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Safety & Occupational Health Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Fire and Life Safety Specialists apply science and engineering principles, practical concepts, and processes to protect life, property, VA operations, and the environment. They perform risk assessments and work closely with architects and engineers to identify, mitigate, and prevent fire hazards. They provide specifications for building construction, egress and exit means, and mechanical systems. They develop, interpret, and promote fire safety codes and standards.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
04/03/2024 to 04/15/2024
Salary
$79,839 to - $103,787 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Perry Point, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CBTF-12371110-24-CH
Control number
784593600

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Duties

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The Fire and Life Safety Program Manager performs specialized and technical duties related to fire protection across the VA Maryland Health Care System. This employee conducts reviews and resolves problems in achieving compliance with fire protection control standards and regulation; coordinates corrective measures with internal and external stakeholders. This position requires an individual with sufficient knowledge to serve as technical authority and make significant, far-reaching decisions or recommendations in the development, interpretation and application of the fire and life safety policies. This position also requires sufficient knowledge and experience to develop and manage a diverse and complex fire alarm system, fire protection system, and fire suppression system in a large organization containing multiple facilities.

  • The employee reviews plans for installation or modification of fire suppression systems, fire detection systems, and fire alarm systems.
  • The employee inspects buildings and other structures in operation and during the course of construction and/or modification to ensure compliance with approved fire protection plans and testing procedures. He/she makes recommendations to address unsafe conditions or unsafe practices and initiates corrective action.
  • The employee reviews building and other construction plans and specifications for adequate and appropriate life safety systems and equipment and to ensure that fire safe provisions are included.
  • The employee provides technical assistance and guidance to Medical Center personnel, as well as other individuals directly involved in fire prevention work, regarding management of the fire suppression, fire detection and fire alarm systems.
  • The employee facilitates periodic performance testing to determine whether fire protection systems are fully functional. Conducts or arranges for all scheduled testing, as required by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
  • The employee provides oversight and evaluates contractor performance with regard to installation, modification or maintenance of the fire suppression, fire detection and/or fire alarm systems.
  • The employee works with the facility's senior management to develop a written Life Safety, Interim Life Safety, and Emergency Fire Response Plans and may serve as a liaison with the local fire department and emergency responders.
  • The employee ensures that facility fire drills are conducted, in accordance with applicable standards.
  • The employee investigates fire sites and makes determinations regarding possible structural, mechanical, alarm, fire extinguishing, or other safety system failures. He/she also prepares reports on fire incidents, as required.
  • The employee must have the knowledge, skills and abilities to analyze contract submittals and architectural drawings of fire alarm, fire detection and fire suppression systems. This will include analysis of project requirements to assign appropriate occupancy classifications.
  • Employee must have the ability to coordinate the creation of shop drawings.
  • Employee must have the ability to evaluate and approve installation criteria for fire alarm, fire detection and fire suppression system components.
  • Employee must have the ability to supervise and coordinate the installation and programming of fire alarm, fire detection and fire suppression systems.

Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:00pm Monday - Friday
Travel: 25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Specialist/PD07859A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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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
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/15/2024.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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:

Individual Occupational Requirements

  • Undergraduate and Graduate Education: 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. 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:
  1. Managing safety or occupational health program elements.
  2. Developing and recommending safety and occupational health policy to higher levels of management.
  3. 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.
  4. Developing safety and occupational health standards, regulations, practices, and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards.
  5. Developing or implementing programs to reduce the frequency, severity, and cost of accidents and occupational illnesses.
  6. Analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards.
  7. Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards.
  8. 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.
  9. Training of workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subjects.
  10. 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.
AND

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that required the performance of work concerned with conducting reviews and resolving problems in achieving compliance with fire protection control standards and regulation; coordinating corrective measures with internal and external stakeholders. Sufficient knowledge to serve as technical authority and make significant, far-reaching decisions or recommendations in the development, interpretation and application of the fire and life safety policies. Sufficient knowledge and experience to develop and manage a diverse and complex fire alarm system, fire protection system, and fire suppression system in a large organization containing multiple facilities. OR,

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related OR,

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education (equivalent to at least the GS-09 level or pay band in the Federal service) and education as described above which totals at least three years. Note: only graduate education is creditable toward meeting this requirement.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Analysis and Problem Solving
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Safety Engineering
  • Technical Competence


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: Performance of job duties may require long periods of walking, standing, kneeling or bending. In the event of emergency response, running may occur when responding to such incidents, i.e., fire alarm activations. Moderate lifting and carrying of equipment and supplies are required. Use of all appendages and good vision and hearing are a must. Emotional and mental stability are required.

Work Environment: The work environment consists of standard office settings, laboratories, patient units, mechanical equipment spaces, roof, crawl spaces, and construction sites. The incumbent's work regularly involves exposure to hazards such as moving machinery, infectious diseases, shielded radiation sources, toxic chemicals, gases, flammables, high noise levels, electrical shock, etc. This individual must use all the proper personal protective equipment and clothing such as hard hats, safety shoes, earplugs, goggles, gloves, etc., when in the aforementioned situations.

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/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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 WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

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.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the 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.

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