Environmental Health Scientist

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Environmental Health, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. This announcement will close at 11:59 PM, on the day that 100 applications have been received or the closing date of the announcement, whichever comes first.

Duties

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY As a(n) Environmental Health Scientist, you will: Conducts operational sanitation inspections of cruise ships and produces a report of public health violations and recommendations. Designs, oversees, implements, and conducts major scientific surveys/studies or projects to identify and solve environmental public health problems. Conducts Scientific Studies/Surveys/Investigations. Leads collaboration on programs/projects/studies and coordinates efforts, as appropriate, with other program staff, other CDC Centers, Institutes and Offices, other federal agencies, national, State and local health agencies, and private and non-profit organizations, etc. Provides technical assistance and consultation about developing, implementing, and testing environmental health protocols for investigating and mitigating disease outbreaks with environmental etiologies, and for monitoring and controlling environmental health topics including but not limited to water and wastewater, food safety, solid waste management, vector populations, infection control, and air quality. Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR Basic Qualifications: Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education(external link) at the time the degree was obtained. Minimum Qualifications: You must have one-year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Conducting inspections and reviewing design and construction plans for food establishments, cruise ships, recreational water facilities, or other settings to assess public health compliance, identify risks, and recommend corrections. Investigating disease outbreaks (e.g., foodborne, waterborne, or communicable disease) by reviewing environmental and health data, identifying contributing factors, or recommending prevention and control measures. Providing public health assistance (e.g, consultation, training, and guidance); preparing reports and presentations; and collaborating with partners (e.g., government, industry, public health) on environmental health topics of concern (e.g., food safety, water quality, sanitation, infection prevention, or disease control). Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. OPM Qualification General Policies Website

Education

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov. How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement. Evaluation will be based on your application materials (such as your resume and supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of all required assessments. Resume Requirement Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages in length. Basic Qualification Question As part of the application process, you must answer a question addressing whether you meet the Basic Requirement for this position, as described in this announcement. Minimum Qualification Question As part of the application process, you must answer a minimum qualification question addressing whether you meet the Specialized Experience required for this position, as described in this announcement. Your response must be supported by the experience documented in your resume. If your resume does not demonstrate the required Specialized Experience, you may be found not qualified. Assessment Process USA Hire Technical Assessment You are required to complete a USA Hire technical assessment to evaluate the job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities required for this position. HR Resume Review Human Resource (HR) Specialists will review your resume to determine whether you meet the required Specialized Experience. Applicants who successfully pass the assessment(s) may be referred to the Hiring Manager for consideration. You must complete all required steps in the process, including submitting an application and resume and participating in the structured interview, to be considered for this position. Category rating procedures will be used to rate and rank candidates. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Qualified candidates will be ranked into one of three categories: Best Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is almost identical to those required by the position. Well Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is very similar to those required by the position. Qualified - Applicants who meet minimum qualification requirements, but do not identify any additional qualifying experience or skill. Candidates in the highest category will be referred to the hiring agency. The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Compliance Customer Service Data Analysis Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Program Support & Strategic Planning Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13047876 Other Information

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc. Bargaining Unit Position: No Research position: No Drug Screening Required: No Applicants selected for this position will be subject to reasonable suspicion and post-accident drug testing upon hiring. In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public. Veterans' Preference - https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans/ Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS. Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To receive selection priority for this position, individuals on the RPL must meet the qualification requirements, complete all required assessments and be rated as qualified. RPL candidates are ranked using Category Rating procedures. Priority Reemployment List (PRL): To receive selection priority for this position, individuals on the PRL must meet the qualification requirements, complete all required assessments and be rated as qualified. PRL candidates are ranked using Category Rating procedures. Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS. For Résumé Tips visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX7o1PBoFk For Application Tips visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqYkibnuiJU For additional information about USAJOBS visit the Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/ For resume writing guidance, please visit the USAJobs Resource Center or view their video tutorial. For Most Effective Resumes Tips visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Most_Effective_Resumes.