Industrial Hygienist (College Graduate) Job in Arlington, VA

Vacancy No. CG-24-DAL-MSHA-12437981-KAS Department Mine Safety and Health Administration
Salary $68,405.00 to $88,926.00 Grade 9 to 9
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 6/10/2024 Close Date 6/25/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Arlington, VA


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

This position is located with the Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administrative, Enforcement Health Div. located in Arlington, VA.

MSHA works to prevent death, illness and injury from mining; promotes safe and healthful workplaces for U.S. Miners.

This position is inside the bargaining unit.

College Graduate appointments are permanent competitive service appointments.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Open to individuals who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree within the previous two years or Veterans who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree and have an intervening period of obligated service of at least four years in the uniformed services. The two-year eligibility period begins on the date of discharge or release from the uniformed service. (See the Qualifications section for further details.)

Duties

Major duties for this position include but are not limited to:

  • Plans and carries out studies and through; data analysis, mine site visits, review of inspection reports, mine records, and other source material, assure uniformity and thoroughness in the application of the requirements of the Mine and MINER Acts and applicable program policies. Participates in such studies and audits with MSHA's Directorate of Technical Support, mine inspectors, and others as necessary. Prepares findings and recommendations as guides to regulation and enforcement.
  • Prepares work on health- related subjects and MSHA activities and attends conferences, symposia, and seminars conducted by the scientific community and by national agencies and associations.
  • Provides advice to MSHA program areas on health-related issues, violations, policies, and appeals presented under provisions of the 30 CFR, Mine and MINER Acts.
  • Serves as a specialist regarding pollution engineering control technology, and health effects of occupational exposures in mining. Develops, analyzes, recommends, or coordinates chemical and physical exposure reduction guidelines, reports, technical support, and special studies to enhance, improve and carry out MSHA's health program.
  • Participates in meetings and symposia representing the goals and mission of the Health Division, Office of Enforcement, and the Agency. Develops and recommends technical revisions in scope, concept, and procedures pertaining to Enforcement programs. Reviews draft publications, journal articles, books, and all forms of manuscripts as requested both internally and externally. Prepares written and/or gives verbal opinions, advice, correspondence, and instructions on both technical matters for the guidance and direction of Safety Division and Health Division and field personnel.
  • Identifies and conducts studies and analyses of health problems and administrative issues that may arise with respect to MSHA's procedures.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Must be at least 16 years old.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Required to obtain and maintain MSHA Right of Entry credentials.
  • Subject to random drug testing.

Qualifications

To be eligible for appointment under the College Graduate authority, applicants must meet requirement A or B.

A. Applicants who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree from a qualifying educational institution within the previous two years or within 30 days of the vacancy closing date (06/25/2024).

OR

B. Veterans who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree from a qualifying educational institution and have an intervening period of obligated service of at least four years in the uniformed services. The two-year eligibility period begins on the date of discharge or release from the uniformed service.

In addition to meeting the eligibility listed above, you must also meet the education and/or experience requirements described below.

Individual Occupational Requirements:

Education: 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).

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

In addition to meeting the eligibility and IOR listed above, you must also meet the education and/or experience requirements described below.

Applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-07, in the Federal service.
Specialized experience must include one (1) of the following:

  • Conducted studies to identify, evaluate health problems and administrative issues;
  • Implemented and evaluated an industrial hygiene program;
  • Created written reports and detailed basic findings for use in final reports;
  • Experience with drafting publications, journal articles, books, and all forms of manuscripts; or,
  • Experience with reviewing inspection reports, mine records, and other source material.
Substitution of Education:

Successful completion of a master's or equivalent graduate degree;

OR

Successful completion of two full years of progressively higher level graduate leading to a master's degree;

OR

A combination of experience and graduate education as described above that equates to one year of experience.

Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant 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.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the Required Documents section for additional requirements.

This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit.

All MSHA employees and their spouses, and minor children are prohibited by regulation from having any interest, direct or indirect, in any mine or mining company that may be directly affected by the work of MSHA through its investigations, technical research, or other activities. These interests are prohibited under the Department of Labor's Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct Regulations at 5 CFR 5201.105. Certain MSHA employees are required to file a financial disclosure report. For questions, please contact Kizzie Stokes at stokes.kizzie.a@dol.gov or 972-850-4462.

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers. As such, the Department is committed to fostering a workplace and workforce that promote equal employment opportunity, reflects the diversity of the people we seek to serve, and models a culture of respect, equity, inclusion, and accessibility where every employee feels heard, supported, and empowered.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act.

Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to screening for illegal drug use prior to the appointment.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

This College Graduate announcement is open to applicants who received a bachelors or advanced degree within the previous two years (or within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement).

