Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Clarification from the agency

This is a Merit Promotion announcement for career and career conditional Federal employees, I/CTAP eligibles and those who are eligible under the hiring paths listed above. Refer to Required Documents section for more information.

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Plans, schedules, and conducts recurring Safety and Occupational Health (S&OH) inspections at all DKAO facilities.
• Provides technical assistance and safety oversight of operations and maintenance (O&M) activities.
• Conducts in-depth contract and site reviews of contractor operations and evaluates contractor safety and occupational health programs.
• Represents DKAO at Regional safety meetings and helps accomplish Regional and Area Office safety goals.
• Serves as principle physical security contact for DKAO. Responsible for all physical security issues, answering questions concerning security and keeping Area Leadership team informed.
• Provides daily guidance and leadership as the hazardous waste and materials (HAZMAT) coordinator.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Conditions of employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary or 2-year trial period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 08/04/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

Basic Education Requirement: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:
Basic Educational Requirement AND/OR Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

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. NOTE: You must submit copies of your college transcripts.
-OR-
Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): 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: 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. NOTE: Please provide copy of the certification if claiming eligibility based on the above.

You may combine specialized experience and education to meet the minimum qualifications.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:
Basic Educational Requirement AND/OR Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level:
Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: assisting in the inspection of building plans and construction sites and identifying potential hazards; preparing formal inspection reports, including identifying deficiencies in building design or construction methods; and providing information regarding workplace safety. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
Education: Successful completion of at least a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master's degree in 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. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Combination of education and experience as listed above. You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level:
Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: valuating building plans and construction sites and identifying potential hazards; recommending corrective actions to determine compliance with requirements and other regulatory compliance; and conducting follow-up inspections; preparing a summary report of findings in construction methods, including recommendations regarding prevention of re-occurrence, abatement of hazard and employee re-training; and conducting formal training and developing training materials, such as outlines, handouts, articles, films, exhibits and visual aids to reinforce information related to safe work practices, accident prevention and mishap reporting requirements. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
Education: Successful completion of at least a PhD or equivalent degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education with the major study in 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. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Combination of education and experience as listed above. You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

Volunteer 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; religious; 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment(s) required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Compliance Inspection
• Customer Service
• Oral Communication
• Public Safety and Security
• Technical Competence

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a structured resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

All qualified non-competitive applicants and the best-qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

DUE WEIGHT: Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, you must submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level.

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) -08/04/2026-unless otherwise stated.

1. Resume The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Resumes must not exceed 2 single-sided pages and resumes longer than 2 pages will not be accepted.
2. Complete All Required Assessments.
3. Performance Appraisals and Awards
4. All College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education.
5. Eligibility Documentation:
   1. Current and former federal career and career-conditional employees: Submit a copy of your most recent (non award) SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, or equivalent document that verifies tenure (block 24, code 1 or 2) and Competitive Status (block 34, code 1).
   2. "Applicants eligible under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act as a current or former employee of a land management agency, who is serving or previously served on a temporary or term appointments, you must submit the following documentation to receive consideration:
      • SF-50(s), Notification of Personnel Action, that documents your service under competitive examining procedures in time limited appointments that totals 24 months at land management agencies without a break in service of two or more years (initial, extension, and termination of all appointments); and
      • Documentation of satisfactory performance, if available, such as performance evaluations, references by supervisors, or other documents, e.g., memorandums of record, whereas the supervisor documented an acceptable performance level.
   3. Applicants eligible under a Special Hiring Authority for Veterans, you must submit proof that supports your claim. This may include:
      • A legible copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, member 4 copy or any official documentation or statement from the Armed Forces that confirms your dates of service and that your separation, discharge, or release from active duty was under honorable conditions.
      • If you are currently on active military duty, you must provide documentation (e.g., campaign document, award citation, etc.), that verifies entitlement to veterans' preference or that shows length of service, AND that your character of military service is honorable.
      • If you have a service-connected disability, a copy of your Veterans Affairs (VA) letter indicating the combined percentage rating of your disability.
      • Required Documents as indicated on page 2 of the SF-15 to support your claim. NOTE: The SF-15 alone cannot be used to verify eligibility.
6. Special Hiring Authorities: If you are applying for this position based on eligibility under other noncompetitive special appointing authorities, you MUST submit proof of this eligibility.

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents.

Next steps