Safety & Occupational Health Specialist

Summary

The Safety and Occupational Health Specialist plans, schedules, and conducts inspections in establishments and worksites where there is a strong probability of encountering hazardous work processes and materials, and unsafe environmental conditions, involving a substantial number of employees.

Duties

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 Requirements

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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In 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. Qualifications

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 announcement. In 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

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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: 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. How You Will Be Evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed 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 Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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. For more information on the 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 Other Information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's 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. 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. 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. 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 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/.