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.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

-Supports existing and implements new procedures to support a comprehensive industrial hygiene program that includes the following; asbestos control and abatement, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, hearing conservation, hazard communication, nitrous oxide, mercury, hazardous and infectious waste management, water testing and treatment, respiration and anti-neoplastic drugs.

-Performs environmental monitoring, recommends methods to abate occupational exposures, initiates medical surveillance procedures, maintains necessary records and conducts limited employee training.

-Anticipates, recognizes, evaluates and formulates corrective action and/or control for occupational hazards or stress (i.e. physical, chemical, biological and ergonomic) arising from the workplace that may cause inefficiency or discomfort among employees.

-Performs various duties to assess work practices and environmental conditions for hazards to the health and safety of employees to include; conducting studies of work operations and processes, examining work environments, analyzing findings, formulating recommendations and preparing reports.

-Evaluates environmental conditions involving a variety of hazards, including; physical, chemical and biological hazards, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and other environmental agents and recommends corrective action to ensure that hazards are noted and abated.

-Conducts industrial hygiene inspections on a routine basis to determine compliance with occupational health regulations, recognized standards, and VA standards, using techniques and practices commonly utilized in the industrial hygiene profession.

-Investigates exposures and complaints by employees concerning work conditions.

-Conducts reviews of workplace procedures (i.e. chemical inventories, operating standards and work process analysis) to determine methods of measuring degree of toxicity related to the work place in a health care environment (i.e. chemical, noise, etc.).

-Arranges for shipments of samples to an outside contractor for analysis or conducts limited analysis in-house in accordance with recognized methods and prepares sampling and inspection reports for management review.

-Calibrates and uses various types of analytical equipment used in the field of industrial hygiene, to include but not limited to; air sampling pumps, sound level meters, noise dosimeters, light meters, velometers, portable infrared spectrophotometers, and mercury vapor analyzers.

-Responsible for all aspects of the hazard communication program.

-Reviews contract plans and specifications, including concept designs, and provides recommendations for alleviate potential occupational health hazards when needed.

-Accompanies representatives of the VISN Industrial Hygienist, OSHA, The Joint Commission, Virginia regional utilities and Virginia Department of Health during official inspections, as needed.

-Presents expert testimony for hearings, boards and other legally appointed investigating bodies concerning matters pertaining to occupational health and environmental issues.


Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD500660
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives/Expenses: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Physical Requirements: Office as well as field work required. Field inspections are frequent and require moderate physical exertion in carrying heavy equipment, climbing, and bending, as well as extended periods of standing and a considerable amount of walking during surveys.

Work Environment: During inspections, the employee is exposed to all the risks and discomforts associated with the medical facility. This exposure necessitates personal protective clothing and equipment due to the variety of toxic and hazardous environments in which some of the effects of exposure are not fully known.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• This position requires the incumbent to possess and maintain for the duration of employment a current and valid State driver's license
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You will be required to complete your TB/Immunization evaluation with Employee/Occupational Health section.
• 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/04/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.


Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): You must meet one of the following basic requirements below to be eligible for the GS-0690, Industrial Hygiene job series. The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

Applicants must meet one of the following Basic 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). Note: You must submit a copy of your certification with your application. Certification cannot be credited without documentation.

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

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of an Industrial Hygienist, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of Specialized experience includes but is not limited to: Specifies goals and obstacles to achieving those goals, generates alternatives, considers risks, and evaluates and chooses the best alternative in order to make a determination, draw conclusions or solve a problem. Use knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on the job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. Effectively expresses information to multiple audiences through clear dissemination of information and ideas; actively listens to others and demonstrates understanding of their comments and/or questions. Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance. 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.

~OR~

• Possess 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree in a course of study directly related to this position. Note: Transcripts required.

~OR~

• Combination of specialized experience and successfully completed graduate level education beyond a Master's degree (36 semester hours) in a course of study directly related to this position.

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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

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:

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