Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to CTPA/ICTAP and All U.S. Citizens. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Major Duties:

• Managing ongoing industrial hygiene and environmental programs in a complex health care environment to ensure regulatory compliance.
• Coordinates an effective health care decontamination team in compliance with standards of the Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Joint Commission.
• Performs on-site inspections of new construction to ensure compliance with all applicable codes, standards, and health care system policies.
• Prepares quarterly and annual reports regarding Industrial Hygiene Programs.
• Keeps abreast of latest development in environmental management systems, respiratory protection, and health care decontamination by review of technical publications, attending technical conferences or professional society meetings, and discussions with industry representatives.
• Identifying industrial hygiene deficiencies through inspection, program analysis, and incident investigation and development recommendations for corrective action within a healthcare environment.
• Develops, evaluates, and provides corrective actions for respirator programs. Recommends and approves remedial actions.
• Conducts internal annual gap analysis of program in preparation for evaluation by higher level office.
• Reviews implementation of policy and procedures and reports the status to national level.
• Discusses deficiencies and remedial action with appropriate local leadership and committee.
• Approves preventive and corrective actions.
• Studies and surveys performed involve determining compliance with various established criteria, evaluating exposures, and advising on control measures and changes in work procedures or schedules to comply with established heath requirements, and providing information for evaluation purposes.
• Conducts education program for employees in the prevention of occupational exposures and diseases (hazard communication program) and documents all training.
• Cooperatively works with federal, state, and local environmental and occupational safety and health organizations in areas of mutual interest.
• Responds to inquiries and provides technical assistance to health care system personnel.
• Calibrates and uses a variety of industrial hygiene instrumentation, including but not limited to air sampling pumps, noise survey instruments, and field direct reading devices.
• Develops, implements, and maintains the respiratory protection program to include identification of workplaces requiring respiratory protection, coordination of medical examinations, and conducting respirator training and fit-testing for affected employees.
• Reviews safety data sheets (SDS) for chemicals used which are applicable to hospital
  policies, basic safety guides, etc.
• Develops and presents budgetary information related to environmental programs.
• Identifies and requisitions test equipment used in performing industrial hygiene tasks.
• Develops training for facility personnel on industrial hygiene topics.
• Conducts studies of work operations and processes, examines work environments, analyzes findings, promotes recommendations, and prepares reports.
• Communicating effectively, orally, and in writing, with all levels of an organization and to communicate complex issues to enable employees and managers to make effective, well informed decisions.
• Responds to industrial hygiene inquiries and provides technical assistance to employees.

Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday
Position Description Title/PD#: Industrial Hygienist
Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department. The five Core Values define "who we are," our culture, and how we care for Veterans, their families and other beneficiaries.
The Values are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence ("I CARE").
As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips.

Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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:
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 (Transcripts Required); 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 (Transcripts Required); or
• Certification from the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH)) (Certificate Required).

Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable.

GS-11 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 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. Specialized experience includes: Developing, planning, managing, and continuously evaluating the effectiveness of the industrial hygiene, safety, occupational health, environmental health, radiation, and fire protection programs; Full evaluations, risk assessments and investigations; Determine continual compliance with occupational safety and health standards, The Joint Commission (TJC) standards; Solve systemic issues dealing with occupational health and the environment.

To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-09. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

There is no educational substitution for the GS-11 level.

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.

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.

Documents Accepted:

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

Next steps