Health Physicist Job in Houston, TX

Vacancy No. CBST-12605317-25-KW Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $100,287.00 to $130,369.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/15/2024 Close Date 11/26/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Houston, TX


Summary

The HP/ARSO performs professional work of marked difficulty requiring extended professional training skills. The HP/ARSO participates in CQI collaborating with physicians, technologists, biomedical engineers and OEMs to optimize diagnostic imaging in accordance with ACR Quality Control Manuals (e.g., mammography, nuclear medicine, PET, CT and MRI).

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

  • A firm understanding and application of health physics as it relates to a medical environment.
  • Knowledge of the underlying principles of x-ray producing devices and the methods for assessing the satisfactory performance of these systems, which include all types of radiographic, fluoroscopic, and computerized tomography.
  • Participates in collaboration with physicians, technologists, and biomedical engineers to optimize diagnostic imaging in accordance with ACR Quality Control Manuals (e.g., mammography, nuclear medicine, PET, CT and MRI).
  • Performs physics testing for modalities including X-ray radiography, fluoroscopy, CT, nuclear medicine, PET, MRI and ultrasound.
  • Assist the Radiation Officer in providing direction of work and provides technical guidance to those whose responsibilities include administering the personnel dosimetry program, conducting audits and radiation surveys, as well as preparing, surveying and decontaminating radioiodine therapy rooms and giving radiation safety training to physicians, nursing staff, researchers, technologists, housekeepers and other staff.
  • Assists the Radiation Officer with management of contracts including personnel dosimetry and x-ray machine performance evaluations.
  • Use judgment, initiative, and resourcefulness in assisting the RSO with selecting approaches, evaluating findings, researching new developments in the field, and in deviating from or extending traditional health physics methods, techniques, and practices to develop solutions.
  • Knowledge of the principles and techniques employed in medical imaging quality control and knowledge of the standards and the administrative organization required to effectively design and implement programs for radiation safety and medical imaging quality control.
Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday-Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm; Subject to change based on the needs of the agency.
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available.
Telework: Not eligible for telework.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description Title/PD#: Health Physicist~/04006-0
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
  • Subject to a background/suitability investigation
  • Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
  • May serve a probationary period
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Individual Occupational Requirements for 1306 series:

Basic Requirements:
  1. Degree innatural 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 of equivalent combination of experience and education in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus, 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 (Transcript and/or certification required).

NOTE: The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field. In addition to courses in the major and related fields, a typical college degree would have included courses that involved analysis, writing, critical thinking, research, etc. These courses would have provided an applicant with skills and abilities sufficient to perform progressively more responsible work in the occupation. Therefore, creditable experience should have demonstrated similarly appropriate skills or abilities needed to perform the work of the occupation and clearly listed in your resume.

In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirement, you must also meet the following:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

1. Understanding and applying health physics as it relates to a medical environment;
2. Demonstrating radiation/ health physics concepts, principles, practices, and administrative techniques;
3. Identifying and evaluating radiation hazards and recommends corrective actions;
4. Evaluating the various degrees of radiation exposure in relation to radiation standards per health, safety, and regulatory guidelines; and
5. Interpreting federal regulations, standards, concepts, and procedures to include, but not limited to, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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

  • Health Physics
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Nuclear Physics
  • Self-Management


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.

Note: 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.

Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion such as long periods of walking and standing while performing audits and surveys and consulting with staff. Time is also spent in formal and informal meetings with many different groups. Additionally, much of the work is administrative in nature and requires sitting in an office and utilizing computers. Decontamination team participation is very physically demanding since one wears a sealed suit with respiratory device. The incumbent must be medically cleared to participate on the decontamination team.

For more information on these 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/.

Education

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.

Additional 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.

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 well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/.

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.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Required Documents

Documents Accepted:

  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • Other (1)
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript

Documents Required:
  • Resume


Resume Requirement: Your resume must include the following information: Job title, description of duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment, and average hours worked per week.

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online.

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/26/2024 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12605317.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Agency contact information

Kaitlyn Wall
Address
Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center
2002 Holcombe Boulevard
Houston, TX 77030
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.