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Safety Engineer

Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

DOL seeks to attract and retain a high performing and diverse workforce in which employees' differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse customers we serve. DOL fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration, flexibility and fairness so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

This position is located in the Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Nashville, TN. This position is inside the bargaining unit.

This is an appointment under the DOL Recent Graduates program. The program duration is one year. Upon successful completion of the program and at the agency's discretion, the appointee may be converted to a term or permanent position in the competitive service.

Appointee must sign a DOL Pathways Recent Graduate Program Participant Agreement.

The entire duration of the Recent Graduate Appointment constitutes a trial period.

Appointee must be a U.S. citizen in order to be eligible for conversion to a permanent position in the competitive service upon completion of the program.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/20/2018 to 07/05/2018
Salary
$50,598 to - $79,586 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 09 - 11
Location
Nashville, TN
FEW vacancies
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Local travel for inspection related activities. Occasional overnight travel for training/conferences.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
PW-18-DAL-OSHA-0010
Control number
502828400

This job is open to

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Duties

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Assists in planning and conducting portions or limited inspections or compliance reviews (or independently conducts inspections of business establishments and worksites whose operations are generally characterized by the presence of moderately stable, low-risk processes or some higher hazards or unsafe working conditions or technically difficult operations which are covered by specific written guidelines). Identifies areas in need of immediate corrective action or conditions which are of imminent danger to life or limb. Inspects worksites, machine and equipment operations, environmental conditions, work practices, protective devices and equipment, and safety procedures. Interviews supervisors and employees for information on specific working conditions to evaluate the total worksite environment. Documents ongoing case files with relevant documentation to support a legally sufficient case. Recommends strategies and techniques for resolving unsafe or hazardous conditions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Subject to drug test prior to appointment at GS-11 grade level
  • Requires a medical examination.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • U.S. Citizenship.
  • Appointment to this position will require a background investigation.

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

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:
A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor’s degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:
1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1, or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.
2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE)2 examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.
4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor’s degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)
Or,
A Master's degree or two full years of graduate education in one of the following fields of engineering: mechanical, electrical, chemical, civil, industrial, materials or in a field of science directly related to safety and occupational safety and health.
For GS-11: One year of professional engineering experience equivalent to the GS-9 level. In order to be creditable this experience must be non-routine, professional engineering work: (1) in an engineering discipline directly related to the safety engineer position such as one of the following fields of engineering: mechanical, electrical, chemical, civil, industrial, or materials engineering; (2) demonstrates ability to apply engineering knowledge to engineering problems in an industrial or construction setting; (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge, skill and ability to successfully perform all the functions of the job; (4) Knowledge of OSHA standards or related safety and occupational health standards or codes; and (5) Expertise either in construction, general industry or maritime as it applies to analyzing work processes and conditions, identifying and eliminating/controlling safety and occupational health hazards; or (6) Broad thorough knowledge in two or three industries (construction, general industry, and maritime) as it applies to analyzing work processes and conditions, identifying and eliminating/controlling safety and occupational health hazards.
Or
A Ph.D. or three full years of graduate education in engineering or in one of the following fields of engineering: mechanical, electrical, chemical, civil, industrial, materials or in a field of science directly related to safety and occupational safety and health.

Specialized Experience Requirements: In addition to the basic education requirements, applicants must also meet either the specialized experience or the substitution of education for experience described below.
For GS-9: One year of professional engineering experience equivalent to the GS-7 level. In order to be creditable this experience must be non-routine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) In an engineering discipline directly related to the safety engineer position such as one of the following fields of engineering: mechanical, electrical, chemical, civil, industrial, or materials engineering; (2) Demonstrating the ability to apply engineering knowledge to engineering problems in an industrial or construction setting; (3) Positive and continuing development of professional knowledge, skill and ability to successfully perform all the functions of the job; (4) Analyzing work processes and conditions, identifying and eliminating/controlling safety and occupational health hazards in construction, general industry or maritime; and (5) demonstrating general knowledge of OSHA or related safety and occupational health standards or codes.

Referrals will be made in accordance with applicable reemployment priority and/or veterans' preference requirements. Click Application of Veterans Preference for Category Rating Jobs for more information.

Education

To be eligible for appointment, you must meet requirement a or b:

a. Completed all requirements for an associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous two years; or

b. Was released or discharged from active duty within the previous two years, where the applicant is a veteran who, due to a military service obligation, was precluded from applying for a recent graduate position during any portion of the two-year eligibility period following completion of his/her degree or certificate requirements, provided that not more than six years have transpired since the applicant completed the requirements for a degree or certificate

You must submit an academic transcript from your academic institution showing the date that you most recently completed the academic requirements described above. See the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

To use your education as a basis for meeting the minimum qualification requirements (MQR) for this position, you must submit academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements. If specific course work is required to fulfill the MQR, you must supply transcripts from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken to receive credit for that course work. See the "Qualifications and Evaluations" section of this announcement for more details.

If you do not submit sufficient academic documentation demonstrating that you meet the eligibility and MQR for this position, your application will be deemed incomplete & you will be ineligible for further consideration. Please review College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education information.

Additional information

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

The Department of Labor does not make unfavorable hiring decisions on the basis of an applicant's previous or current unemployment, or the fact that an applicant has experienced financial difficulty through no fault of his/her own and has undertaken good faith efforts to meet his/her financial obligations. Consideration is given to financial status in relation to appointments only where required by law, regulation, or Executive Order.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, SELECTIVE SERVICE REGISTRATION, PROBATIONARY PERIOD, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants meeting the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements will be evaluated against the competencies described below and will be placed into one of the following quality categories, based on responses to the vacancy questionnaire:

Categories: Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying critical competencies required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity. Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies required by this position. Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualifications requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Safety Engineering: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods to identify, control, mitigate, and eliminate safety hazards in the design and use of facilities, equipment, operations, and work processes.
Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.
Written Communication: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material that is appropriate for the intended audience.
Oral Communication: Expresses information to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience & nature of the information; makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
Self-management: Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your work experience and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). The examining Human Resources Office (HRO) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your responses to the vacancy questions. If not, the HRO may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume. Your evaluation may also include a review by a Human Resources Specialist or panel and may include other assessments (ex. interview, panel review, written test, writing sample, etc.)


To preview questions please click here.

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