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Safety & Occupational Health Manager

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Northern Arizona VA Healthcare System (NAVAHCS)

Summary

The primary purpose of the Safety Manager is to direct the Occupational Safety and Health Program at a major federal medical facility. The incumbent has the overall responsibility for planning, organizing, administering, and evaluating a program involving diverse medical and industrial safety responsibilities. The incumbent directly supervises safety specialists who support the day-to-day operations for the safety program.

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
$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
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
Yes
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
CBSX-13046378-26-CC
Control number
882455200

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Duties

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Major duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Studies Federal, State or local requirements which contain permissible exposure limits, and collects/maintains appropriate documentation for reference materials and back up. Develops policies to comply with specific laws and regulations, which often contain conflicting requirements, while minimizing adverse impact to patient care.
  • Keeps current and updated on new industry standards developed by other organizations; studies health and safety reports, journals and related periodicals in work processes that create health hazards.
  • Develops policies to comply with specific laws and regulations, which often contain conflicting requirements, while minimizing adverse impact to patient care.
  • Carries out inspections of workplaces and investigations of accidents, recording of injuries, occupational illnesses, property loss and fires; and analyzing of lost time injuries and illnesses and reporting, as required.
  • Effects compliance with safety-related legislative and accrediting requirements at the Medical Center. These include those mandated by Federal, state and local authorities having specific jurisdiction concerning protection and quality of life and environment, as well as those of accrediting bodies. Specifically, incumbent shares primary responsibility for compliance with The Joint Commission Environment of Care and CARF Environment of Care standards.
  • The incumbent operates an effective fire, safety, emergency management and occupational health program that meets VA, Joint Commission, and OSHA standards. The incumbent provides leadership and information to services toward fulfilling VASDHS occupational safety and health goals.
  • The incumbent conducts proactive risk assessments that evaluate the potential adverse impact of buildings, grounds, equipment, occupants, and internal physical systems of the safety and health of patients, staff, and other people coming to the hospital's facilities.
  • Coordinates hazard surveillance activities (e.g., Environment of Care Rounds and Safety Inspections), aggregate outcome data, and analyzes information to identify trends. The incumbent conducts periodic environmental tours to identify environmental deficiencies hazards, and unsafe practices.
  • Explains performance expectations to employees and provides regular feedback on strengths and weaknesses. Hold employees responsible for satisfactory completion of work assignments. Rate workers' performance, ensuring consistency and equity in rating techniques: Recommend awards when appropriate. Hears and resolves employee complaints and refers serious unresolved complaints to higher level management. Initiates action to correct performance or conduct problems.
  • Identifies employee developmental needs and provides or arranges for training (formal and on-the-job) to maintain and improve job performance. Encourages self-development.
  • Promotes an environment in which employees are empowered to participate in and contribute to effective mission accomplishment. Discharges security responsibilities by ensuring education and compliance with security directives for employees with access to classified or sensitive material. Recognizes and takes action to correct situations posing a threat to the health or safety of subordinates.
  • Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS): Familiarizes self with how their activities impact VA's goal to implement sound stewardship practices that are protective of the air, water, land, and other natural and cultural resources.

Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday; 08:00am - 04:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Manager/PD10069O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized for Highly Qualified Candidates
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: Requires regular and recurring physical exertion related to frequent inspections and surveys of patient career areas, laboratories, warehouses, vehicles, industrial shops, grounds, community based clinics, and nurslng homes requiring that the incumbent perform considerable walking, standing, reaching, bending or other similar movements. Must be capable of negotiating narrow passages, rooftops, and crawlspaces and require some degree of agility when inspecting construction sites, climbing, running, jumping, crawling in confined spaces, and exposure to fire situations. Use of an air-purifying respirator or other personal protective equipment while performing these tasks.
  • 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, 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, 09/02/2026.

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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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.

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Must meet one of the following Education or Experience:

EDUCATION:
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

EXPERIENCE:
Specialized Experience:
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.

In addition, you must meet the grade requirements listed below.
GS-12 Grade Requirements
You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: A broad knowledge of safety and occupational health concepts, principles, techniques, practices, laws, and regulations sufficient to plan, organize, administer, coordinate, and evaluate occupational safety and health programs. Knowledge to provide technical advice and guidance to the Health Care Center organizations and managers concerning difficult or unusual safety and occupational health issues. Investigating and analyzing a wide variety of problems and making recommendations. Planning, developing, and executing a variety of new safety projects and assessing their effectiveness. Interpreting regulations or policy and properly implementing their provisions. Experienced managerial skills in order to inspect, coordinate, and oversee the work of subordinates; and provide training, advice, and guidance. Ability to communicate both orally and in writing.

Preferred Certifications: Certified Safety Professional(CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist(CIH), Certified Health Physicist(CHP), OSHA Certifications, Healthcare Safety Certification(CHSP).

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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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.

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.

Areas of Consideration: Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order.

  1. Current permanent employees of the Northern Arizona VA Healthcare System (NAVAHCS)
  2. Current permanent Veterans Health Administration employees
  3. Current permanent employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs
  4. Current permanent Federal Employees
  5. Status Candidates

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:
  • Accountability
  • Customer Service
  • Decisiveness
  • Flexibility
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Problem Solving
  • Resilience


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?

The VA Desert Pacific Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model that is based in a partnership across time, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Agency contact information

Corayma Chavez
Phone
562-625-2870
Email
Corayma.Chavez@va.gov
Address
Bob Stump VA Medical Center
500 Highway 89 North
Prescott, AZ 86313
US

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