Safety & Occupational Health Manager

Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. VHA Employees Only

The Safety Manager's job, with the assistance of his subordinate staff, is to oversee, monitor and evaluate safety activities; to manage the overall facility safety program to provide the patients, visitors and staff of VASNHCS the highest attainable level of safety possible, and to identify opportunities for improvement through an ongoing effort of problem identification, evaluation, resolution, monitoring and evaluation. The Safety Manager is also responsible for defining safety issues, collecting reports, investigating accidents and incidents, assisting in prioritizing the activities of the Accident Review Board, and assisting in defining solutions that can be implemented by supervisory line officials at all management levels.

The Safety Manager reviews, analyzes and makes recommendations on VASNHCS construction projects during all phases from conceptual design through final acceptance of construction to verify compliance with all applicable VA, NFPA and other safety codes and requirements, to ensure technical conformance with safety criteria, and/or to make safety recommendations for structural changes to achieve full compliance when deficiencies are detected. The Safety Manager prepares the Statement of Construction and Fire Protection for the facility as required by The Joint Commission (TJC) for health care occupancies. Based on the Statement of Construction, incumbent makes recommendations for structural changes or seeks approval for fire safety equivalencies to bring the Medical Center into compliance for life safety code compliance and for TJC accreditation.

The Safety Manager has total responsibility for implementing, managing and monitoring a comprehensive Safety Program as defined by Department policy and meeting the Safety and Life Safety requirements of both the Department of Veterans Affairs and TJC. These guidelines emphasize integration of safety management and clinical responsibilities, and a "closed loop" safety cycle of communication and documentation for significant safety issues and incidents, which consists of problem identification and prioritization, problem analysis, problem resolution and monitoring and evaluation.

With the technical assistance of a subordinate Industrial Hygienist, the Safety Manager oversees an aggressive program of industrial hygiene, biohazards management, hazardous materials management, chemical hygiene and environmental safety and compliance.

The Safety Manager interacts with the facility Office of Quality Management (which includes quality assurance, utilization management and risk management) headed by the medical center's Quality Manager to assure a "closed loop" management process is followed in handling and documenting significant issues.

The Safety Manager has responsibility for independently planning, designing and implementing programs, projects, studies or other work. Results are considered technically authoritative and are normally accepted without significant change. If the work is reviewed, the review concentrates on such facts as fulfillment of program objectives and effect of advice and influence on overall programs. Recommendation for new programs and alteration of objectives are usually evaluated for availability of funding and other resources, broad program goals and medical center priorities. The Safety Manager uses guidelines, including standard instructions, technical literature, Department policies and regulations, manufacturers' catalogs, precedents and standard practices to manage program. Since these guidelines are often inadequate when dealing with the many complex and unusual challenges encountered, the Safety Manager must use resourcefulness, initiative and judgment based on experience to deviate from or extend traditional safety methods and precedents. The Safety Manager is responsible for developing material to supplements and explains VA Central Office and other regulatory guidelines at the station level.

Other relative duties as assigned.

Incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidate.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0730-1600
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: No
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Travel: Yes 25%
Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Manager/PD00948O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 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 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, 07/31/2026.

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-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.

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-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Managing safety program elements; developing and recommending safety policy to higher levels of management; applying safety laws, regulations, principles, theories, practices and procedures to advise on or resolve technical matters dealing with safety requirements; developing safety standards, regulations, practice and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards; developing/implementing programs to reduce the frequency, severity and cost of accidents; analyzing/evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards; designing/modifying workplaces, processes, products or other systems to control or eliminate hazards; inspecting/surveying workplaces, processes, products or other systems for compliance with established safety policies or standards and to identify potential new hazards; training workers, supervisors, managers or other safety personnel in safety or occupational health subjects..

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

• Accountability
• Customer Service
• Decisiveness
• Environmental Engineering
• Flexibility
• Interpersonal Skills
• Leadership
• Problem Solving
• Resilience
• Safety Engineering

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.

Physical Requirements: The position requires you to exert considerable and strenuous physical effort on a regular basis while performing the functions required of the position. The functions are normally performed while the incumbent conducts safety surveys and inspections that require crawling in confined building areas. This position involves walking frequently back and forth between buildings and, also traveling among all community clinics. The individual spends additional time outdoors in conjunction with projects taking place and spends time at construction sites and on VASNHCS inspections.

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 MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

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.

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

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Professional Certification
• 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.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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