Duties
Duties include, but may not be limited to the following:
- Performs various duties in Industrial Hygiene program to access work practices and environmental conditions for hazards to the health and safety of workers; conducts studies of work operations and processes, examines work environments, analyzes findings, promulgates recommendations, and prepares various reports; and works in environmental conditions involving a variety of hazards including physical, chemical and biological hazards, ionizing and nonionizing radiation, and other environmental agents.
- Regularly inspects the medical center to identify potential occupational health hazards and the need for further investigative studies and surveys; determines compliance with various established criteria, evaluating exposures, and advising on control measures and changes in work procedures or schedules to comply with established health requirements, and providing information for evaluation purposes; and 1) selects or devises methods and instruments; 2) personally or through others, conducts measurements; and 3) studies and tests materials associated with the work operation or work environment.
- Performs analysis to determine nature and degree of toxic materials present; interprets results of studies for the work environment in terms of possible impairment to health, nature of health impairment, potential for medical center damages, etc., and presents specific conclusions and recommendations to appropriate management and health officials; determines the need for, and effectiveness of, control measures and changes in work procedures; and recommends procedures that will be suitable and effective for the environment.
- Receives and disposes of hazardous wastes and maintains appropriate records in accordance with existing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, state law and facility regulations; prepares comprehensive and legally sufficient written reports of all monitoring activities performed; and ensures proper documentation of employee exposures in medical records.
- Performs all other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm.
Position Description Title/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD02277A
Physical Requirements: The work may require some physical effort (e.g. walking, standing, pushing/pulling carts with light
items, carrying light items such as manuals, briefcases, light equipment, or driving or traveling by
motor vehicle)
Promotion Potential: Position is at the full performance level.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
- Subject to a background/suitability investigation
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required
- 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
Upon completion of your Trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year 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
Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Individual Occupational Requirements
BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:
The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education(external link) 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 Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene(external link) (ABIH)).
Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable.
Link to OPM Individual Occupational Requirements
Note: Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable.
GS-11 grade level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 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:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE - In addition to meeting one of the above requirements, applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them with the knowledge, skill and ability to successfully perform the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: knowledge of industrial hygiene principles, procedures, standards, equipment, techniques, and methods; managing an industrial hygiene program; performing analysis to determine nature and degree of toxic materials; knowledge of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards (such as hazardous waste, drinking water, medical waste, etc.); conducting surveys/studies of work operations regarding hazardous conditions; and preparing comprehensive industrial hygiene reports. Such work must have involved experience in all of the following areas: 1) the acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data, and the measurement of exposures for a variety of chemical, physical, and biological stresses; 2) the analysis of the data acquired and the prediction of probable effects of exposures on the health and well-being of workers; and 3) the selection and recommendation of appropriate controls, including management, medical, engineering, education or training, and personal protective equipment.
OR
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE
(TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) - Applicants must possess successful completion of three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. in industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science. The education is qualifying if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the Industrial Hygienist position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
OR
COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
(TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)- Combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements.
You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:
- Hazardous Materials: Knowledge of hazardous materials and waste and their uses, interactions, dangers, production, handling, storage, and disposal.
- Health Risk Analysis: Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of health risk analysis; establish an exposure assessment strategy; collect basic characterization information (workplace, work force, and agents); assess exposure to the work force; prioritize health risks; implement monitoring and control strategies for unacceptable exposures; schedule and perform periodic reassessments; and document and communicate health risk exposure.
- Compliance Inspection: Knowledge of the guidelines, regulations, and procedures associated with compliance inquiries, including application of compliance rules and criteria and ability to make appropriate decisions and issue citations, fines, or orders.
- Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
Physical Requirements: The performance of duties requires long periods of walking, standing, crawling, kneeling, and bending. Moderate lifting and carrying of equipment, use of personal protective devices, and work in hazardous and confined spaces is required. Use of all appendages, good vision, and hearing are necessary. Emotional and mental stability are 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.
Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.
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.
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.
Required Documents
Documents Accepted:
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Other (1)
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
Documents Required:
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.