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Safety & Occupational Health Specialist (Safety Specialist)

Department of Justice
Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Summary

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/27/2026 to 04/10/2026
Salary
$50,241 - $72,328 per year
Pay scale & grade
GL 05 - 07
Location
Springfield, MO
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may be required for training and/or work related issues.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
09
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
SPG-2026-0079
Control number
862917900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

• THIS IS A DELEGATED EXAMINING ANNOUNCEMENT OPEN TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS. • Duty Location: MCFP Springfield, MO

Duties

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Conducts safety and environmental inspections of the institution and prepares a report for the Environmental and Safety Compliance Administrator’s review.

Promotes the adherence of safety policy for the facility.

Assist in the training of staff and inmates in the techniques of firefighting, occupational safety and environmental protection.

Assist the Safety Administrator or Assistant Safety Administrator in conducting investigations and obtains statements from witnesses and securing physical evidence.

Prepares factual written reports for all concerned that will identify the accident, injuries suffered by staff and/or inmates, cost of property damage and offer recommendations to eliminate future accidents in the future.

Responsible for developing and conducting safety training classes for the inmate population and staff.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staffs correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is Required.
  • See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
  • Selective Service Requirement: http://www.sss.gov

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

  • 1. Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;
  • 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
  • 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility:
    • A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter),
    • Most recent performance appraisal, and
    • Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.
    • See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information.

NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP or ICTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria.

EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements.

Education:

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- in a 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.

GL-05: 4 year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree.

GL-07: 1 full year of graduate education or Superior Academic Achievement.

OR

Experience:

GL-05: Applicant must have at least 3 years of general experience; 1 year of which was equivalent to least the GL-04 grade level which involved experience in scientific or technical work that provided an understanding of the basic principles and concepts of the safety and occupational health field. Creditable general experience must have demonstrated the achievement of knowledge equivalent to the education described above.

Some examples of the qualifying experience are:

GL-05:

  • Experience demonstrating a practical knowledge of the body of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures related to safety and occupational health to sufficiently interpret and explain the reasons and purposes of safety programs.
  • Experience preparing reports based on survey findings and analysis of mishap trends.
  • Experience with developmental activities providing an overview of safety and occupational health functions and techniques.
  • Experience working in the safety and occupational health field which was performed under close supervision of a supervisor and assignments are accompanied by specific instructions.

GL-07: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, experience must be in or related to safety and occupational health that provided the specific qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Some examples of the qualifying specialized experience are:

GL-07:

  • Experience participating as a member of a survey or inspection team led by a higher graded specialist and is exposed to the practical application of techniques and measures used to identify hazards.
  • Experience attending and observing closing sessions where violations of appropriate standards and subsequent corrective requirements are discussed with management representatives.
  • Experience studying and reviewing past inspection records to further understanding of the application of technical standards to specific unsafe acts or conditions.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience:

GL-05 and GL-07: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable.

OR

Certificates:

GS-05 Only: 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 GL-05.

NOTE:If you are using a certification to qualify, you MUST upload all supporting documentation at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable).

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable.

ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.

Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

Superior Academic Achievement. (S.A.A.) applicants MUST provide a transcript in order to be considered under S.A.A. 

S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.

  1. Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
  2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of:
    • 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or
    • 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2years of the curriculum.
  3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies

In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

Additional information

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for original appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution. If you are above the maximum entry age and have prior federal law enforcement coverage, you MUST submit an SF-50 to verify prior coverage. 

Qualified Preference Eligible Veterans may be exempt from meeting the maximum age. Please refer to the Required Documents Section for the appropriate documentation to submit to validate veteran eligibility.

Special Conditions of Employment Section:

Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a pre-employment and panel interview, urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.

All applicants are subject to, and must satisfactorily pass all screening requirements in relation to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit check.

All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm.

Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques", three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required. 

Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

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.

Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Based upon your responses to the assessment questions during the application process, your application will be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Applications will be reviewed from the top quality category. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are found qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to the responses you provided on the online assessment.

NOTE: Candidates within the top quality category and who are eligible for veterans preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

If you are entitled to veterans preference, you should indicate the type of veterans preference you are claiming on your resume. Although veterans preference points are not assigned under the category rating procedures described under "How You Will Be Evaluated", veterans preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-veterans within each category for which they are qualified.

Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). As noted above, an agency may not select a non-preference eligible in lieu of a preference eligible in the same category unless there are grounds for a passover and the agency has complied with the passover procedures at 5 U.S.C. § 3318(b).

What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?

The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required:

GL-05:

  • Ability to communicate orally.
  • Ability to communicate in writing.
  • Ability to interpret and apply policy within the occupational safety and environmental protection, workers compensation and fire protection areas.

GL-07:

  • Ability to communicate orally.
  • Ability to communicate in writing.
  • Ability to interpret and apply policy within the occupational safety and environmental protection, workers compensation and fire protection areas.
  • Knowledge of occupational safety, environmental health, workers compensation and fire protection principles and procedures.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Agency contact information

CSU
Phone
972-352-4200
Email
BOP-HRM-HRSC-ConsolidatedStaffingUnit-S@bop.gov
Address
JUSTICE, BUREAU OF PRISONS
Consolidated Staffing Unit
346 Marine Forces Drive
Grand Prairie, Texas 75051
United States

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http://www.bop.gov

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