Clarification from the agency

Open only to current, permanent employees of the Asheville VA Health Care System

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• Designs, establishes, and implements written policies and procedures for a Radiation Safety Program encompassing the clinical and research use of radionuclides and machine-made radiation, which includes the use of new imaging and treatment modalities, to ensure safety and compliance with radioactive material permits under the VHA Master Materials License, all applicable regulations, VHA directives, and Medical Center policies
• Provides radiological physics support for Medical Center activities involving the use of medical radiation in the diagnosis and treatment of disease
• Evaluates radiation exposures to patients, employees, and visitors and makes appropriate recommendations as a subject matter expert to ensure that they are mitigated or are as infrequently occurring as practicable
• Reports exposures and recommendations to the Radiation Safety Committee
• Advises researchers on the unusual, complex, and critical problems that they encounter when they review and recommend changes to experimental procedures, and when they respond to emergencies involving radioactive materials and x-ray producing equipment
• Coordinates with providers in developing and implementing quality assurance programs to ensure that imaging and treatment uses of radioactive material and machine produced radiation are optimum for patient care, and that the employees, patients, and visitors are protected
• Provides radiological physics support for Medical Center activities involving the use of medical radiation in imaging
• Serves as the principal Training Officer for the Radiation Safety Office for initial and annual refresher radiation safety training and the
  initial and annual refresher training for fluoroscopic x-ray operators training
• Serves as the Dosimetry Program Manager and will maintain the Dosimetry database for the imaging division
• Serves as the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for the Radiation Safety Office and will receive appropriate COR training before or upon starting the position

Work Schedule: 7:30am - 4pm
Telework: Ad-hoc
Position Description/PD#: Health Physicist (Associate Radiation Safety Officer)/PD501530

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/31/2026.

Basic Requirements:

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degrees in 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

Combination of education and experience -- at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus, 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 above.

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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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.

Preferred Experience: Radiation Safety Officer training experience

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-11) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

Knowledge of Nuclear Regulatory Commission and VA National Health Physics Program requirements sufficient to perform radiation safety officer duties as defined in 1 OCFR Part 35 and NUREG 1556, volume 7, 9, and 11, as defined. Knowledge of effective regulatory correspondence sufficient to write and amend radioactive materials permits and to work with regulatory bodies. Knowledge of and skill in developing new approaches, establishing new parameters, and inspecting new radiation producing equipment (x-ray or radioactive materials) and environments. Knowledge of and skill in performing radiation safety inspections and audits of records and documents that principal investigators and authorized users hold sufficient to determine compliance with applicable Federal, State, and local regulations. Ability to respond to emergency situations involving the accidental release of or exposure to ionizing radiation. Ability to and skill in communicating effectively, both orally and in writing, sufficient to relay complex program issues and disputed recommendations in a variety of settings to the Medical Health Care System's Director and to members of the executive leadership, and to effectively negotiate solutions. Ability to develop purchase order requests for nuclear imaging equipment, radioactivity equipment, imaging equipment, and diagnostic radiation detectors and to serve as an advisor to clinical services, as needed. Ability to develop and manage a comprehensive radiation quality management program that monitors, evaluates, and optimizes radiopharmaceutical therapy, research radiation, and radioactivity measurement processes.

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/.

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.