Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to All U.S. Citizens, and is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense. Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612)(NonComp Mil Sp), Priority Placement Program (PPP) Retained Grade Preference (RGP), and PPP Military Reserve and National Guard Technician eligibles may also apply.

This position is being filled under the memorandum from the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) "Expansion of Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense," dated August 12,2024.


As a HEALTH PHYSICIST at the GS-1306-13 some of your typical work assignments may include:

• Serves as Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Health Physics (HP) by providing HP information and advice, and ensuring the protection of personnel from unwarranted exposure to ionizing radiation. Coordinates HP activities for the department to include: maintaining the department radiological occupational health program; establishing procedures to identify personnel requiring pre-placement, periodic, and termination medical examinations; and participating in formulating occupational health examination requirements for workers at risk for hazardous exposures. Recommends new or revised instructions, manuals, and technical documents required to support/document the HP Program. Maintains professional currency by reading technical literature and attending professional meetings.
• Serves as the RD-TS Radiation Safety Officer (RSO). Manages the department Radiation Safety Program to ensure compliance with all federal, state, and host installation laws and regulations. Provides oversight of radiation safety at all RD-TS fixed and mobile test sites. Develops the Health and Safety Plan for RD-TS tests utilizing radiological or nuclear material. Conducts and documents dose rate measurements of radioactive material use and storage areas; performs a physical inventory of radioactive sources; and performs leak tests on all required sources based on DTRA NRC license requirements. Makes recommendations to senior leadership, in normal operations, on how to accomplish the mission with the least amount of human radiation dose and the minimum financial impact on the organization. Submits requests for the purchase/acquisition of radioactive material to the DTRA RSO; coordinates the purchase/acquisition, shipment, and transfer of radioactive material; and ensures adherence to prescribed safety standards by inspecting all procedures used to handle, ship, store, or dispose of nuclear components. Provides local oversight for the Agency's broad scope radiologic license. Performs technical and administrative audits to ensure compliance with Federal regulations and Air Force host installation requirements. Responds to radiologic inventory Intrusion Detection System (IDS) alarms. Conducts periodic leak sampling; maintains the sampling equipment; and maintains documentation as required by the license and the DTRA RSO. Trains and documents local users of radioactive material in accordance with the DTRA broad scope radioactive license and industry standard radioactive safety procedures. Oversees and ensures compliance with all requirements to process, ship, and receive Class 7 Radioactive Material.
• Radiation Dosimetry program manager to include reviewing and maintaining all radiation dosimetry records. Institutes procedures to ensure radiation exposures ALARA for any radioactive material use.
• Serves as a Test Team Safety Officer for testing on KAFB and at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) involving radiation sources. Coordinates test requirements and plans with other test team members. Ensures all safety regulatory requirements are met by reviewing documents for approval and providing oversight of test performers. Recommends radiological controls and requirements for each specific research and test event. Reviews potential test programs and recommends whether DTRA can conduct the test event, and what limitations exist or are required.
• Serves as Laser Safety Officer for testing and ensures all laser safety protocols are met. Coordinates test requirements and plans with other test team members. Recommend laser controls and requirements for each specific research and test event. Reviews potential test programs and recommends whether DTRA can conduct the test event, and identifies limitations , if applicable.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Occasional Travel
• Work Schedule: Full-time
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
• Overtime: Occasionally
• Tour of Duty: Flexible
• Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized if funds available and with approval from hiring manager
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
• Financial Disclosure: Required
• Telework Eligibility: This position may be eligible for limited, situational telework subject to supervisory approval and not to exceed current Agency guidelines. This position is not eligible for remote telework.
• Must maintain necessary training to preserve proficiency in job related qualifications, i.e., cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), First Aid, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) and Permit Required Confined Space.
• Required certificates: Part I Certification Health Physicist (CHP) by American Board of Health Physics, and be able to complete Part II within 12-months of assignment.
• Requires access to Critical Nuclear Weapon Design Information (CNWDI)/Restricted Data (RD)
• Must be able to acquire and retain Top Secret Clearance eligibility with Sensitive Compartmented Information access, based upon a Single Scoped Background Investigation.
• Must consent to and pre-employment drug testing and be subject to periodic drug testing thereafter.
• Required to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure form, OGE-450, within 30 days of entering the position, annually and upon termination of employment in accordance with DoD Directive 5500.7-R, Joint Ethics Regulation, August 30, 1993.
• May be recalled to duty 24-hrs a day during other than normal duty hours to include evenings, weekends, and holidays; may be required to work other then normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain current valid passport.

Qualifications

You may qualify at the GS-13, if you fulfill the following qualifications:

A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service as listed below:

• Serve as subject matter expert in health physics (HP) principals, doctrine, and occupational health requirements
• Perform all Radiation Safety Officer functions and operations including radiological and nuclear accident response ensuring protection of personnel from radiological hazards according to Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and state standards
• Perform Laser Safety Officer responsibilities IAW ANSI Z136.1 and Z136.6, OR

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.


In addition to meeting qualifications, your application package must reflect the applicable experience to meet the Individual Occupational Requirements for the 1306, series as listed below:

Basic Requirements:

1. Degree: natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus.

   or

2. Combination of education and experience -- courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or other education; or certification as a health physicist by the American Board of Health Physics, plus appropriate experience and other education that provided an understanding of sciences applicable to health physics comparable to that described in paragraph A.

*NOTE: Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position.

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documents, to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and evaluate your relevant work experiences as it relates to fundamental competencies, identified below, required for this position.Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy. Your application (resume and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required as listed on the announcement under qualification requirements.

For information on entitlement see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx

Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp): To receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the " Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp)" eligibility. If you are claiming Military Spouse eligibility and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager. Information and required documentation for claiming Military Spouse eligibility may be found at the General Applicant Information and Definitions link below.

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible: Submit a copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability PPP Self-Certification Checklist and copies of the appropriate documentation, such as the notification letter you received showing you are no longer eligible for military or NG membership (through no fault of your own) and that you have completed at least 15 years of technician service and a minimum of 20 years of service creditable for non-regular retirement.

Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible: You must provide a signed Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist, DD3145-1 (whs.mil), a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form (SF) 50 effecting the placement in retained grade status; or a copy of the notification letter you received regarding the RIF or classification downgrade.

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Preference Eligible Technician Receiving Disability Retirement: Submit a copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability PPP Self-Certification Checklist and copies of the appropriate documentation, such as the notification letter you received that states you are no longer eligible for Reserve membership due to a service-connected disability.

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc.). Your complete application includes your COMPLETE resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

The following documents are REQUIRED

1. Your resume:

• IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. Must include the work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted by an applicant, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed for qualifications and referred for selection consideration, if eligible. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. Page margins should be 0.5 inches, and font styles must be legible. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text. We recommend using a font like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.
• Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

2. Transcripts:

• This position has a degree or education requirement so you are required to submit a copy of your transcript. We accept unofficial transcripts, as long as they contain your name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned.
• College transcript (s), required if qualifying based on education. We accept unofficial transcripts, as long as they contain your name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned.

3. SF50

• All current and former civilian Federal employees must submit a copy of your MOST RECENT SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, salary, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc. This is also a requirement to verify your Time in Grade (TIG).

4. Veteran's Documents:

• If applying using veteran's preference or under a Veteran's hiring authority you must submit the following documents: DD214 showing character of service, SF-15 Form and VA letter showing final percentage, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty.

PLEASE REVIEW THE BELOW LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility:
https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DODCustomersRequiredSupportingDocumentation.pdf?

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