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Health Physicist

Department of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

If selected, you will perform professional tasks directed toward the evaluation of the hazards of radioactive materials transport and the development of Federal policy and regulations for domestic and international transportation of radioactive materials by highway, air, rail, and water. You will be responsible for small, relatively routine evaluation projects or designated segments of large, more complex projects under the direction of a higher-graded scientific personnel.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
10/04/2018 to 10/23/2018
Salary
$56,233 to - $126,062 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 09 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington DC, DC
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Some travel is required for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Drug test
No
Announcement number
PHMSA.HMHQ-2018-0026
Control number
512879400

Duties

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At the full performance level (GS-14) of this position, your duties will include, but not be limited to, the following:

  • Provide authoritative technical recommendations regarding program direction and policy development based on independent evaluation and personal expertise of the hazards, risk, and control of radioactive materials affecting safety, health, the environment, and security.
  • Provide key technical leadership in the development of U.S. proposals for national and international standards regarding the methods and approaches used in testing materials, hazard evaluation, classification of radioactive material affecting safety, health, the environment, and security.
  • Provide definitive technical expertise required to develop regulatory standards, compliance guidance, test methods, and criteria to evaluate the types and degrees of hazards associated with radioactive material in transportation.
  • Perform the hazard, dose, and exposure analyses and characterizations necessary to support the effective risk management of radioactive material transportation.
  • Develop comprehensive and practical regulatory proposals, policy options, risk management, material testing, and classification ideas and initiatives based upon sound scientific, hazard, risk, cost/benefits, and policy evaluations.

The ideal candidate for this position would possess knowledge of the theories, principles, and practices in the field of radiation protection, to include experience developing radiation protection programs for employees, emergency responders, and the general public. The ideal candidate would also have knowledge of the domestic and international regulations governing the safe transport of radioactive materials and either be, or working to become, and Certified Health Physicist.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
  • Review Required Documents Section as documents are required by closing date
  • Announcement also advertised U.S. Citizens: PHMSA.HMHQ-2018-0027.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • TIME-IN-GRADE: - Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet either the education or specialized experience requirements for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.

To qualify for the GS-09 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-07, it must include:

  • Experience assisting in assessments of transportation-related radioactive material incidents and accidents.

To qualify for the GS-09 on Education alone, you must have:

  • At least 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or have been awarded a master's or equivalent graduate degree.
  • You can also qualify based on a combination of graduate education and experience.  This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.


To qualify on for the GS-11 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-09, it must include:

  • Experience reviewing technical guidance related to safety, security, emergency response, and environmental impacts of transportation and other issues regarding radioactive materials.

To qualify for the GS-11 on Education alone, you must have:

  • 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
  • You can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience.  This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.  

To qualify on for the GS-12 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11, it must include:

  • Experience providing technical skills and assistance required to support development of compliance information and/or test programs to evaluate the type and degree of hazard of radioactive materials.
  • Experience applying domestic and international regulations governing the transport of radioactive materials.

You cannot qualify on education at this level, you must have experience.

To qualify on for the GS-13 on Experience, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include:

  • Experience providing technical skills and assistance required to support development of compliance information and/or test programs to evaluate the type and degree of hazard of radioactive materials.
  • Experience applying the concepts, standards, and techniques for protection of employees, emergency responders, and the public from the hazards of radioactive materials.
  • Experience applying domestic and international regulations governing the transport of radioactive materials.

You cannot qualify on education at this level, you must have 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.

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link:  https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of closing date of the announcement. Graduation transcript must be received before start date.

Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.


Education

A. Degree: natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus.

Or

B. Combination of education and experience -- courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or other education; or certification as a health physicist by the American Board of Health Physics, plus appropriate experience and other education that provided an understanding of sciences applicable to health physics comparable to that described in paragraph A.

Additional information

Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.

EEO STATEMENT: The Department of Transportation (DOT) maintains a model federal work environment that is free of discrimination. DOT ensures equal employment opportunity for employees and applicants for employment, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), genetic information, age, disability, sexual orientation, or protected activity.

PHMSA employees are subject to government-wide ethical standards of conduct, conflict of interest statutes and regulations, and post-employment prohibitions, which applicants may review at www.oge.gov.  If selected,  you may be required to file a financial disclosure report to determine if a conflict or appearance of a conflict of interest exists between your financial interests and your position with the agency.  You may be prohibited by the conflict of interest statutes and regulations from holding certain financial interests.

This vacancy may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days for these locations.

How you will be evaluated

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

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. 

If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be scored based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position.

Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package.  If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be updated or you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers.  If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.  The Automated Staffing Office is ultimately responsible for determining your final rating.


To preview questions please click here.

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