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. This announcement is open to CTAP, ICTAP eligible and All U.S. Citizens.

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.

Major Duties:

• Performs comprehensive water systems inspections to ensure regulatory compliance.
• Studies the results of inspections, determines compliance/need for correction, develops corrective plans of action.
• Provides technical advice to employees at all levels to ensure facility compliance to a multitude of federal, state and local regulations.
• Develops and conducts water safety training programs for targeted employees.
• Utilizes a number of measurement techniques and instruments to assess environmental exposures. Performs water quality and safety assessments upon request.
• Works with Engineering and Environmental Management Service on comprehensive water safety program. Shares data and cooperatively develops solutions.
• Develops data and graphical reports for presentation in several Safety and Health Care System meetings/boards/councils.
• Develops and organizes events and educational activities, such as posters and presentations, and participates in safety fairs and other partner training events.
• Records and monitors expenditures in time, equipment, resources to project needs and budget for each fiscal year.
• Maintains all documentation (permits, certifications, policies, meeting minutes) demonstrating compliance and fulfilling regulatory and agency requirements.
• Represents Safety Service in external committees (such as Infection Control Committee) for water safety issues including reporting.
• Applies incident investigation and root cause analysis to track and identify trends.
• Completes work quickly and accurately using VistA/DHCP, Microsoft Office products, and various other data/information retrieval systems.
• Organizes/directs monthly/as needed water sampling and system inspections; maintains results database; reports findings, compliance and remediation.
• Supports Green Environmental Management Program and Industrial Hygiene Program in aspects of water safety.
• Organizes and facilitates the quarterly Water Safety Committee, coordinating membership, activities and reporting.
• Performs back-up support to supervisory IH/Service Chief and Industrial Hygienists as needed.

Work Schedule: 8:00AM-4:30PM, Monday - Friday
Position Description Title/PD#: Industrial Hygienist~/3965-0
Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; Straight pulling (1 hours); Pulling hand over hand (1 hours); Pushing ( hours); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (8 hours); Standing (8 hours); Crawling (1 hours); Repeated bending (1 hours); Climbing, use of legs and arms; Both legs required; Operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid may be permitted); emotional & mental stability; prosthetic limbs permitted

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

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period (OR INSERT "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.

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.

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:
  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. Certification from the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH)) (Certificate Required).
• 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-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, and environmental health protection programs that are aimed at preventing occupational injuries/illnesses, preserving physical resources, and conserving the environment; conducting evaluations, risk assessments and investigations of all medical facility service areas to determine continual compliance with occupational safety and health standards, the Joint Commission standards, the requirements of the medical facilities directives and policies; and furnishes the latest highly advanced technical information over a broad range of industrial hygiene and environmental health topics to top field facility management, contracted personnel, and agency wide personnel for the purpose of discussion, training, and sharing best practices on monthly industrial hygiene calls.


OR

Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-11 level: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

OR

Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 level: a combination of education and experience as described above. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

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-11. 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.

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
• Transcript

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