Safety & Occupational Health Specialist

Clarification from the agency

Open to All U.S. Citizens

As an Safety & Occupational Health Specialist, you will use your knowledge and experience to optimize business results and customer experience by:

• Developing strategic priorities, annual project plans, project schedules, performance metrics, tracking systems, and reporting mechanisms.
• Reviewing incident records, employer documentation, regulatory findings, and investigative materials; interviewing employers, employees, witnesses, and other stakeholders; identifying contributing factors and prevention opportunities; collecting and analyzing information; developing investigative reports; and disseminating findings.
• Preparing scientific manuscripts, technical reports, trade journal articles, fact sheets, web content, presentations, infographics, briefing materials, and other communication products related to occupational injury prevention and FACE investigations.
• Conducting literature reviews, synthesizing scientific findings, developing prevention messaging, coordinating review and clearance activities, and disseminating findings through scientific, professional, governmental, and public channels. Providing technical review of internal and external documents for technical content, scientific accuracy, and consistency.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Selective Service: Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov
• If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
• One-year probationary period may be required.
• If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
• All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date.

Qualifications

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education in a 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: Have specialized 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

Certificates: Have Certification as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or Certified Health Physicist (CHP), or similar certification that included successful completion of a written examination meets the requirements for GS-5. Applicants may also qualify for higher grade levels based on their education and/or experience.

AND

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following:

• Leading, coordinating, conducting, or providing technical support for occupational safety and health projects, programs, or investigations.
• Conducting or participating in investigations of occupational fatalities, serious injuries, or workplace hazards.
• Preparing technical reports, products, or presentations to disseminate safety recommendations to diverse audiences.
• Collaborating with federal, state, local, academic, industry, labor, or professional organizations to advance workplace safety.

Documenting Experience:
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

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; religious; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

OPM Qualification General Policies Website
www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=app

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement. Evaluation will be based on your application materials (such as your resume and supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of all required assessments.

Resume Requirement
Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages in length.

Basic Qualification Question
As part of the application process, you must answer a question addressing whether you meet the Basic Requirement for this position, as described in this announcement.

Minimum Qualification Questions
As part of the application process, you must answer a minimum qualification question addressing whether you meet the Specialized Experience required for this position, as described in this announcement.

Your response must be supported by the experience documented in your resume. If your resume does not demonstrate the required Specialized Experience, you may be found not qualified.

Assessment Process

USA Hire Technical Assessment
You are required to complete a USA Hire technical assessment to evaluate the job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities required for this position

HR Resume Review
Human Resource (HR) Specialists will review your resume to determine whether you meet the required Specialized Experience.

Applicants who successfully pass the assessment(s) may be referred to the Hiring Manager for consideration.

You must complete all required steps in the process, including submitting an application and resume and participating in the structured interview, to be considered for this position.

Category rating procedures will be used to rate and rank candidates. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Qualified candidates will be ranked into one of three categories:

• Best Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is almost identical to those required by the position.
• Well Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is very similar to those required by the position.
• Qualified - Applicants who meet minimum qualification requirements, but do not identify any additional qualifying experience or skill.

Candidates in the highest category will be referred to the hiring agency.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher).

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decisiveness
• Flexibility
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13028410

Submission of a resume alone IS NOT a complete application. You must provide a complete online Application Package which includes:

• Resume must not exceed two (2) pages and must support responses to the online application. Failure to submit a resume and all required documentation identified in this announcement may result in removal from further consideration. Resumes must include duties, accomplishments, related skills, and start and end dates (month/day/year) for each position. Full-time employment will be assumed unless otherwise indicated; part-time experience will be prorated. Incomplete information may affect eligibility or rating.
• A complete Assessment Questionnaire (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13028410)

Other Supporting Documents: (Only submit if applicable to you.)

• College transcript (if qualifying all or in part based on your education)
• College transcript, if qualifying all or in part based on your education.
• Veterans' Preference:
  • Discharged Veterans:
    • 5 point preference: copy of DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the armed forces that supports dates of service and discharge status
    • 10 point preference: Application for 10-Point Veterans Preference (SF-15) and an official document dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, and/or any other associated documentation based on your preference
  • Active Duty Members: Under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, if claiming 5 point preference, submit written documentation from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with the application package.
• RPL Documentation: Candidates must submit all documents required to demonstrate that they meet the qualifications of the position
  • If separated due to Reduction in Force (RIF):
    • Most recent SF-50, or equivalent, that shows position occupied; tenure; grade and step; salary; and full performance level
    • SF-50 showing Separation - RIF. If not available, submit official documentation of Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a proposed removal/separation notice
    • Latest performance rating showing rating score
  • If separated due to Compensable Injury:
    • Most recent SF-50, or equivalent, that shows position occupied; tenure; grade and step; salary; and full performance level
    • SF-50, which shows separation, or SF-50 showing acceptance of position at a lower grade or pay level in lieu of separation
    • Notification from the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, Department of Labor, that injury compensation benefits have ceased or will cease
    • Latest performance rating and rating of record (if separate documents) showing rating score

• CTAP/ICTAP
  • RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of disability annuity termination, or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement
  • SF-50, showing positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to be placed through RPL, etc
  • Latest performance appraisal including rating
  • Documentation from your agency showing current promotion potential
• Military Spouse Documentation Overseas Military Spouse: Copy of Military sponsor's PCS orders and a valid marriage certificate or other documentation verifying marriage. If applicable, a copy of most recent SF-50
• Certain Military Spouse: For all categories below, a valid marriage certificate or other documentation verifying marriage. Additional supporting documentation requirements differ for each category
  • Spouse of a service member on active duty, you are required to submit a copy of the service member's current orders or a Statement of Service letter. The Statement of Service must be signed by the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of the service member's unit or higher headquarters, AND the Statement of Service letter must include dates of active-duty service. For current federal employees, submit a copy of the most recent SF-50
  • Spouse of a service member who incurred a 100% disability because of the service member's active duty service, you are required to submit a copy of your spouse's DD-214 and a copy of documentation from the Department of Veteran's Affairs or the Department of Defense indicating the service member has a disability rating of 100% due to a service connected disability
  • Spouse of a service member who was killed while on active duty, submit a copy of the spouse's DD-1300 documenting the service member was killed while on active duty and a statement certifying that you have not remarried.

Next steps