Industrial Hygienist Job in Kansas City, MO

Vacancy No. CBSS-12766663-25-AF Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $75,145.00 to $97,684.00 Grade 11 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/8/2025 Close Date 8/20/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Kansas City, MO


Summary

A Recruitment/Relocation incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified individual.

Industrial hygiene is concerned with the recognition, evaluation and control of environmental conditions arising in or from the workplace, which may cause sickness, impaired health, significant discomfort, or inefficiency. They perform a variety of functions related to the identification, evaluation, and control of occupational health hazards and to the promotion of healthful and safe working conditions.

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. First AOC (Area of Consideration) is Facility employees; Second AOC is VA Agency; Third AOC are all other eligible applicants.

Duties

Duties of this position include but are not limited to:

  • Applies knowledge of industrial hygiene concepts, principles and practices
  • Develops, implements, maintains, and coordinate comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Programs involving subtances including, but not limited to, the following: Asbestos Management, Ethylene Oxide Safety, Hazard Communication Standard, Waste Anesthetic Gases, Hazardous Drugs (including antineoplastic drugs), Hazardous Materials Management.
  • Performs on-site inspections of the existing facility and new construction to ensure compliance with all applicable codes and standards and investigates employee reports of unsafe and unhealthy working conditions.
  • Develops and provides training and educational programs in accordance with applicable OSHA/VHA standards and to prevent occupational disease at the medical center and satellite facilities.
  • Conducts surveys of working conditions to determine the nature and magnitude of hazardous exposures and the effectiveness of existing control measures
  • The employee develops facility industrial hygiene policies, programs, and procedural documentation
  • Utilizes appropriate sampling techniques and procedures and may oversee the work of contractors engaged to perform specific monitoring.
  • Interprets results of the examination of the work environment in terms of ability to impair health, nature of health impairment, medical center nuisance and/or damage, and presents specific conclusions to appropriate interested parties, such as management and health officials
  • Provides consultant and technical assistance on industrial hygiene program matters for the professional, scientific, and administrative services
  • Develops, implements, maintains, and coordinates comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Programs involving staff protection including, but not limited to, the following programs: Hearing Conservation, Personal Protective Equipment, Emergency Eyewash and Shower Program, Respiratory Protection Program, Ergonomics, Confined Space, and Research Safety
  • Develops, implements, maintains, and coordinates comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Programs involving the environment including, but not limited to, the following programs: Indoor Air Quality, Water Intrusion/Mold Management, Water Safety (Legionella), environmental issues and other program elements related to Industrial Hygiene
  • Prepares appropriate text and precautionary information for materials and products to be used by workers and the public
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8am-4:30pm (may need to occasionally work nights or weekends)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD097660
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
  • Subject to a background/suitability investigation
  • 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. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
  • Effective May 7, 2025, driver’s licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Qualifications

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

Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). This position has the following IOR:

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:
  • A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science; OR
  • A bachelor's degree in a branch of engineering, physical science, or life science that included 12 semester hours in chemistry, including organic chemistry, and 18 additional semester hours of courses in any combination of chemistry, physics, engineering, health physics, environmental health, biostatistics, biology, physiology, toxicology, epidemiology, or industrial hygiene; OR
  • Certification from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH). Note: Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable.

The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable.

Evaluation of Education. All science or engineering courses offered in fulfillment of the above requirements must be acceptable for credit toward the completion of a standard 4-year professional curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in science or engineering at an accredited college or university. For engineering degrees to be acceptable, the curriculum must be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) as a professional engineering curriculum.

Evaluation of Experience. Qualifying experience involves the recognition, evaluation, corrective actions, and elimination of environmental conditions in the workplace that causes sickness, impaired health, or illness. This experience must demonstrate a professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of industrial hygiene and closely related sciences such as physics and engineering controls.

Such work must have involved experience in all of the following areas: the acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data, and the measurement of exposures for a variety of chemical, physical, and biological stresses; the analysis of the data acquired and the prediction of probable effects of exposures on the health and well-being of workers; and the selection and recommendation of appropriate controls, including management, medical, engineering, education or training, and personal protective equipment.

In addition to meeting one of the Individual Occupational Requirements listed above, you may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-09 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include, but are not limited to: The incumbent performs various duties to assess work practices and environmental conditions for hazards to the health and safety of workers. The work is auxiliary to the Lead Industrial Hygienist. Duties include conducting studies, analyzing findings, and preparing various reports. Environmental conditions involve a variety of hazards (e.g. biological, chemical, physical, etc.). Assigned work sites may include industrial shops, production areas, laboratories, confined areas, patient care areas and outdoor work sites. Conducts surveys to identify and evaluate health hazards and potential health hazards. Surveys involve determining compliance with established occupational and environmental limits (ACGIH TL V, OSHA PEL, STEL, etc.), evaluating exposures and advising on control measures and changes in work procedures or schedules to comply with the established health requirements and to provide information for evaluation purposes. Conducting respirator fit testing where evaluation of health hazards or potential health hazards requires the use of this personal protective equipment. Conducts assessments of emergency eyewash and shower facilities and completes characterizations of confined spaces throughout the medical center. Performs sampling using standard methods and review of results to determine the nature and degree of toxic/hazardous material present in a variety of constituents (air, water, soil, etc.). Determines types of measurements to be made and methods to be used. Calibrates and adapts various kinds of equipment such as air sampling pumps, moisture meters, direct reading instrumentation, screening devices, noise survey instruments, quantitative and qualitative fit testing equipment, etc. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)
OR
Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-09 level. The applicant must possess 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. Degree must be relevant to the position to be filled. Completion of graduate level education is qualifying if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered an academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.
OR
Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-09 level. Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience may be used to meet total experience requirements. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience. For example, an applicant with 6 months of appropriate experience equivalent to GS-7 (50 percent of the experience requirement for GS-9) and 27 semester hours of appropriate graduate education (50 percent of the education requirement for GS-9, in excess of that required for GS-7) would be qualified for a GS-9 position (assuming that there is no evidence that the attended college or university requires more than 18 semester hours as equivalent to a year of graduate study). (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

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.

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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

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 (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • License
  • Other (1)
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript

Documents Required:
  • Resume

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.

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 08/20/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12766663.

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. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

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

Amber Frazier
Address
Kansas City VA Medical Center
4801 Linwood Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64128
US

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.