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Safety & Occupational Health Specialist

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Indian Education
School Operations / Division of Facilty & Safety Management

Summary

This position is part of the Education Facilities, Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), Department of the Interior (DOI). As a Safety & Occupational Health Specialist you will be responsible for managing the safety program to include implementation, oversite and evaluations, and performance serving as the technical expert regarding safety to management, safety staff and committees.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 06/25/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 25, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$89,508 - $116,362 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
BIE-12983037-26-MM
Control number
872803400

Duties

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As a Safety & Occupational Health Specialist, GS-0018-12, your typical work assignments will include the following under supervision:

  • Conducts annual workplace inspections in an appropriate frequency and program evaluations to assess conformance with Indian Affairs, adopted safety and health codes and mandated standards.
  • Investigates accidents involving employees when necessary and ensures that all accidents are reported immediately and properly.
  • Serves as Tort Claim Officer, and as such, thoroughly conducts special investigations of all accidents which might result in a claim against the Government.
  • Coordinates with other safety organizations including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA), Department of the Interior (DOI), Office of Inspectors General (OIG), and others.
  • Provides safety and health training and Bureau wide safety outreach to employees using a variety of methods such as training sessions, videos, web page updates, electronic and other written communications.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Be sure to read the 'How to Apply' and 'Required Documents' Sections.
  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • As a condition of employment, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial or 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.
  • If you are a male applicant born after 12-31-1959, you are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act and the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 (https://www.sss.gov), in order to be eligible for appointment to this agency.
  • Driving Requirement (Required only at time of appointment): Incumbent may be required, as an incidental duty, to operate a government-owned or leased motor vehicle, in the performance of duties, therefore, a valid driver's license is required.
  • This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) that requires pre-employment drug testing and is subject to random testing thereafter.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the qualification requirements contained in the OPM Standards. For this position, they are listed below.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Experience 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 to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

FOR GS-12: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service that includes: Assisting with workplace inspections to assess conformance with codes and mandated standards; investigating accidents involving employees; assisting in the development of safety plans, programs, procedures and operating systems; reviewing construction projects and assisting in solution development to ensure compliance with safety standards.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year (52 weeks) of service at the next lower grade level. Learn more about what is time-in grade.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement at this grade level. Therefore, no transcripts are required.

Additional information

Initial appointments to the competitive or excepted service: The probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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.
Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Bargaining Unit Status: Position is covered by Bargaining Unit/Union - Federation of Indian Service Employees, American Federation of Teachers Local 4521.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Documentation: The CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance (click here for more details, here for DOI's policy) to permanent Federal civilian employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming eligibility must submit a 1) copy of their most recent performance appraisal, 2) proof of eligibility, 3) most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Status Candidates: Consideration will be given to Non-Indian applicants (Status or Reinstatement eligibles) in the absence of a qualified Indian preference eligible. Applicants not entitled to Indian Preference or Veteran's Preference must be Federal civilian employees with competitive status or former Federal civilian employees with reinstatement eligibility and must submit latest Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50, as proof.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): Preference eligibles may apply for permanent positions (career or career-conditional appointments) under merit promotion procedures for VEOA appointments; however, veteran's preference is not a factor in these appointments. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be a preference eligible OR veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. Applicants must submit a copy of their DD-214 (Member Copy 4) for verification of eligibility. For more information about this program and to determine whether you are eligible, click here.

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, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. To determine if you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your application to determine your level of experience.

Please follow all instructions carefully, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, which may include a medical examination, drug test, physical readiness test, written examination, and structured interview. These assessments measure the critical competencies required to successfully perform the job.

This position requires successful completion of the following assessment: Subject Matter Expert (SME) Resume Review. This assessment measures the critical competencies that are required to successfully perform the job in the following areas:

Organizational Awareness, Planning and Evaluating, Problem Solving, Safety Engineering, and Written Communication

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may lose consideration. Errors or omissions may affect your qualification. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action. To preview the assessment questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12983037

Bureau of Indian Education

The BIE's mission is to provide quality education opportunities from early childhood through life in accordance with the tribes' needs for cultural and economic well-being and in keeping with the wide diversity of American Indian tribes and Native Alaska villages as distinct cultural and governmental entities (25 CFR ยง 32.3).

Agency contact information

Mary Jean Moeller
Phone
(703) 381-2016
Email
maryjean.moeller@bie.edu
Address
Education Facilities
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Bureau of Indian Education, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.bie.edu/

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