Safety & Occupational Health Specialist

The incumbent serves in a developmental capacity at the GS-9 grade level. Key functions will be similar to those described at the full performance level of the target position. However during the developmental assignment full performance range and level of selected functions will not be completely delegated to the employee until proper orientation and training have been completed and the incumbent has demonstrated the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the work at the full performance level.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory qualification and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Major Duties at the Full Performance Level GS-11: Specific duties include:
-Conducts safety surveillance audits and inspections according to the required standards and regulations and depending on the degree of hazard.
-Obtains immediate corrective action of conditions which are of imminent danger to life or limb.-Investigates hazardous conditions equipment practices etc. to identify and analyze the nature and severity of hazards and possible remedial actions (i.e. elimination correction or protection).
-Ensures corrective actions are initiated and consults with subject matter specialists and managers about changes in work processes and proposed methods to eliminate unnecessary risks and control hazardous conditions.
-Investigates or assist investigators in investigating accidents/mishaps obtains witness statements photographs the accident scene records circumstances and extent of injuries estimates cost of property damages and prepares a report of findings which includes recommendations to correct unsafe acts or conditions.
-Plans develops and implements safety promotional and educational campaigns containing aspects of difficult issues that are designed to meet both general and specific goals of reducing accidental occurrences and meet unique local situations.
-Promotes safety campaign and education materials; selects appropriate medium (i.e. lecture campaign safety meeting posters video e-learning brochures training assembly etc.) for use in promoting safety.
-Ensures that safety standards are published in appropriate training manuals and establishes necessary safety committees.
-Researches various sources of information for promotional items and campaigns to initiate and maintain interest in accident prevention and occupational health for at-work and off-the-job employee activities.
-Updates educational and promotional informational bulletin boards and disseminates information.-Ensures the distribution of information and guidance developed by accident prevention committees is distributed to all pertinent parties.
-Develops and prepares supplements to guidelines developed by higher authority and initiates written procedures implementing technical safety standards codes ad safety requirements for a variety of operations or activities.
-Works with personnel in the establishment of realistic safety requirements and compliance with applicable directives and regulations.-Evaluates technological changes in the workplace and recommends appropriate safety measures for application.
-Maintains records of training notifies supervisors when training is due schedules training to include all shifts and conducts training when requested or required.
-Creates and conducts area-specific safety hazard initiatives when needs dictate.
-Maintains long-term historical safety records and notes trends or changing conditions that warrant revision of safety procedures.
-Assists in the planning organizing directing and controlling information used in safety databases.
-Determines data needs data processing requirements and technical expertise needed in support of data management of accident records.
-Works with processing plans for accident records and the record systems to handle control operate store check and retrieve data.-Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Specialist/PD14022A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required but a physical evaluation is.
• 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

• 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.

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 09/24/2026.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeds 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 this instance you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements 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:

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Education: Undergraduate or Graduate education with a major in safety or occupational health fields (safety occupational health industrial hygiene) or degree in other related fields that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours of study from among the following (or closely related) disciplines: safety occupational health industrial hygiene occupational medicine toxicology public health mathematics physics chemistry biological sciences engineering and industrial psychology.
-OR-
Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience in or related to safety and occupational health that provided the specific knowledge skills and abilities to perform successfully the position duties. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Managing safety or occupational health program elements; developing or recommending safety and occupational health policy to higher levels of management; applying safety and occupational health laws regulations principles theories practices and procedures to advise on or resolve technical matters dealing with occupational safety and health requirements; developing safety and occupational health standards regulations practices and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards; developing or implementing programs to reduce the frequency severity and cost of accidents and occupational illnesses; analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs processes products or other systems to determine the existence severity probability and outcome of hazards; designing or modifying workplaces processes products or other systems to control or eliminate hazards; inspecting or surveying workplaces processes products or other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards and to identify potential new hazards; training of workers supervisors managers or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subjects; and work in occupational fields such as industrial hygienist safety engineer fire prevention engineer health physicist and occupational health nurse.

In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement above the following is the specialized experience or education to qualify for this position at the GS-9 or GS-11 grade levels.

Specialized Experience GS-9: One (1) or more years of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the Safety and Occupational Health Specialist at the GS-9 level. To be creditable this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience requiring knowledge of safety and occupational health programs; developing and recommending safety and occupational health policies; applying safety and occupational health laws regulations principles theories practices and procedures to advise on or resolve technical matters dealing with occupational and health requirements; and designing or modifying workplaces processes products or other systems to control or eliminate hazards.
-OR-
Education GS-9: A masters or equivalent graduate degree or successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or a LL.B. or J.D. with a major in safety or occupational health fields (safety occupational health industrial hygiene) obtained in an accredited college or university may be substituted for specialized experience to qualify for this position at the GS-9 grade level. The education must demonstrate the knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.Transcripts Required.
-OR-
Combination Education and Specialized Experience GS-9: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position may be substituted to meet the experience requirements of the position. Transcripts Required.

Specialized Experience GS-11: One-year specialized experience at the GS-9 grade level. Specialized experience is experience in or directly related to safety and occupational health that provided the specific knowledge skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience include: Managing safety and occupational health programs; developing and recommending safety and occupational health policies; applying safety and occupational health laws regulations principles theories practices and procedures to advise on or resolve technical matters dealing with occupational and health requirements; and designing or modifying workplaces processes products or other systems to control or eliminate hazards.
-OR-
Substitution of Education for Experience: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree obtained in an accredited college or university or LL.M. with a major in safety or occupational health fields (safety occupational health industrial hygiene) may be substituted for specialized experience to qualify for this grade 11 position. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree must demonstrate knowledge skills and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one (1) year of full-time study. If that number cannot be obtained from the school 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. NOTE: Transcripts Required.
-OR-
Combining Education and Experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the Safety and Occupational Health Specialist may be used to meet experience requirements for this position. NOTE: Only education in excess of 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education may be used to qualify at the grade 11 level. Transcripts Required.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Flexibility
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Required Experience:

IC