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Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Department of Defense
Defense Health Agency
U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR)

Summary

About the Position:

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/24/2026 to 03/27/2026
Salary
$75,776 to - $118,072 per year
Pay scale & grade
DJ 3
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Fort Sam Houston, TX
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Eligible for situational telework only, Including emergency and OPM prescribed "Unscheduled telework". As determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
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
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
HQKF-26-12876862-DHA
Control number
862194000

Duties

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  • Develop safety and occupational health management operations.
  • Advises management on the Safety and Occupational Health Program.
  • Execute Core Safety and Occupational Health Programs.
  • Provide training staff on environmental protection policies and compliance requirements.
  • Identify potential environmental risks associated with medical research.
  • Conduct compliance audits to assess adherence to environmental standards and identify areas for improvement.
  • Monitor waste streams and ensure proper documentation and processes compliance with hazardous waste and regulated medical waste.
  • Coordinate health management areas of biological, chemical and industrial safety and quality assurance.
  • Conduct accident investigations and risk assessments.
  • Abate hazardous conditions as identified in order to minimize risk to personnel and property.
  • Ensure regulatory compliance with medical research waste for biological agents, infectious
  • Advice on proper collection, storage, labeling, and disposal of hazardous waste and regulated medical waste.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • Appointment to this position is subject to a background investigation to determine your suitability for Federal employment.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.


MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes experience:

1) Experience performing medical research facility safety inspections to determine compliance
with applicable environmental laws and regulations.

2) Experience developing accident prevention techniques.

3) Experience in applying safety and occupational health regulations and laws.

4) Experience training personnel on occupational safety related topics.

This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (DJ-02/GS-09).

OR

Education: Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. with a major study in safety or occupational health fields (safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene), or Ph.D or equivalent doctoral 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

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in the vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

ABOUT THE POSITION:

U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR), a Defense Health Agency (DHA) Research & Development (R&D) asset, is collocated with the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC), Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The USAISR is dedicated to BOTH laboratory and clinical trauma research. Its mission to provide requirements-driven combat casualty care medical solutions and products for injured service members, from self-aid through definitive care across the full spectrum of military operations; provide state-of-the-art trauma, burn, and critical care to Department of Defense beneficiaries around the world and civilians in our trauma region; and provide Burn Special Medical Augmentation Response Teams. Please visit our website USAISR (health.mil)

USAISR is participating in an alternative personnel system known as the Personnel Demonstration Project (PDP). The DJ-03 payband is equivalent to the GS-11 step 1 to GS-12 step 10 level. In keeping with the Demonstration pay fixing policies, employees earning a salary that falls within this payband equivalent, may not receive an immediate pay increase (promotion) if appointed to this position. Future pay increases within the payband will be accomplished through the pay for performance management system.

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • Two years probationary period may be required.
  • Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
  • Appointment to this position is subject to a background investigation to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
  • Appointment to this position is subject to a two-year probationary period unless the appointee has previously met the requirements as described in 5 CFR Part 315.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

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