Clarification from the agency

Applications will be Accepted from all US Citizens Note: Please be advised that federal retired annuitant candidates may only be considered as a temporary employee if the role can be filled in that capacity.

***The incumbent of this position is designated as "Emergency/Essential" and will be required to report to work during emergencies and inclement weather conditions and may be required to work weekends and/or off normal daytime working hours***

Tour of Duty is Monday - Friday (Core Hours: 6 am - 6 pm) Eligible for Telework.

Major Duties Include:

Advisory Services for Industrial Hygiene Programs and Projects

• Serves as an Agency subject matter expert and authority in industrial hygiene programs, with the responsibility for providing expert advice to staff members; the development and interpretation of regulations and guidelines regarding the occupational health and safety of employees; the promotion of AOC compliance and mandated requirements; the evaluation of progress achieved and regulatory matters; and consultation and training where needed.
• Identifies and assesses risk factors on health hazards, analyzes and evaluates industrial health findings and develops such changes in methods or procedures to control health hazards. Develops and implements internal procedures for immediate control of hazards.
• Develops criteria, procedures and written guidance for the handling, labeling, storing, use, transfer and disposal of toxic and hazardous materials. 

Establishment of Program Evaluation Criteria and Conditions

• Provides expert industrial hygiene advice and technical assistance and guidance to employees, supervisors, managers and other personnel on chemical, physical and biological stressors in the workplace.
• Investigates health problems that arise among workers and determines corrective measures. Participates in accident investigations and emergency responses when potentially hazardous or unknown substances are involved.

Formulation and Dissemination

• Performs, organizes and/or directs comprehensive on-site inspections and worksite surveys on a recurring basis to identify and evaluate conditions which may be hazardous to workers' health.
• Observes operations and conditions which could constitute potential health problems. Develops or oversees the creation of sampling strategies and protocols, takes air samples, bulk samples and cultures for contaminants suspected of causing health problems.

Hazard Information Training and Dissemination

• Conducts new employee orientation on health and hazardous conditions and conducts annual refresher training for all employees and volunteers. Develops training plans, conducts training of supervisors and monitors in-service training activities. Prepares articles, pamphlets or brochures and/or directs the preparation of materials by others for publication.
• Collaborates with supervisors, safety managers and occupational health personnel or physicians to institute control and remedial measures for hazardous and potentially hazardous conditions and equipment.
• Develops specific implementation strategies to promote information dissemination and exchange among health-oriented organizations and/or among assigned Agency program offices using such methods as electronic mail, distribution of project reports, newsletters or program announcements.

Project Management

• Acts as a Project Manager or Task Leader on assigned projects and is responsible for: (1) independently administering assigned projects of major size, scope and complexity in accordance with safety and health regulations, AOC policies and best practices, which may include: preparation of scope and statement of work; acting as the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR); reporting project status to upper management; coordinating an integrated team; managing the schedule, budget and quality of the projects and most importantly meeting the clients objectives (2) furnishing advice and counsel to the agency, contractors and representatives of other agencies on matters pertaining to the use and interpretation of the assigned criteria.

Contractor Oversight

• Examines plans, specifications and cost estimates for technical adequacy, throughout the entirety of development. Reports progress and/or problems. Directs necessary changes, resolves controversial problems, ensures conformance to plans and specifications and furnishes other assistance as required where deficiencies are noted.
• Handles and assesses contractor efforts and assesses technical progress in relation to the established schedule and resources allotted. Reviews plans, specifications and cost estimates for technical adequacy. Serves as a COTR on assigned projects.
• Adheres to applicable safety rules in the performance of duties. Complies with applicable AOC and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety rules and regulations. Provides or receives training, either on the job or through classroom training, to ensure that required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is utilized.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• You must be able to pass a drug test.
• Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
• You must meet the definition of specialized experience.

To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:

-A citizen of the United States;

-A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);

-A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;

-A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or

-A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

And

The selectees shall be certified by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene or be able to sit and pass the exam within a year after hire.

May be required to work weekends and/or off normal daytime working hours.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position.  You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement.  Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions.  It is available for your review on the OPM web site at OPM qualification standards
 
Specialized experience: is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.  To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.
 
Candidates for the GS-13 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower GS-12 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position is defined as having experience in at least 4 of the following: (1) Performing field inspections of proposed projects and participating in accident investigations in controlled facilities when hazardous or unknown substances are involved; (2) Planning and managing policies and programs involving: hazardous building materials, indoor air quality, exposure assessments and medical surveillance; (3) Preparing written reports based upon the analysis of data acquired and the prediction of probable effects of exposures on the health and well-being of workers; (4) Administering an industrial hygiene training program and disseminating information and exchange among health-oriented organizations and/or program offices; (5) Serving as Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR) or equivalent to ensure accurate and adequate oversight of contractor performance.

How you will be evaluated

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

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions. 

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

• Knowledge required to provide expert interpretations of published occupational health standards.

• Knowledge required to research technical publications and coordinate with related occupational health specialists to develop instructions, specifications and field manuals/program guides for the use by Agency personnel.

• Knowledge required to evaluate testing laboratories to assure that they are adequately staffed and qualified to process data in accordance with legal requirements.

• Knowledge and skill required to serve as an expert witness in contested cases. Full knowledge of applicable rules in the performance of duties.

• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing.

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions.  Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).

The Architect of the Capitol's job application process is designed to ensure that we only ask you for the information that is absolutely needed to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position.

To apply for this position, you only need to submit online the following: a) your resume and 2) answer the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant supplemental information. No additional documentation or attachment is required at the time of application. 

We ask that you prepare and submit a resume that best describes fully your background experience, skills, abilities, education, training and other relevant credentials. The resume should include dates of employment.

Nothing further is required until it is requested by the staff of the Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for a position, you will be asked to provide it during the selection process or upon selection. At that point, we may ask you to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume.

For example, we may ask you to provide documents such as college transcripts, copy of diploma or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires a license or certification, we will ask candidate(s) to provide proof at the time of selection.

If you are claiming veterans' preference, we may ask you to submit proof of Veterans preference (DD-214, and, if claiming 10-point preference, the SF-15 plus proof required by that form).

If you fail to provide the required documents, we will withdraw a tentative job offer made and/or remove you from further consideration.

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