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Industrial Hygienist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

This position is located within the Martinsburg VA Medical Center, Martinsburg, West Virginia, as part of the Safety Office. This position serves as an Industrial Hygienist and will be assigned the duties of the Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Program Manager (SPHM) for the medical center.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$85,447 - $111,087 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
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
CBTF-13029992-26-JAH
Control number
879555300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.

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Duties

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Duties may include but are not limited to:

  • Plans and conducts evaluations of working operations involving potentially hazardous environmental conditions, analyzes findings, and recommends corrective measures and controls.
  • Formulates specific recommendations for control of health hazards found.
  • Participates in the review for new or modified facilities, processes, equipment and materials for evaluation of the adequacy of health hazard controls.
  • Administers specific industrial hygiene programs for the facility.
  • Leads industrial hygiene surveys and investigations to determine the nature and severity of hazards.
  • Prepares technical reports identifying health hazards and recommends measures for the reduction or elimination.
  • Conducts briefings with supervisors to discuss industrial hygiene programs, the findings from industrial hygiene evaluations, and the approach to be taken to mitigate hazards.
  • Reviews VA / VHA publications, OSHA documents and regulations, the Federal Register, EPA regulations and other pertinent documents and interprets said regulations and guidance for development of management programs.
  • Participates in the Facility Safety and Health Committee, Accident Review Board and Patient Safety Committee and chairs the Safety Patient Handling Committee.
  • The SPHM Program Manager is responsible for the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous evaluation of the facility's program for SPHM in alignment with VHA Directive, policy and national oversight.
  • Responsible for the development and implementation of policies and procedures for the entire facility as they relate to SPHM, including acquisition, development, analysis and presentation of planning data, economic demography, patient care, and work performance for use in planning efforts.
  • Provides leadership in addressing ethical issues that impact the Veterans or staff involved with the SPHM Program.
  • Evaluates compliance with The Joint Commission Standards, internal and external auditors regarding SPHM program, including staff education and development.
  • Responsible for implementation of SPHM algorithms and will identify, propose, and oversee equipment to meet current and future needs for SPHM.
  • Coordinate with the Patient Safety to implement evidence into practice for SPHM.
  • Collaborate with Patient Safety and Occupational Safety, Health Care Technology and Logistics, Environment of Care and staff in equipment selection.
  • Maintains coordination of the SPHM program throughout the Martinsburg VAMC.
  • Collaborate with managers/service chiefs to develop a strategy for dissemination of information, education, and justification of the SPHM Program for facility staff.
  • Develop, supervise, coordinate, and expand a lntraunit Resource and Instructor for Safety (IRIS) Program to facilitate facility-wide implementation of the SPHM Program. This program development will include education (at least annually), supervision (in collaboration with managers), and support of IRISs for progression of responsibility. The incumbent will anticipate new knowledge needs for changing practice and plans and implement/evaluate strategies to meet those needs.
  • Conducts on-site inspections of worksites to identify and evaluate conditions which may be hazardous to workers' health.
  • Conducts periodic workplace inspections in all organizations, buildings, and grounds to locate any hazards or potential hazards.
  • Conducts ergonomic assessments of work environments and makes recommendations to improve worker comfort and reduce musculoskeletal injuries.
  • Provide written and oral reports of findings and recommendations to abate or reduce hazards.
  • Investigate accidents which may include those involving fatalities and serious injury. Investigate complaints of employees concerning work conditions. Check facility areas for possible unsafe conditions. Follow up to assure correction of all deficiencies found. Determine compliance with occupational health regulations, recognized standards, and agency governing references. Investigate exposures which may include those involving fatalities, serious injuries, and complaints by employees concerning work conditions.
  • Other tasks and duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Full time. Monday through Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD19034O
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
  • Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
  • 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 identification 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 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/11/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:


Individual Occupational Basic Requirements: All applicants must meet this basic requirement.

  • A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science; OR
  • A bachelor's degree in a branch of engineering, physical science, or life science that included 12 semester hours in chemistry, including organic chemistry, and 18 additional semester hours of courses in any combination of chemistry, physics, engineering, health physics, environmental health, biostatistics, biology, physiology, toxicology, epidemiology, or industrial hygiene; OR
  • Certification from the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene(external link) (ABIH)).

Note: Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable.


Industrial Hygienist GS-0690-11: In addition, you must qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples experience includes but is not limited to: Specifies goals and obstacles to achieving those goals, generates alternatives, considers risks, and evaluates and chooses the best alternative in order to make a determination, draw conclusions or solve a problem. Use knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on the job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. Effectively expresses information to multiple audiences through clear dissemination of information and ideas; actively listens to others and demonstrates understanding of their comments and/or questions. Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and guidance. Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of health risk analysis; establish an exposure assessment strategy; collect basic characterization information (workplace, work force, and agents); assess exposure to the work force; prioritize health risks; implement monitoring and control strategies for unacceptable exposures; schedule and perform periodic reassessments; and document and communicate health risk exposure.OR
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. OR
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond .

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Communication
  • Compliance Inspection
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Health Risk Analysis
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.

Note: 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.

Physical Requirements: The work will require, lifting, repositioning of up to 40 lbs. pounds on a regular basis utilizing SPHM technology and equipment. Duties are physical in nature, requiring standing, walking, bending, stooping, lifting light to medium weight objects, and pushing wheelchairs. Requires the ability to carry light to medium weight items such as papers, books, or other supplies, as well as heavier items such as durable medical equipment. The incumbent needs to be able to handle the therapy equipment, modalities, and patient lifts for patient care activities and uses the computer and other standard office equipment to complete administrative tasks. During inspections or surveys, there is regular exposure to all the hazards and discomforts to which the workers are subjected. This may include toxic chemicals, physical stresses, and safety hazards. The employee must use a variety of protective equipment and clothing.

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

Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care.

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.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


USA Hire Assessments include a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

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.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

Located in the heart of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) can be found on 175 acres in historic Berkeley County and has a service area of more than 70,000 Veterans in West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The Medical Center, part of the VA Capitol Health Care Network (VISN 5), offers a comprehensive range of services, including internal medicine, ambulatory surgery, audiology and speech pathology, dental, nursing home, nutrition, podiatry, prosthetics, women's health, mental health and rehabilitation medicine. Patient care is provided through an integrated primary care concept, and each veteran is assigned to a team of health care providers that follows the patient's care both as an inpatient and an outpatient. It is the mission of the Medical Center to honor America's Veterans as heroes by providing the highest quality health care.

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.

Agency contact information

Joseph Hannan
Phone
304-263-0811 X7710
Email
Joseph.Hannan@va.gov
Address
Martinsburg VA Medical Center
510 Butler Avenue
Martinsburg, WV 25405
US

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