Chief Safety Officer

The Chief Safety Officer is primarily responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and administering the NIST-wide safety, health, and environment (SH&E) program to help ensure the NIST mission is accomplished while protecting workers, the public, and the environment. In addition, you will:

• Oversee efforts to develop, implement, and maintain a robust, integrated, and risk-based SH&E management system at NIST and to support its implementation.
• Propose, evaluate, and justify the overall SH&E program, its objectives, and its activities from technical, policy, and operational standpoints.
• Prepare budget estimates for the program, reviewing its budget justifications, and allocating and realigning funds for various activities.
• Lead strategic and operational planning to improve the SH&E management system, including identifying organizational needs, establishing objectives, and developing implementation plans.
• Serve as principal spokesperson for SH&E, representing NIST before Administration officials, Congress, the Department of Commerce, other agencies, industry, and academia.
• Promote a strong and integrated safety culture throughout NIST through leadership, communication, and continuous engagement with stakeholders.
• Provide authoritative guidance on SH&E issues, ensuring the program meets organizational priorities, regulatory obligations, and best practices in laboratory safety and health.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• You may be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
• File a Confidential Public Financial Disclosure (OGE-278e) within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
• Incumbent may be subject to geographic mobility.
• Designated or random drug testing may be required.
• Bargaining Unit: No.
• Subject to a 1-year supervisory probationary period (unless already completed).
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
• Initial Senior Executive Service (SES) Career appointee is subject to a one-year probationary period.

Qualifications

Candidates 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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Eligibility for this position will be based upon a clear showing that the applicant has had experience of the scope and quality sufficient to effectively carry out the duties and assignments of the position.

As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of leadership experience indicative of senior executive-level managerial capability and directly related to the experience outlined under the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs).

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the ECQs and PTQs related to this position within your resume. RESUME NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit will not be reviewed and will be considered ineligible. Your resume should be 2 pages or fewer and must not include images, graphics, or hyperlinks (including publications and/or social media). Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.

PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (PTQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications.

PTQ 1 - Demonstrated leadership experience in managing complex programs, including establishing priorities, aligning resources, and building consensus to successfully develop and implement strategies that advance organizational objectives, while communicating effectively, both orally and in writing, and collaborating with stakeholders ranging from technical experts to non-experts.

PTQ 2 - Demonstrated extensive experience in occupational safety and health risk assessment and management, with expertise in fostering and sustaining a strong, integrated safety culture in laboratory or similar environments and ensuring compliance with organizational and regulatory requirements.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the PTQ requirements listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.

• ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.
• ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.
• ECQ 3: Merit and Competence - This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
• ECQ 4: Leading People - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.
• ECQ 5: Achieving Results -This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

NOTE: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM-approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP) or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs. Instead, you should attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.

Applicants must meet all of the qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Applications should be submitted online through usajobs.gov. Do not submit separate statements addressing the ECQs and PTQs. The application process used to recruit for this position requires submitting a RESUME ONLY - NOT TO EXCEED TWO PAGES. Refer to the Required Documents section for additional instructions on the resume template.

For detailed guidance on the Executive Core Qualifications, applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Office of Personnel Management's website.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQ) listed above. ECQs and PTQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly Qualified applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual selected must have his/her executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) before appointment to this position. The selected individual's application will be forwarded to the OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM QRB certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible). Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, click this link.

In addition to your online application, the following documents must be submitted and received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 09/14/2026:

1. Resume - You must submit a resume that provides evidence of how you possess each of the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) listed in the announcement in one document. We recommend that your resume emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of programs managed, and your program accomplishments, including the results of your actions. You must submit a resume not to exceed two pages using a legible font no smaller than 11-point with at least 0.8-inch margins without any Personally Identifiable Information, such as a photo or Social Security Number. It's strongly recommended to upload a PDF version of your resume. Do not use the USAJOBS Resume Builder Tool. Resumes over the 2-page limit will not be reviewed and will be considered ineligible. Your resume should be 2 pages or fewer and must not include images, graphics, or hyperlinks (including publications and/or social media). Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.

2. SF-50 - For current Senior Executives or individuals with SES reinstatement eligibility: You are encouraged to submit your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) that documents your career appointment status in the SES. For current Federal employees: You are encouraged to submit your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) that documents your current tenure, position title, series and grade level. Award SF-50s will not be considered.

3. Certification - For SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP) Graduates: You must submit your SESCDP OPM-Certification documentation.

4. Political Appointee - OPM must authorize employment offers for former or current Political Appointees. 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 this information. Submit proof of your former or current status, such as your SF-50.

Applicants who fail to submit requested documents WILL NOT receive consideration for this position and your application will receive an "incomplete" rating. If you are unable to upload documents or you do not have access to the internet, please contact Amy Laughter at amy.laughter@nist.gov.

Do not submit any additional information that is not required: Extraneous materials such as award certificates will not be considered.

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