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.

The incumbent serves as an Industrial Hygienist in the Safety Section within Engineering Service at each campus and provides assistance to the Lead Industrial Hygienist. The incumbent's supervisor is the Safety Officer. Performs various duties to assess work practices and environmental conditions for hazards to the health and safety of workers.

Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Position Description Title/PD#: Industrial Hygienist / PD523-00877-0
Recruitment Incentive: Authorized
Permanent Change of Station: Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Notifications:

• This position is in the Competitive Service.
• Current and Former Federal employees may submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.
• This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay.
• Selectee may be required to work at any VA Boston Healthcare System campus or CBOC, as needed.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 11/28/2025.

Industrial Hygiene Series, 0690
Individual Occupational Requirements
Basic Requirements

The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

Applicants must meet one of the following 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)

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: 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.
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. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)
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)

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Technical Competence
Communications
Compliance

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.

Physical Requirements:
Industrial Hygiene surveys and investigations are frequently and require the employee to carry moderately heavy equipment. Investigations also involve a good deal of standing, walking and bending.

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.

Resume Reminder: Your resume must include the following information each job listed:

1. Job title
2. Duties (be as detailed as possible)
3. Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
4. Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)

Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.

An incomplete application will receive a rating of IFFM (ineligible due to missing forms). Requests for reconsideration will not be considered for applicants who fail to submit a complete application package. We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software or fax transmissions.

Documents Accepted:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• 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.

Next steps