Health Scientist

Clarification from the agency

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. Foreign nationals or legal permanent residents are not eligible for consideration. This job is also open to USPHS Commissioned Corps Officers and Call-To-Active Duty (CAD) Candidates.

• Serves as a Health Scientist and exercises responsibility for providing scientific and technical expertise for a broad range of safety and occupational health programs involving biosafety, including high containment laboratories.
• Provides leadership for the development of Biorisk Management syllabuses and course content, and delivers instructional content via multiple platforms to various intended audiences.
• Provides emergency support, advice on remedial action, and strategies for preventing and/or intervening in emergency situations.
• Works with the NIH Polio Containment Program manager to provide guidance or implementation on policy, prepare reports for documentation of depleted potentially infectious material inventory, and update policy.
• Researches, assesses, investigates, analyzes, and evaluates health and safety literature, records, activities, and strategies to ensure compliance and to provide guidance, consultation, and recommendations on prevention and intervention.
• Regularly consults and confers with scientists and subject matter experts in government, industry, and academia to keep up to date with developments and initiatives in occupational safety and health and biomedical research in general.
• Leads and participates in the implementation of policies and procedures pertaining to Branch programs and functions that are intended to eliminate and control hazards and establish safe and healthful work environments.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
• Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
• The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
• Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Based on your appointment, a one or two-year trial/probationary period may be required. A decision regarding your continued employment with NIH will be made as you near the end of this period.
• Position requires Education.
• Requires long periods of standing and bending when completing facility/lab surveys and risk assessments.
• Requires use of personal protective equipment (PPE), including respiratory protection and enrollment into the Animal Exposure Program.
• If selected, you will be tested for illegal drug use; and during employment you will be subject to random, reasonable suspicion, and post-accident drug testing. Employment is contingent on a negative drug test result.
• If selected, must be able to serve as Alternate Responsible Official (ARO) for the Select Agent Program and ensures compliance with Federal Select Agent Program requirements codified in 42 CFR Part 73, 7 CFR Part 331, and 9 CFR Part 121.
• If selected, required to participate and meet all requirements of the NIH Biological Surety Program. (cont.)
• Tier 3 clearance, medical clearance which includes the animal exposure program, respiratory protection program and clearance for work with/near infectious materials and annual behavioral health assessments are included in the NIH BSP.
• If selected, must obtain a positive FBI Security Risk Assessment (SRA) in compliance with 7 CFR Part 331; 9 CFR Part 121; and 42 CFR Part 73.
• If selected, will be required to gain/maintain access to BSL 3, BSL 4, and associated animal facilities and/or labs.
• Experience with safety oversight for BSL3 and BSL4 facilities preferred.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for a Health Scientist, GS-0601 position, you must have completed a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree or graduate higher-level degree with 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 at the time the degree was obtained.

ADDITIONALLY

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 level you must meet one of the following requirements:
A. You must demonstrate in your resume that you have 1 (one) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal Government obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1) Providing scientific and technical support for assigned portions of biosafety and Select Agent programs; 2) Researching information involving select agents and toxins; 3) Assisting in preparing reports and documentation on safety programs for research on biodefense and infectious diseases.
-OR-
B. You have completed 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field.
-OR-
C. You have a combination of graduate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 level, you must meet the following requirement:
You must demonstrate in your resume that you have 1 (one) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Government obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1) Providing scientific and technical support for the planning and management of biosafety and Select Agent programs; 2) Providing guidance on policies and the use of select agents and toxins in biomedical research; 3) Preparing reports and documentation on safety programs for research on biodefense and infectious diseases; 4) Participating in the implementation of policies and procedures related to biosafety and healthful work environments.

To qualify for this position at the GS-13 level, you must meet the following requirement:
You must demonstrate in your resume that you have 1 (one) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Government obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1) Planning, coordinating and implementing activities for biosafety and Select Agent programs; 2) Analyzing policies and reviewing the use of select agents and toxins in biomedical research; 3) Evaluating reports and documentation on safety programs for research on biodefense and infectious diseases; 4) Implementing policies and procedures related to biosafety and healthful work environments.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay. Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13054577

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and your responses to the assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies:

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Reading Comprehension
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

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.

If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and responses to the online questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:

• Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
• Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
• Qualified - for those who meet the minimum qualification requirements

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. Applicants determined to be Best Qualified will be referred for further consideration. Preference eligibles in the Best Qualified category are referred before all other applicants.

How You Will Be Evaluated
To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 80 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

Required for All Applicants

RESUME:
Your resume must clearly demonstrate, in two pages or less, how your skills and experiences align with the "Qualifications" section and support your questionnaire responses. While cover letters provided with your application will be shared with hiring officials, they will not be used for initial qualification determinations. We cannot assume required experience based on your work or academic history. If your resume exceeds two pages, only the first two will be reviewed.

Use a legible font such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, or Arial, with 0.5-inch margins. Suggested formatting: 14-point for titles and 10-point for body text.
You may use the USAJOBS Resume Builder or upload your own resume. If uploading, ensure it includes all required information and is organized so we can match the following to each position:

1. Job title
2. Employer name
3. Employment dates (MM/DD/YYYY)
4. Hours worked per week (full-time assumed; part-time prorated)
5. Detailed duties, accomplishments, skills, responsibilities, and supervisory details (if applicable)
6. Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions)

If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you must list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.

Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.

For resume writing guidance, please visit the following resources: NIH Help Applying, USAJOBS Resource Center, and the USAJOBS Resume Guidance. If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you need to list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study.


REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS
To claim veterans' preference, career transition selection priority, Schedule A or military spouse eligibility, you must provide the documentation listed below AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire.

• Veterans' preference (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): Reference Standard Form 15 (SF-15) for required documentation for 10-point claims. Submission of SF-15 is not required, unless you are claiming derived preference (XP) as described in questions 7, 8, or 9 on the SF-15. In those cases, you must submit a completed SF-15 and the required documentation. For 5-point claims, you must submit your DD-214 (if separated) or any written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active-duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package.
• Visit our sites on Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) for more information and required documentation.
• Visit our site on the Appointment of Certain Military Spouses for more information and required documentation to verify eligibility.
• Schedule A Eligibility (Applicants with Disabilities) Applicants who are eligible to be considered under Schedule A must submit appropriate documentation to verify eligibility. Documentation must be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. The letter must be on a medical professional's letterhead. Veterans' preference takes precedence in these appointments.

The Schedule A and military spouse hiring authorities do not guarantee employment or give an individual preference in the hiring process.

Do not submit documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official(s).

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