Industrial Hygienist

Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent employees of the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center.

Major Duties:

• Assists in Occupational Safety and Health training for OGJVAMC personnel.
• Serves as an expert on issues related to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements, as well as for new or enhanced information system software related to occupational safety and health.
• Participates with national-level committees to ensure that consistent and appropriate industrial hygiene measures are followed. This includes interpretation of new or revised technical or management guidance material provided by VHA organizations, regulatory and advisory agencies and reviewing and commenting on technical reports or studies that relate to or impact the operation and maintenance of the OGJVAMC.

• Conducts surveys of working conditions to determine the nature and magnitude of hazardous exposures and the effectiveness of existing control measures.
• Applies appropriate sampling techniques and procedures and may oversee the work of contractors engaged to perform specific monitoring.
• Based on sampling results, observe operations regarding toxic or hazardous materials, prepares a technical report citing health hazards and setting forth recommended action for their control or elimination.
• Develop, implements, and maintains a robust Respiratory Protection Program in compliance with agency policy, regulatory standards, and current best practices. This involves subjects related to the management of respirator programs for occupation health especially in the healthcare setting including selection of appropriate protective devices, user training and evaluation of new devices, and leading OGJVAMC training and exercises.
• Keeps abreast of latest development in the field of industrial hygiene by review of technical publications, attending technical conferences or professional society meetings and discussions with industry representative as necessary.
• Develops, evaluates, and maintains corrective and preventive actions for respirator programs at OGJVAMC and recommends remedial actions to management for approval.
• Coordinates with engineers to develop control measures, such as changes in work procedures, systems, materials, or the use of personal protective equipment where hazardous exposures are discovered.
• Serves as a technical and program management expert and for the OGJVAMC with responsibility for providing leadership guidance, technical assistance and evaluation for matters involving industrial hygiene and respiratory protection.
• Supports the development of facility industrial hygiene policies, programs, and procedural documentation.
• Plans, conducts, or directs special studies concerned with occupational health problems which require the development or modification of air sampling equipment or protective devices or the evaluation of control measures for a specific operation.
• Performs work that requires knowledge of the organization of the facility, as well as the construction, operation, and maintenance of healthcare facilities.
• Cooperatively works with federal, state, and local environmental and occupational safety and health organizations in areas of mutual interest.
• Supports the Safety Management System (SMS) in providing industrial hygiene expertise in identification and remediation of occupational health concerns.
• Supports the Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS) in managing hazardous waste and hazardous materials.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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 identification 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)

• 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/10/2026.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. Note: additional time-in-grade information can be found under "How You Will Be Evaluated".

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. (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)). (Proof of Certification Required)

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

In addition to meeting the Basic Education Requirements you must meet the following specialized experience and/or education to qualify for this position at the GS-9 grade level.

Specialized Experience: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: the recognition, evaluation, corrective actions, and elimination of environmental conditions in the workplace that causes sickness, impaired health, or illness. Professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of industrial hygiene and closely related sciences such as physics and engineering controls. 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.

OR

Substitution of Education for Experience: Master's degree or equivalent graduate degree, obtained in an accredited college or university, with a major field of study directly related to the position being filled. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one (1) year of full-time study If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. NOTE: Transcripts Required.

OR

Combination Education and Experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the Industrial Hygienist position may be used to meet the experience requirements for this position. For example, nine (9) months of appropriate specialized experience equivalent to GS-7 (75 percent of the experience requirement for GS-9) and 1 year of successfully completed graduate level education. (50 percent of the required education), would exceed the total requirement and be qualified for the GS-9 position. NOTE: Only graduate level education may be used to qualify at the grade 9 level. NOTE: Only graduate level education may be used to qualify at the grade 9 level. Transcripts Required.

In addition to meeting the Basic Education Requirements you must meet the following specialized experience and/or education to qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level.

Specialized Experience: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: the recognition, evaluation, corrective actions, and elimination of environmental conditions in the workplace that causes sickness, impaired health, or illness. Professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of industrial hygiene and closely related sciences such as physics and engineering controls. 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.

OR

Substitution of Education for Experience: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, obtained in an accredited college or university, with a major field of study directly related to the position being filled. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one (1) year of full-time study If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. NOTE: Transcripts Required.

OR

Combination Education and Experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the Industrial Hygienist position may be used to meet the experience requirements for this position. For example, nine (9) months of appropriate specialized experience equivalent to GS-09 (75 percent of the experience requirement for GS-11) and 2.5 years of successfully completed graduate level education. (50 percent of the required education, i.e., the applicant has one half year of graduate study beyond that required for the GS-09), would exceed the total requirement and be qualified for the GS-11 position. NOTE: Only education in excess of 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education may be used to qualify at the grade 11 level. Transcripts Required.


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.

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.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

Additional Time-In-Grade Information: 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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

• Cover Letter
• Other (1)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing 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
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Next steps