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Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

The Robert J. Dole VA Medial Center is currently seeking two Safety and Occupational Health Specialists to support the facility's Safety and Occupational Health Program. The position is responsible for planning, conducting, and evaluating safety and occupational health activities across clinical, administrative, research, construction, and support environments.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/16/2026 to 04/24/2026
Salary
$50,460 - $97,087 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 11
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Wichita, KS
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
CBSS-12936952-26-KW
Control number
865382100

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Duties

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Major duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Plans and conducts inspections of facilities, operations, construction sites, and work environments to identify safety and occupational health hazards.
  • Examines equipment, systems, work practices, and environmental conditions to determine compliance with applicable regulatory standards and internal policies.
  • Assesses hazard severity, probability of occurrence, and potential impact on personnel, patients, visitors, and operations.
  • Analyzes inspection findings, incident data, and operational conditions to determine root causes of hazards and unsafe practices.
  • Evaluates risks using established safety principles and analytical methods.
  • Advises supervisors and management on hazard mitigation strategies, engineering controls, administrative controls, and safe work practices.
  • Interprets and applies regulatory standards, consensus codes, and organizational policies to develop feasible and effective corrective action recommendations.
  • Determines appropriate hazard control measures, establishes abatement priorities, and coordinates implementation of corrective actions with management to ensure timely and effective resolution of identified hazards.
  • Independently manages and evaluates assigned components of the safety and occupational health program (e.g., fire safety, construction safety oversight, industrial hygiene coordination, general safety compliance).
  • Provides technical guidance and advice to supervisors, managers, and staff on hazard recognition, regulatory compliance, and safe work practices.
Note: Individuals selected a developmental grade levels (GS-7 and GS-9) will receive on-the-job training and/or formal training to develop proficiency to progress to the GS-11 full performance level position. Incumbents at the developmental levels perform the duties described in the full performance level position, but with supervision and guidance provided. As the incumbent progresses in the developmental position, work assignments are carried out more independently and require less review.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; either 7:30am-4:00pm or 8:00am-4:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Safety and Occupational Health Specialist/PD10456A, PD10455A, and PD10454A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
  • 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/24/2026.

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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.

This occupational series has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series; this requirement cannot be waived. The IOR for this position is:

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study - 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.
OR
Specialized Experience: Experience in or related to safety and occupational health that provided the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0000/safety-and-occupational-health-management-series-0018/

To qualify for this position at the GS-7 level, you must meet one of the following:

  • Specialized Experience: You must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the Federal Service that is directly related to the work of the position. Qualifying experience includes experience applying safety and occupational health (S/OH) laws, regulations, principles, theories, practices and procedures to advise on or resolve technical matters dealing with S/OH requirements; inspecting/surveying workplaces, processes, products or other systems for compliance with S/OH policies and standards and to identify potential new hazards. OR
  • Education: To qualify based on education you must have successfully completed 1 year of graduate level education that demonstrates the KSAs necessary to do the work of this position. OR
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond a bachelor's degree. OR
  • Superior Academic Achievement: Applicants must have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying (i.e. safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene, or other related fields) for the position to be filled and I meet one of the following:
    • Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university or major subdivision.
    • GPA of "B" (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
    • GPA of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
    • Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. For a list of recognized honor societies please visit http://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp.
To qualify for this position at the GS-9 level, you must meet one of the following:
  • Specialized Experience: You must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal Service that is directly related to the work of the position. Qualifying includes managing S/OH program elements, developing and recommending S/OH policy to higher levels of management; developing S/OH standard, regulations, practices and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards; developing or implementing programs to reduce frequency, severity and cost of accidents and occupational illnesses; analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability and outcome of hazards; training of workers, supervisors, managers or other S/OH personnel in safety or occupational health subjects. OR
  • Education: To qualify based on education you must have successfully completed 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education or possess a masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D., in a related field of the position to be filled. Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the KSAs necessary to do the work of this position. OR
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first year (18 semester hours) of graduate education.
To qualify for this position at the GS-11 level, you must meet one of the following:
  • Specialized Experience: You must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service that is directly related to the work of the position. Qualifying experience includes inspecting construction projects for compliance with established S/OH standards; coordinating with Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and contractor on review of S/OH practices as it relates to impact on facility; investigating incidents related to possible or confirmed occupational health problems and associated complaints as it pertains to environmental factors or stress; selecting and recommending appropriate controls based on exposure assessments; conducting required emergency evacuation drills in accordance with regulatory and accreditation standards. OR
  • Education: To qualify based on education you must have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. if related that demonstrates the KSAs necessary to do the work of this position. OR
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the master's or equivalent degree.
Transcripts must be submitted with application if you are using education (either alone, or in combination with experience) to qualify at any grade level.

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/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

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 qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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; religions; 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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Veterans Health Administration

Veterans CHOOSE and TRUST Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center because of exceptional staff, with a heart for service, who pledge to provide service excellence in the delivery of high-quality health care. Dole VA is located in the heart of Wichita, Kansas, the largest city in the state of Kansas with a metro population of roughly 500,000. Wichita is charming in appearance with a reasonably priced housing market, 8 shopping districts, 28 art galleries, 33 museums, and award-winning cultural opportunities such as The Wichita Grand Opera, Music Theater of Wichita, and the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. Services offered at the Dole VA include (but not limited to):

  • Primary Care Services in Wichita, Dodge City, Hays, Hutchinson, Parsons, and Salina, serving over 24,000 veterans per year.
  • 22 Medical and Surgical Specialties, serving over 50,000 veterans per year.
  • 6 Surgery suites, performing 2,000 cases per year.
  • 9 bed Emergency Department, serving 22,000 veterans per year.
  • 30 bed Community Living Center combined with at 10 bed Hospice unit.
  • Behavioral Health provides support for over 65,000 veterans per year.
  • 8 bed Intensive Care Unit and 4 bed Step Down Unit.
  • 29 Medical/Surgical beds (soon to be all private rooms).
  • Home Based Primary Care serving over 200 veterans.
  • Telehealth services and other virtual care options available for all veterans.
  • Substance Abuse Residential Rehab Treatment Facility with 14 beds.

Agency contact information

Brett Schmalstieg
Phone
913-758-6457
Email
Brett.Schmalstieg@va.gov
Address
Robert J Dole VA Medical and Regional Office Center
5500 East Kellogg Drive
Wichita, KS 67218
US

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