program. The areas are: Hazardous materials and wastes management; asbestos control and lead abatement programs; medical surveillance; and hearing conservation.
  • Developing and overseeing a large medical surveillance program throughout the complete facility.
  • Providing oversight and consultation with approximately 3,500 to 4,000 employees, and over 100 buildings.
  • Serving as a consultant to a robust Research and Development operation at the Baltimore VA Medical Center.
  • Participating in hearings as an expert witness and presenting testimony before courts of law, hearing boards, worker's compensation commissions, regulatory agencies, and legally appointed legislative bodies on all industrial hygiene and environmental practice.
**This Industrial Hygienist position requires a wide range of safety and other precautions in the work environment, e.g., donning the use of personal protective equipment, including, but not limited to, safety shoes, safety glasses, hearing protection, coveralls, respirators, hard hats, etc. The work does involve elevated health risks from and exposure to potentially dangerous work environment situations or unusual environmental stress such as working with lethal viruses, hazardous chemicals, and the like under uncontrolled conditions. The work environment may expose the incumbent to temperature extremes, high noise levels, dust, dirt, inclement weather and potentially toxic particulates, chemicals and vapors.**

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm
  • Occasionally required to work shifts other than administrative working hours to effectively accomplish mission critical work.
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD13018A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position. Occasional day trips to and from our different campuses. Possible over night trips for meetings and/training.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
  • 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


Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/27/2020.

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 this GS12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS11. 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 described below:
  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS11) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Managing and coordinating an Industrial Hygiene program. Having the responsibility for, developing and following through for publication and implementation all aspects of the industrial hygiene program. Experience with: laboratory safety; hazardous materials and waste management; asbestos control; lead abatement; medical surveillance; and water safety programs.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Communications
  • Compliance
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Human Factors
  • Risk Management
  • 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: climbing, crawling into tight spaces, crouching, working around moving machinery, considerable walking, standing, sitting and bending, while occasionally lifting weights in excess of 50lbs. A degree of dexterity and agility is required for inspections and investigations in and
around construction sites. The incumbent must meet physical requirements necessary for use of negative air and/or supplied air respiratory equipment.

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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

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. 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.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified : applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ .

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
  • Resume


The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • If you are a Federal employee applying for promotion you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action


SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):
  • Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
  • An SF-50 showing 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
  • Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
  • Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
    • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
    • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
    • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx .

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.

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