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Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
San Francisco Region

Summary

This position is with the U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), San Francisco Regional Office, with duty location in Oakland, CA, Las Vegas, NV or Anchorage, Alaska.

  • Position is inside the Bargaining Unit.
  • This position is not remote. Selectee will be expected to report to one of the duty location offices listed above.
  • The full performance level of this position is at the GS-12 grade level.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/05/2026 to 05/11/2026
Salary
$76,280 - $145,468 per year

Salary reflects the pay range for the locations listed. Upon selection, salary will be set in accordance with the selectee's assigned duty location.

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Locations
6 vacancies in the following locations:
Anchorage, AK
Oakland, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
50% 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
12
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
MS-26-BOS-OSHA-12952757-DDH
Control number
867901200

Duties

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Major duties of this position include but are not limited to:

GS-11:

  • Conducts occupational safety and health inspections within a variety of agricultural, construction, general industry, and maritime business establishments to ensure employer compliance with federal OSHA standards.
  • Conducts investigations involving one or more fatalities, injuries, serious accidents, or other unsafe conditions.
  • Prepares for inspections to become familiar with work processes, operations, and standards applicable to the workplace to be inspected.
  • Conducts opening conferences with management officials and employee representatives concerning the nature and purpose of the inspection, the procedures which will be followed, and employee discrimination rights.
  • Participates in Agency efforts to obtain warrants and to subpoena witnesses and documents, if necessary.
  • Analyses injury and illness data and reviews establishments' occupational safety and health programs.
GS-12
  • Conducts opening conferences with management officials, employees, and employee representatives concerning the nature and purpose of the inspection and the procedures which will be followed.
  • Conducts closing conference with employer, reviewing hazards identified and violations cited.
  • Conducts specific (targeted) outreach activities and provides information on OSHA legislation, regulations, and compliance activities to a variety of different audiences.
  • Conducts investigations of accidents which may involve one or more fatalities, a large number of injuries or serious accidents, or other unsafe conditions.
  • Plans, schedules, and conducts inspections either individually-determined, as assigned or based on complaints received from employees and/or union representatives, in establishments and worksites where there is a strong probability of encountering Hazardous work processes and materials, and unsafe environmental conditions.
  • Inspects worksites, machine and equipment operations, environmental conditions, work practices, protective devices and equipment, and safety procedures.
  • Reviews safety activities for evidence of compliance with prescribed safety requirements.
  • Proposes fiscal penalties.
  • Assists agency attorneys in the preparation of contested cases for hearing before administrative law judges; testifies under examinations conducted by attorneys representing the agency and the employer.
  • Conducts interviews, reviews documents, and researches various sources of information such as equipment manuals, consensus standards, interpretations of standards, court decisions.
  • Identifies violations and hazards, and recommends abatement methods common to the work processes and operations.
  • Documents inspections to support a legally sufficient case.
As the employee progresses, the assignments will become more difficult and complex with less supervision. As the employee progresses, the assignments will become more difficult and complex with less supervision.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be at least 16 years old.
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Subject to pre-employment and random drug tests
  • Requires medical exam and must maintain physical requirements
  • Requires a valid driver's license.
  • Requires the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
  • You will be required to lift items weighing up to 25 pounds.

Qualifications

You must meet the Basic Requirements listed in the Education Requirements section and the Specialized Experience to qualify for Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, as described below.

Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR):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 (for positions above GS-5): Experience in or related to safety and occupational health that provided the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

  • Managing safety or occupational health program elements.
  • Developing and recommending safety and occupational health policy to higher levels of management.
  • Applying safety and occupational health laws, regulations, principles, theories, practices, and procedures to advise on or resolve technical matters dealing with occupational safety and health requirements.
  • Developing safety and occupational health standards, regulations, practices, and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards.
  • Developing or implementing programs to reduce the 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.
  • Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards.
  • Inspecting or surveying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards and to identify potential new hazards.
  • Training of workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subjects.
  • Work in occupational fields such as industrial hygienist, safety engineer, fire prevention engineer, health physicist, and occupational health nurse.

OR

Certificates: 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 GS-5. Applicants may also qualify for higher grade levels based on their education and/or experience.

A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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 clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such position. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Specialized Experience is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform the duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

For the GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position. Examples of specialized experience include:

  • Analyzing long range impacts of new initiatives or policy changes.
  • Using analytical methods to assess program performance and progress.
  • Identifying trends that point to the need for corrective action and/or suggesting solutions.
  • Applying measurable, quantifiable criteria for evaluating safety and health programs or initiatives.
OR

Substitution of experience:
Three years of progressively higher level related graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in safety or occupational health or related fields.

For the GS-12: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position. Examples of specialized experience include:
  • Analyzing data to evaluate and improve a program, operation, or process.
  • Evaluating safety and health programs or initiatives to assist with research projects.
  • Participating in agency task forces involving safety and occupational health programs.
  • Providing technical assistance or on-the-job training to safety and occupational health staff.

No substitution of education for experience at the GS-12 level.

For GS-11: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-09 in the Federal Service.

For GS-12: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-11 in the Federal Service.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements of time-in-grade (52 weeks at the next lower grade), time-after-competitive-appointment (90 days), and minimum qualifications (52 weeks equivalent to the next lower grade in federal service). These requirements must be met within 30 days of 05/11/2026 the announcement closing date.

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit.

For more information, Click here for Career Ladder Promotion Information

For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to screening for illegal drug use prior to appointment.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

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 evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation.

You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12952757


SME Resume Panel Review

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your resume to assess your technical qualifications based on the competencies listed below. Applicants who meet the required qualifications will advance to the next stage of the hiring process.

For each below competency, SME(s) will provide a rating of 0-Not Applicable, 1-Awareness, 2-Basic, 3-Intermediate, 4-Advanced, or 5-Expert based on the content of your resume.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

  • Compliance Inspection
  • Customer Service
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Oral Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Technical Competence


Clickhere for Evaluation details.


The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, and volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) will be considered well-qualified if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Begin a challenging career with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and you will help shape the workforce of tomorrow. DOL offers rewarding opportunities to contribute to a noble mission; to serve and protect American workers, prepare them for new and better jobs, and to ensure the safety and fairness of American workplaces.

The Department of Labor values its customers. Every DOL employee is responsible for delivering good customer service through accurate, courteous, efficient, and effective transactions.

The Department of Labor does not make unfavorable hiring decisions on the basis of an applicant's previous or current unemployment, or the fact that an applicant has experienced financial difficulty through no fault of his/her own and has undertaken good faith efforts to meet his/her financial obligations. Consideration is given to financial status in relation to appointments only where required by law, regulation, or Executive Order.

Applicants with disabilities can contact the vacancy point of contact listed on the job vacancy announcement to request reasonable accommodations needed for the application process.

Agency contact information

DeMarcus Hudson
Phone
617-788-2821
Email
hudson.demarcus.d@dol.gov
Address
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20210
US

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