Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to status eligible candidates including current and former employees of the VA, current and former Federal employees of other agencies, and Veterans.

The Chief, Occupational Safety and Health, is responsible for directing, planning, developing, and implementing, assessing and accountability for oversight of the Veterans Affairs St. Louis VA Health Care System Safety and Occupational Health; Emergency Management Program; Fire Protection; Green Environmental Management Systems, Industrial Hygiene; and Construction Safety Programs.

Major duties include but not limited to:

• Manages the overall facility safety program.
• Ensures the maintenance of comprehensive technical library.
• Investigates accidents and incidents and safety issues.
• Corrects unsafe or healthy working conditions, plans, develops, and implements an accident prevention and reporting system.
• Oversees the development of an industrial hygiene program to identify hazards associated with areas such as asbestos, radiation, airborne chemical contaminants, noise, temperature extremes, fumes, mold, illumination, ergonomics, and other occupational health and safety areas.
• Reviews all plans and specification for new construction, minor improvements, and non-recurring maintenance.
• Ensures resources and capabilities to manage and recover from the impacts of disasters are in within local and national standards.
• Develops health policies, procedures and standards.
• Resolves OSH, emergency & environmental matters.
• Prepares comprehensive reports, memorandums.
• Documents inspections and corrective actions.
• Prepares responses to internal and external audits.
• Conducts inspections.
• Develops training programs.
• Serves as the facility subject matter expert on National Fire Protection Association(NFPA).
• Reviews work operations and recommends the safest, most effective methods and procedures to Executive Leadership.
• Reviews all plans and specifications for new construction and fire-safety projects.
• Recovers and restores both short and long term capabilities impacted by emergencies and disasters.
• Identifies risks and design safeguards that aids in preventing, controlling, and mitigating the effects of fires.
• Ensures inspections of fire safety inspections are adhered to.
• Monitors environmental compliance.
• Acts as the primary POC with Federal, State, and Local regulatory agencies for environmental issues.
• Evaluates and update standard operating procedures (SOPs), checklists, ensuring that operational controls are effective and documented.
• Develops Environmental Management Plan for each target and significant environmental aspect.
• Collects environmental management compliance audit results in CP Track.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 0800 am - 4:30pm
Telework: Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Manager/PD097030
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

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 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 will 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 or trial 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, 12/04/2025.

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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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):
Education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.
Degree that includes or was supplemented by major study in education or in a subject matter field appropriate to the position.
Major study - safety or occupational health fields (safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene), or degree in other related fields that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours of study from among the following (or closely related) disciplines: safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, toxicology, public health, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological sciences, engineering, and industrial psychology.
OR
Experience: in or related to safety and occupational health that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

• Managing safety or occupational health program elements.
• Developing and recommending safety and occupational health policy to higher levels of management.
• Applying safety and occupational health laws, regulations, principles, theories, practices, and procedures to advise on or resolve technical matters dealing with occupational safety and health requirements.
• Developing safety and occupational health standards, regulations, practices, and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards.
• Developing or implementing programs to reduce the frequency, severity, and cost of accidents and occupational illnesses.
• Analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards.
• Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards.
• Inspecting or surveying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards and to identify potential new hazards.
• Training of workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subjects.
• Work in occupational fields such as industrial hygienist, safety engineer, fire prevention engineer, health physicist, and occupational health nurse.

OR
Certification as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or Certified Health Physicist (CHP)

Education: There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Grade Determination, GS-13: In addition to the IOR, you must meet the following:

Specialized Experience - You must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the Federal Service that has given you the knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of an Industrial Hygienist, GS-13.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Managing the overall facility safety program to provide the patients, visitors, and staff with the highest attainable level of safety;
• Defining safety issues;
• Collecting reports, investigating accidents and incident;
• Assisting in prioritizing the activities of the Safety, Environment of Care (EOC) Committee;
• Assessing and correcting unsafe or healthy working conditions, and plans, develops, and implements an accident prevention and reporting system;
• Overseeing the development of an industrial hygiene program to identify hazards associated with areas such as asbestos, radiation, airborne chemical contaminants, noise, temperature extremes, fumes, mold, illumination, ergonomics, and other occupational health and safety areas;
• Reviewing all plans and specification for new construction, minor improvements, and non-recurring maintenance; &
• Ensuring resources and capabilities to manage and recover from the impacts of disasters are in within local and national standards.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Environmental Engineering
• Leadership
• Public Safety and Security
• Technical Competence

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.

Full Performance Level is GS-13

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.

Physical Requirements: Requires requires regular and recurring field visits in order to complete investigations. Some physical exertion, such as extended periods of standing, recurring bending, stooping or lifting of light items.

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.

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.

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.

Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Agency (Competitive Merit Promotion List)
2. CPS (Merit Referral List)
3. VRA & Schedule A (Merit Referral List)

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

• Resume

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Proof of Marriage Status
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• 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.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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