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Safety & Occupational Health Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
CW Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center-Station 516

Summary

The incumbent serves as the Safety & Occupational Health Specialist at CW Bill Young VA Medical Center in Bay Pines, FL. They are responsible for assisting in the administration of comprehensive and involved program of Occupational Safety, Health, Fire Protection, and Industrial Hygiene designed to protect the lives, health, and personal property of patients, visitors, and employees, and for the protection of government property.

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
$74,678 - $97,087 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
25% 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
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
CBTC-13072905-26-NDL
Control number
886186000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Area of Consideration (AOC): 1st AOC - Current permanent employees of Bay Pines VA Medical Center (Station 516) including its satellite locations. 2nd AOC - Department of Veteran Affairs Employees. 3rd AOC - Status Eligible (Transfers, Reinstatements, VEOA, Certain Military Spouses, etc.) Non-Competitive Eligible- 30% Disabled Veterans, Individuals with Disabilities.

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Duties

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Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Directs investigation and/or review of all accidents involving government property, employees, visitors, and patient injuries and recommends corrective measures to prevent the occurrence of similar types of accidents in the future.
  • Take prompt action in emergencies without specific instruction.
  • Work to keep the Healthcare System in compliance with all changes affecting Occupational Safety, Health, Fire Protection and Industrial Hygiene fields.
  • Conducts background reviews of service operations and characteristics of work processes to insure compliance with VA regulations and applicable Occupational Safety & Health Standards and recommends corrective measures to eliminate or reduce occupational health hazards.
  • Prepares written reports of investigations into safety & occupational health problems identified on station and present recommendations for the solution of these problems.
  • Assists, directs and implements a comprehensive Occupational Safety, Health, Fire Protection, and Industrial Hygiene Training Program for Healthcare System employees.
  • Directs and conducts PMI work on all facility safety and fire protection equipment and systems to insure these systems are maintained so as to maximize their effectiveness.
  • Performs the role of a contracting officer's representative (COR) administrating contracts, maintaining records, budget and all records of performance.
  • Assists in managing all aspects of the facility Occupational Safety, Health, Fire Protection and Industrial Hygiene Programs.
  • Directs inspection of all workplaces, citing Occupational Safety and Health deficiencies & prepares recommendations for appropriate corrective actions.
  • Directs/conducts fire safety & general safety inspections at a number of outside facilities, such as contract nursing homes, CBOCs, etc. and reports findings to appropriate management personnel.
  • Conducts inspection of all construction sites and contractor work areas on station and reports any violations noted to the appropriate authorities for corrective action.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Specialist/PD10664A
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
  • 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 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 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 or trial 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, 10/02/2026.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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 Requirement (IOR)
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

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.

You may 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-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  • Prepares written reports of investigations into safety & occupational health problems identified on station and present recommendations for the solution of these problems.
  • Directs investigation and/or review of all accidents involving government property, employees, visitors, and patient injuries and recommends corrective measures to prevent similar occurrence of similar types of accidents in the future.
  • Assists, directs and implements a comprehensive Occupational Safety, Health, Fire Protection, and Industrial Hygiene Training Program for employees.
  • Directs and conducts PMI work on all facility safety and fire protection equipment and systems to insure these systems are maintained so as to maximize their effectiveness.
  • Directs/conducts fire safety & general safety inspections at a number of outside facilities, such as contract nursing homes, CBOCs, etc. and reports findings to appropriate management personnel.
OR,

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work.

OR,

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an an appropriate combination of specialized experience and education.

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 requires regular and recurring walking, crouching, and prolonged standing.

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.

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:

  • Administration and Management
  • Attention to Detail
  • Compliance Inspection
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


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.

Area of Consideration- Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
1. Current Permanent VA employees of the facility
2. All other VA employees
3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies
4. All other applicants.

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?

Bay Pines VA Healthcare System (BPVAHCS) is a level 1a, tertiary care facility headquartered in the Saint Petersburg area. The healthcare system operates nine facilities to include the main medical center and eight outpatient locations in central southwest Florida. More than 4,500 BPVAHCS employees serves over 118,000 Veterans yearly by providing a full range of high quality medical, psychiatric, and extended care services in outpatient, inpatient, residential, nursing home, and home care settings. The 5th busiest VA healthcare system in the country is a rewarding team to join. BPVAHCS is located on 337 acres situated on the Gulf of Mexico in Bay Pines, FL. Bay Pines, Florida is home to several beaches and parks. Florida is known as the "Sunshine" state with an average of approximately 240 days of sunshine a year!

Agency contact information

Nicole Lynch
Phone
701-239-3700 X4388
Email
nicole.lynch@va.gov
Address
CW Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
10000 Bay Pines Boulevard
Bay Pines, FL 33744
US

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