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Industrial Hygienist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Safety Management Service

Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to apply evidence-based industrial hygiene evaluations and interventions for a multi-site, multi-disciplinary health care system providing professional industrial hygiene expertise and advice to management officials and employees.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$82,218 - $105,613 per year

A Cost-of-Living-Allowance (COLA) of 8.64% will be added to the stated salary. COLA is subject to change at any time.

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
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
CBSW-13115606-27-CT
Control number
892920900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current Dept of Veterans Affairs employees serving under Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service appointments (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements, this does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent). And CTAP Eligibles

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Duties

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As the Industrial Hygienist, you will:

  • Support or participate in required hazard evaluations and inspections of work areas to identify and address occupational health hazards
  • Plan and conduct industrial hygiene surveys and exposure assessments that ensure compliance with environmental, occupational health, and safety standards
  • Implement an organizations industrial hygiene elements by performing exposure assessments, recommend controls, and provide technical advice to program officials
  • Select and operate appropriate sampling equipment, perform analytical tests, interpret results, and recommend corrective action to ensure compliance
  • Prepare comprehensive reports of qualitative and quantitative analyses of activities, evaluate program effectiveness, and ensure legal sufficient documentation of all industrial hygiene activities
Work Schedule: Tour Varies * 0730 to 1600
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#: Industrial Hygienist/PD03370-LS
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
  • A current, valid state-issued Driver License is required for this position.
  • Individuals required to operate a Government-owned or -leased motor vehicle to properly carry out their assigned duties must be properly screened during the recruitment and onboarding process. Applicants must Possess a valid, unrestricted State driver license, have a safe driving record, and demonstrate that they are medically qualified to operate the appropriate motor vehicle safely.
  • Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
  • 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, 11/20/2026.

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.

Basic Requirement
You must meet one of the following:
A) Successfully completed of a full 4-year course of study at an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree or higher in industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science; OR,
B) 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,
C) Certification from the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene (https://www.opm.gov/leaving/index.aspx?link=http://www.abih.org/) (ABIH)).
NOTE: Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable. For engineering degrees to be acceptable, the curriculum must be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) as a professional engineering curriculum.

In addition to the Basic Requirement above, you must also meet one of the following 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: The recognition, evaluation, corrective actions, and elimination of environmental conditions in the workplace that causes sickness, impaired health, or illness. This experience must demonstrate a professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of industrial hygiene and closely related sciences such as physics and engineering controls. Such work must have involved experience in all of the following areas: the acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data, and the measurement of exposures for a variety of chemical, physical, and biological stresses; the analysis of the data acquired and the prediction of probable effects of exposures on the health and well-being of workers; and the selection and recommendation of appropriate controls, including management, medical, engineering, education or training, and personal protective equipment. OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree in: 1) Industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science; OR 2) 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,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Health Risk Analysis
  • Compliance Inspection
  • Communication
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 Demands - Work Environment: The performance of duties requires long periods of walking, standing, crawling, kneeling and bending. Moderate lifting and carrying of equipment, use of personal protective devices, and work in hazardous and confined spaces is required. Emotional and mental stability are required. During surveys, you are subject to all the risks and discomforts associated with industrial and healthcare activities of the agency. This exposure requires the use of protective clothing and equipment, including respirators, hardhats, and ear protectors.

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

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

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.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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 Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS) is a level 3 facility that provides access to patient care to over 130,000 veterans across a 2.6M square mile area of the Pacific Ocean delivering a full range of comprehensive health care services. The VAPIHCS operates eight community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) covering seven county areas. These outpatient clinics are in America Samoa, Guam, Hilo, Kauai, Kona, Windward, and Maui.

More History can be found here: https://www.hawaii.va.gov/about/history.asp

Agency contact information

Cathleen Tittnich
Phone
9098257084 X1973
Email
Cathleen.Tittnich@va.gov
Address
Spark M Matsunaga Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
459 Patterson Road
Honolulu, HI 96819
US

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