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Health Physicist

Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Environmental Health as the Hiring Organization

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Environmental Health, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

This announcement will close at 11:59 PM, on the day that 100 applications have been received or on the closing date, whichever is first.

Overview

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Accepting applications
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$112,556 - $146,325 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
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
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High 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
HHS-CDC-DH-27-13058389
Control number
889455000

Duties

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WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY

As a Health Physicist, you will be:

  • Serve as an expert on radiological assessment, environmental and medical radiation dosimetry, and other related nuclear/radiological issues, provides expert scientific leadership in planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating radiation studies involving exposure pathway analysis, source term estimation, and radiation dosimetry, including serving as project officer / scientific advisor and, when necessary, team leader on assigned intramural research projects or projects supported by interagency agreements, cooperative agreements, contracts, and grants.
  • Provide technical assistance to federal, state, and local agencies, as well as members of the general public, for activities related to the responsibilities of the Radiation Studies Program.
  • Participate in the design, development, and maintenance of mathematical models of human biokinetics and physiology for analysis of radiation dose In coordination with other Radiation Studies Program staff, and in collaboration with other federal and state agencies, contractors, and consultants, estimates to people, including development of detailed design criteria for biological models needed by the radiation studies program.
  • Serve on interagency work groups and committees, to include the Advisory Team for Environment, Food, and Health, and the Nuclear/Radiological Incident Task Force (NRITF).

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov
  • Suitable for federal employment
  • Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. All information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation.
  • Documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
  • All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
  • Financial disclosure statement may be required.
  • Probationary (or trial) period may be required.
  • This is a Test Designated Position. Incumbent must submit to and successfully pass a urinalysis drug screening prior to appointment.
  • The incumbent will also be subject to unannounced random drug testing for the duration of their time in this position.

Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Basic Qualifications:

A. Degree: natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus.

or

B. Combination of education and experience -- courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or other education; or certification as a health physicist by the American Board of Health Physics, plus appropriate experience and other education that provided an understanding of sciences applicable to health physics comparable to that described in paragraph A.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Minimum Qualifications: You must have one year of specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service performing at least ALL of the following:

  • Performing complex dosimetry evaluations for internal exposure, external exposure, and skin contamination events; and ensuring proper documentation of evaluations and dose assignments; or
  • Conducting exposure pathway analysis, source term estimation, or similar dosimetry work using various calculation methods such as Monte Carlo or Bayesian inference; and utilizing radiation modeling software such as RASCAL, RESRAD, MCNP or DCAL; or
  • Planning, designing, and evaluating studies in the radiation sciences (health physics, medical physics, or other radiation protection disciplines); or
  • Conducting preparedness, response, or recovery operations related to radiological/nuclear incidents.
Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

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; religious; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

OPM Qualification General Policies Website

Education

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov.

Note: Applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. Education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed.

Additional information

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.

Bargaining Unit Position: No

Research position: No

Drug Screening Required: Yes

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be considered well-qualified under I/CTAP, you must be rated eligible based on minimum qualifications for this position and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement.

Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement. Evaluation will be based on your application materials (such as your resume and supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of all required assessments.

Resume Requirement
Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages in length.

Basic Qualification Question
As part of the application process, you must answer a question addressing whether you meet the Basic Requirement for this position, as described in this announcement.

Minimum Qualification Question
As part of the application process, you must answer a minimum qualification question addressing whether you meet the Specialized Experience required for this position, as described in this announcement.

Your response must be supported by the experience documented in your resume. If your resume does not demonstrate the required Specialized Experience, you may be found not qualified.

Assessment Process

SME Resume Review
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine whether you meet the required Specialized Experience.

SME Structured Interview
You may be invited to participate in a structured interview with one or more Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to assess the required competencies for the position.

Applicants who successfully pass the assessment(s) may be referred to the Hiring Manager for consideration.

You must complete all required steps in the process, including submitting an application and resume and participating in the structured interview, to be considered for this position.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Become a part of the Department that touches the lives of every American! At the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) you can give back to your community, state, and country by making a difference in the lives of Americans everywhere. It is the principal agency for protecting the health of citizens. Join HHS and help to make our world healthier, safer, and better for all Americans.

Agency contact information

HHS HELPDESK
Email
ASKOHR@hhs.gov
Address
National Center for Environmental Health
1600 Clifton Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30333
US

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