Clarification from the agency

This is an open continuous announcement. Initial cutoff will be 13 MARCH 2026. Recruitment will continue through the announcement closing date until the position is filled.

As a SAFETY AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SPECIALIST (TITLE 32), GS-0018-9/11, you will serve as the State Safety and Occupational Health Specialist responsible for executing a comprehensive safety and occupational health program across a wide range of operations, hazards, and environments in accordance with statutory, DoD, Army, and National Guard requirements.

Major Duties - This is NOT an all-inclusive list:

• Perform inspections, assessments, and surveys of daily safety and occupational health operations and workplaces.
• Conduct safety and occupational health surveys of offices, storage areas, and industrial areas to determine compliance with applicable standards.
• Monitor employee performance, environmental conditions, facilities, and equipment for compliance with OSHA and Army safety standards.
• Identify hazards, unsafe conditions, and unsafe work practices and assign risk assessment codes.
• Conduct follow-up inspections to verify corrective actions and determine adequacy of hazard abatement.
• Identify high-risk hazardous operations and evaluate initial risk potential to personnel, equipment, facilities, and resources.
• Implement plans, methods, and risk mitigation measures to improve workplace and off-duty safety environments.
• Recommend corrective actions and hazard control measures to reduce preventable mishaps.
• Review proposed or changed work procedures to ensure proper safety techniques and risk controls are established.
• Integrate risk management and safety requirements into local regulations, SOPs, and work processes.
• Perform or participate in mishap investigations involving Army personnel, equipment, property, or operations.
• Utilize the Army Safety Information Management System (ASMIS) to document and upload mishap reports.
• Interview witnesses and supervisors to gather factual data related to mishaps or hazardous conditions.
• Analyze findings to identify human, machine, or environmental factors contributing to injury or property damage.
• Prepare final mishap investigation reports with recommendations to reduce, eliminate, or control hazards and prevent recurrence.
• Plan, organize, coordinate, and evaluate a comprehensive State Safety and Occupational Health program.
• Review and update State Safety and Occupational Health plans, policies, and standard operating procedures.
• Monitor and evaluate installation safety programs to assess effectiveness and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Develop safety education and training plans based on mission requirements and operational risk.
• Measure mishap trends and analyze data to support strategic safety objectives and performance improvement.

Conditions of employment

• IAW The Fair Chance Act, Agency employees may not request criminal history information at the point of initial application, upon receipt of an application, or prior to, during or after a job interview. If an Optional Form (OF) 306, Declaration of Employment is submitted prior to the point of a conditional offer, questions related to background information section may not be asked.
• This is an excepted service position that requires membership in the Illinois National Guard and in the military grade listed in the announcement. This is required prior to the effective date of placement. If you are not sure you are eligible for military membership, please contact a National Guard recruiter prior to applying for this position.
• Selectee will be required to wear the military uniform.
• Acceptance of an excepted service position constitutes concurrence with these requirements as a condition of employment.
• Males born after 31 December 1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Federal employment suitability as determined by a background investigation.
• May be required to successfully complete a trial period.
• This position is covered by the Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Amendment (30 Sep 96) of the Gun Control Act (Lautenberg Amendment) of 1968. An individual convicted of a qualifying crime of domestic violence may not perform the duties of this position.
• Irregular and/or overtime (compensatory) hours may be required to support operational requirements or contingencies or may be required to work hours outside of the normal duty day.
• Participation in direct deposit is mandatory.
• Assignment to a compatible military position is not required for application, but will be required if selected for appointment.
• Telework may be authorized.
• Drug testing may be required.
• May be required to travel by military or commercial aircraft in the performance of TDY assignments.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain the required security clearance.
• Must obtain and maintain Army Professional Certificates in Safety and Occupational Health (PCSOH) and Explosives Safety Level 1 (PCES1) (or equivalent) within two (2) years of appointment. If responsible for a State Explosives Safety Management Plan IAW AR 385-10, must also obtain and maintain Explosives Safety Level 2 (PCES2).

Qualifications

AREA OF CONSIDERATION: The areas of consideration for this position, Title 32 Excepted Service (32 U.S. Code § 709), will be in the following manner and sequence:

• The FIRST area of consideration for this position will be all excepted permanent and indefinite temporary technicians within the ILNG.
• The SECOND area of consideration will be all current Federal Employees.
• The THIRD area of consideration will be all Federal re-employment eligible.
• The FOURTH area of consideration will be applicants willing to become T32 Dual Status Technicians and gain ILNG membership.
• The FIFTH area of consideration will be U.S. Citizens.

Military Grades: Enlisted Only - Minimum rank requirement of SGT and May not exceed the rank of MSG.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-11 Level - MUST possess specialized experience which includes at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level performing periodic and unscheduled inspections of facilities, warehouses, and equipment maintenance operations to evaluate compliance with applicable regulations and hazard systems; Experience recommending measures and methods to correct safety and occupational health deficiencies; Experience participating in planning for munitions testing and ensuring integration of explosive safety criteria into testing procedures; Experience reviewing test implementation directives for inclusion of appropriate safety criteria; and Experience preparing supplements to regulations and manuals for aircraft weapons safety and developing local regulations defining applicable mishap prevention procedures. GS-09 Level - MUST possess specialized experience which includes at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level performing periodic onsite safety and occupational health surveys to determine compliance with applicable standards; Experience preparing or revising safety instructions and guides; Experience advising personnel on appropriate safety and occupational health measures to control or eliminate hazardous operating processes which may cause mishaps; Experience investigating mishaps, obtaining witness statements, photographing mishap scenes, recording circumstances and extent of injuries; and Experience preparing final reports of findings with recommendations to correct unsafe acts or conditions that caused injury or property damage.


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.

Verbiage displayed on your resume or application must contain your own words. You may refer to position descriptions, i.e. the general and specialized experience located within the vacancy announcement, to assist with describing work experiences; however, resumes or applications received in verbatim will not be considered. In your resume you will need to address the general and specialized experience listed above. Please use as much detail as needed, giving dates (months and years) of the experience, position title and how the experience was gained. This information is needed to determine if you are qualified for the position.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Accident/Mishap and Hazard Investigation and Reporting
• Compliance Inspection
• Planning and Evaluating
• Risk Management