Industrial Hygienist Technical Career Field (TCF) Trainee

The TCF career fields represent those technical fields where VA-specific knowledge and experience is desirable for success in the field. Individuals selected follow a formal training plan for two years during which they are trained coached and supervised by a preceptor.

As part of the VAs succession planning the Technical Career Field (TCF) training program was created to ensure individuals are trained in critical areas that have current or predicted shortages. The program is nationally funded to include salary benefits and training/travel dollars. At the time of acceptance into the TCF program trainees will be asked to sign mobility training and service agreements. Relocation expenses for acceptance into the training program or for placement are not funded by the TCF program. Please keep in consideration the training program is meant for those individuals who plan on staying with the VA a minimum of 3 years after completion of their training program.

Selectees will be required to complete and sign the following paperwork; Mobility Training and Continued Service Agreements.

Although not guaranteed with more than 150 freestanding facilities and hundreds of clinic locations we will strive to place trainees in positions that will work for their needs and the needs of the VA.

This is a developmental position leading to a GS-11 performing assignments intended to broaden skills and provide practical experience leading to progressively more complex assignments performed under progressively less supervision. You will ultimately acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-11. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance availability of higher level work and availability of funds.

Major Duties Include:

• Conducts industrial hygiene surveys and investigations of work areas to identify and evaluate actual or potential occupational health hazards.
• Evaluates employee exposure to chemical physical and environmental hazards such as toxic materials noise heat radiation and other workplace agents.
• Determines whether workplace conditions and employee exposures comply with established occupational safety and health standards and threshold limit values.
• Collects and analyzes environmental or industrial samples to determine the presence and degree of hazardous or toxic materials.
• Selects calibrates operates and adapts industrial hygiene sampling and monitoring equipment used to measure workplace hazards.
• Analyzes survey and investigation findings and prepares reports documenting hazards exposure levels conclusions and recommended corrective or preventive actions.
• Recommends engineering controls administrative controls work-practice changes or other measures to reduce or eliminate harmful employee exposures.
• Reviews applicable Federal and agency occupational safety and health standards technical literature and established industrial hygiene practices when evaluating workplace hazards.
• Coordinates with occupational health personnel physicians safety personnel supervisors and employees regarding workplace hazards exposure evaluations and appropriate medical testing or monitoring.
• Provides advice to management and employees regarding occupational health hazards regulatory requirements and measures necessary to protect worker health and safety.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Full-Time; Monday through Friday; 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Training-Service Agreement and Mobility Agreement required
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public 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 your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Basic Requirement (Copy of Transcripts and/or Certification Required):

• A bachelors or graduate/higher level degree in industrial hygiene occupational health sciences occupational and environmental health toxicology safety sciences or related science; or
• A bachelors 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 American Board of Industrial Hygiene (external link) (ABIH).

Evaluation of Education: Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable. 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 bachelors 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.

In addition to meeting the Basic Education Requirement applicants must meet at least one of the following specialized experience and/or education qualification requirements.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-7: I have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that involved 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 recommendation of appropriate controls including management medical engineering education or training and personal protective equipment.

SUBSITUTION OF EDUCATION GS-7: I have successfully completed one (1) full year of graduate education or 18 semester hours in courses that provided the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do the work of Industrial Hygienist - TCF Trainee. (Transcript(s) Required)

COMBINATION GS-7: : I have a combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience as described above. Transcript(s) Required).

SAA GS-7: I qualify based on Superior Academic Achievement (SAA). Applicants who wish to apply under this provision must submit proof from their educational institution that they meet one of the criteria listed below. To qualify for SAA applicants must have completed all the requirements for a bachelors degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled and meet one of the following: 1) Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college university or major subdivision; 2) A grade-point average of B (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; 3) A grade point average of B (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; or 4) Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. (Transcript(s) Required)

For a list of recognized honor societies please visit more information regarding SAA please visit EXPERIENCE GS-9: I have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that involved 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.

SUBSITUTION OF EDUCATION GS-9: I have successfully completed two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a masters degree OR masters or equivalent graduate degree that provided the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do the work of Industrial Hygienist - TCF Trainee. (Transcript(s) Required)

COMBINATION GS-9: I have a combination of successfully completed progressively higher-level graduate education and specialized experience as described above. (Transcript(s) Required)

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Attention to Detail
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Teamwork

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.

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; religious; 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.

For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: 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:

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e. physical or mental) covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position after notification of the adjudication of your request you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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. 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 applicants 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.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPMs Career Transition Resources website at should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Required Experience:

Intern