Applicants meeting the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements will be referred to the selecting official. Rating/ranking and veterans' preference does not apply to this position.

You may preview questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12437981

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, and other lived experience, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your vacancy question responses. If not, the OHR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume.

Required Documents

The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date.

The following documents are required from ALL applicants (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY):

  • Resumes: Required and applicants must provide one either in USAJOBS or upload one from their computer and USAJOBS profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and number of work hours worked for the experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions, and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.
  • Proof of Eligibility: Academic transcript or other official documentation from the qualifying educational institution showing that you meet the eligibility requirements for a Recent Graduate appointment, as described in the Qualifications and Evaluations section of this announcement. If you are claiming extended eligibility due to military service performed during the two-year period following graduation, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing the dates of such service. (For active duty service members expecting to be honorably discharged or released within 120 days, click Active Duty)
  • Proof of Qualifications: Academic transcripts are sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, as described in this announcement, where you are seeking to qualify, at least in part, on the basis of your education. See Qualifications and Evaluations.
  • Unofficial Transcript(s) (in English): If you are using education as a basis for qualifying for this position, you must submit all applicable academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements (ex. BA/BS, MA, JD, Ph.D., etc.). If specific coursework is required to qualify, you must supply an unofficial transcript from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit. You may upload your unofficial transcript(s) as one document with a maximum size limit of 5 MB.

NOTE: The OFFICIAL Transcript(s) MUST BE RECEIVED if you are selected, and prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date.

The following documents are required if applicable:

  • Veterans Documents (if applicable): To be considered as a 5-point (TP) preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. Your DD 214 must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. To claim 10-point (CP/CPS,XP) preference, you must submit a copy of your DD214; an Application for 10-point Veteran's Preference, SF15; and the proof of entitlement of this preference which is normally an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. (For active-duty service members expecting honorable or general discharge or release within 120 days, click Active Duty). Without this documentation, you will not receive the veteran's preference. For more information, go to Feds Hire Vets - Veterans Preference

Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience but may be submitted.

Reference the Education Section for College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education.

Do not upload password-protected documents.

Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.

To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, including submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section.

Your application and ALL required supplemental documents MUST be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the vacancy closing date to receive consideration.

Paper applications and supplemental documents submitted in any other manner without prior approval from the vacancy contact will not be considered. Click here for information on Reasonable Accommodations.

Important - Save your information before the 30 minute system timeout! For help, go to USAJOBS Help Center.

STEP 1 - Create USAJOBS Account on www.usajobs.gov, including Resume and Saved Documents. Your resume must provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the self-assessment vacancy questions. If not, HR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the competency indicated by resume content. For each employment period, include start/end month & year and note full-time or part-time (if part-time, include # of hours worked per week) otherwise, your application may be considered incomplete.

STEP 2 - Complete the 1st part of the application process (USAJOBS) Once you have identified a job on USAJOBS that you wish to apply for, click on the job title and then click the Apply button. For questions about the vacancy, contact the Agency Contact at the bottom of the announcement. Proceed through the steps noted at the top of the USAJOBS page. You will be able to select a resume and documents from your USAJOBS Account that you can submit as a package as part of your DOL application. In the final step, once you have certified your application, click the Continue to agency site button.

STEP 3 - Complete the 2nd part of the application process (DOL). On the Department of Labor (DOL) page, create a DOL Account if you have not already and click Apply to this vacancy. Continue through the progress steps at the top of the DOL page. The 2nd progress step is where you answer the vacancy-specific questions. The 3rd progress step Documents is where you submit the required documents (only if applicable to you) specified in the Required Documents section of this vacancy.

STEP 4 - On the Review and Submit step, verify each section of your application is complete and correct. In order to submit your application, you must have a check mark next to each section listed. If there is an X, return to the appropriate section and follow the prompts. When it is ready for submission, certify your application and click the Submit Application button.

STEP 5 - Edit Application as needed by 11:59 pm Eastern Time of Closing Date by returning to USAJOBS, clicking the vacancy, thenUpdate Application.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

For more detailed information on applying for positions with DOL click here to view the U.S. Department of Labor How to Apply website.

Agency contact information

Kizzie Stokes
Address
Mine Safety and Health Administration
200 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20210
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and refer candidates for selection consideration. Candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. You will be notified of the outcome. A selection is expected to be made within 30 calendar days of the issuance date of the certificate.

For instructions on how to check the status of your application, go to USAJOBS Help Guide.

USAJOBS will no longer send status alert email notifications. You can check your application status in the TAS by logging into USAJOBS and in the Applicant Dashboard, click the hiring agency Talent Acquisition System (TAS). If the TAS does not provide application tracking information, contact the agency's point of contact on the job announcement.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The Application page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.