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Mine Safety and Health Specialist

Department of Labor
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Enforcement, Dallas District, Dallas, TX Field Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position serves as a Health Specialist and authority on related issues and problems encountered in the mining industry. The incumbent is responsible for matters pertaining to specialty aspects of mining activities and conducts comprehensive safety and health investigations and inspections as required.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/29/2024 to 11/12/2024
Salary
$78,820 to - $122,811 per year

GS-11 range: $78,820 to $102,463 ; GS-12 range: $94,473 to $122,811

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Dallas, TX
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Position Telework eligibility is determined by management based on position duties during the recruitment process. Position subject to a 5-day minimum on-site work requirement per pay period (bi-weekly).
Travel Required
76% or greater - Travel for training and meeting attendance, and for mine site visitation, investigation, and inspection will be required on a regular basis.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12 - There is no obligation to provide future promotions if you are selected. Promotions are dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, meet all the performance requirements, and the supervisor's recommendation to the next grade.
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes - If selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) annually to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest(s) and your prospective position with DOL.
Bargaining unit status
Yes - This position is in the NCFLL bargaining unit
Announcement number
DE-24-DAL-MSHA-12592620-CEG
Control number
816247900

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Duties

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The responsibilities described are for the full performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope performed with less independence, and limited complexity.

As an Authorized Representative (AR) of the U.S. Secretary of Labor, the incumbent performs the following duties to enforce the mine safety and health laws and promote safety and health in the mining industry.
  • Participates in investigations involving dust explosions or other severe violations of health and noise standards that present some of the most serious, unusual, and hard-to-define problems to resolve. The incumbent may serve as a mine health expert on teams investigating accidents involving health hazards.
  • Reviews, evaluates, and makes recommendations concerning the adequacy of ventilation plans and requests for variance or waiver from mandatory health standards submitted by mine operators for approval. These plans include, but are not limited to, dust control, bathhouse facilities, potable water, and noise control. During the review process, the incumbent may conduct on-site health surveys to determine whether conditions at the mine are the same as portrayed in the plan, acquire information that may not be clear from the plan, or discusses technical problems causing the plan not to be acceptable. Assists in developing new or modified health regulations, standards, and inspection procedures.
  • Serves as a MSHA spokesperson and authority on health issues for the District. Testifies at judicial hearings regarding notices of violations and orders of withdrawal issues during inspections or investigations.
  • Advises mine operators and other Federal and State inspectors of noise abatement techniques, dust suppression methods, and other significant health issues and technological developments. Evaluates and discuss the acceptability of new mine safety and health methods and equipment with manufacturers and miner operators. Assists in developing new or modified health regulations, standards, and inspection procedures.
  • Independently conducts a wide variety of on-site safety and health inspections and investigations of mines, preparation plants and related facilities. Prepares written reports of inspections and investigations, issuing citations and orders for violations found during examinations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Must be at least 16 years old.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Requires a valid driver's license.
  • Subject to pre-employment and random drug tests; All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to screening for illegal drug use prior to the appointment.
  • Must undergo and pass a pre- and post-employment physical examination and maintain physical requirements
  • This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521).

Qualifications

The Mine Safety and Health Inspection Series, GS-1822, has basic requirements for positions covered by this standard. Applicants must meet both the basic requirements (IOR) and specialized experience for the specific grade level to qualify.

To qualify for this position, your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements as defined below. If qualifying based on experience, be sure these types of examples are evident in your resume.

Basic Requirement:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower level: Performing mine safety and health inspection, analysis and evaluation of safety aspects of mining industry operations and processes; or evaluation, analysis or development of agency programs.

Examples of creditable experience include: Direct on-site inspection; special accident investigation; development of mine safety and health standards; data analysis and evaluation of operational mine safety and health programs; special assessments; and development of industry-wide training or safety and health awareness programs.

Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.

To qualify for the GS-11 grade level: Applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-09, in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience must include at least two of the following:

  • Participates/assists in conducting a wide variety of on-site safety and health inspections and investigations of mines, preparation plants and related facilities;
  • Participates/assists in investigations involving health contaminants, or other severe violations of health or noise standards that present some of the most serious, unusual, and hard to define problems to resolve;
  • Assists health experts on teams investigating accidents involving health hazards or issues.

To qualify for the GS-12 grade level: Applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-11, in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience must include at least three of the following:

  • Independently conducts a wide variety of on-site safety and health inspections and investigations of mines, preparation plants and related facilities;
  • Independently investigates health contaminants, or other severe violations of health or noise standards that present some of the most serious, unusual, and hard to define problems to resolve;
  • Serves as a mine health expert on teams investigating accidents involving health hazards or issues;
  • Experience with mining methods, such as design, installation, operations or maintenance of mining systems or equipment related to health.

Medical Requirements

Applicants and employees must be physically able to perform arduous duties efficiently and without hazard to themselves or others. Medical examination is required for all applicants for positions that involve regular or intermittent performance of inspection, investigation, rescue duties, or duties involving on-site visits. Medical conditions that constitute a hazard to safe and efficient job performance are disqualifying. The presence of medical disorders that would be aggravated by the environmental conditions of these positions and thereby hinder safe and efficient job performance are also disqualifying.

Remediable defects and/or curable diseases will not permanently disqualify an applicant for appointment, but may result in the applicant's suspension from the appropriate list of eligibles pending submission of medical evidence or correction of the condition.

Uncorrected distant vision must test at least 20/50 Snellen in one eye and 20/70 in the other, correctable with eyeglasses (contact lenses are not acceptable) to at least 20/30 Snellen in one eye and 20/50 in the other. Near vision must be sufficient to read without strain printed material the size of typewritten characters Normal depth perception and field of vision are required, as is the ability to distinguish basic colors.

Applicants, with or without the use of a hearing aid, must have no hearing loss in either ear of more than 40 decibels in the 500, 1000, or 2000 Hz ranges.

Education

There is no education substitution at the GS-11 and -12 grade levels.

Additional information

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

Click here for Career Ladder Promotion Information

This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). Therefore, if selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest(s) and your prospective position with DOL. This information will be required annually.

All MSHA employees and their spouses, and minor children are prohibited by regulation from having any interest, direct or indirect, in any mine or mining company that may be directly affected by the work of MSHA through its investigations, technical research, or other activities. These interests are prohibited under the Department of Labor's Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct Regulations at 5 CFR 5201.105. Certain MSHA employees are required to file a financial disclosure report.

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers. As such, the Department is committed to fostering a workplace and workforce that promote equal employment opportunity, reflects the diversity of the people we seek to serve, and models a culture of respect, equity, inclusion, and accessibility where every employee feels heard, supported, and empowered.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

Click here for Telework Position Information

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act.

Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

How you will be evaluated

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

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors below and will be placed into a category based on your vacancy question responses.

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 qualification 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:

  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Mine Safety and Health
  • Oral Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Written Communication


Click here for Evaluation details.

You may preview questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12592620

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, and other lived experience, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your vacancy question responses. If not, the OHR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume.

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) who are placed into Category B or higher will be considered well-qualified. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

Click Application of Veterans Preference for Category Rating Jobs for more information.

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