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Physical Scientist (Environmental)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is organizationally aligned to the Environmental and Safety Section, Office of the Associate Director, located at the VA Illiana Health Care System, Danville, IL - a Level 3 complexity facility. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as the Environmental, Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS) and Hazardous Materials Program Manager with secondary duties as a Safety Specialist.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/21/2022 to 02/11/2022
Salary
$66,214 to - $86,074 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Danville, IL
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DN-11353983-22-AK
Control number
632408200

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Duties

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The Physical Scientist is responsible for the facility the Green Environmental Management System (GEMS); ensures that Environmental Management Systems (EMS) program at the facility and clinics comply with Federal, State and local requirements, Executive Orders, and VHA and VA environmental requirements. The incumbent coordinates the environmental compliance program with VISN, health care facility management, supervisors, safety managers and others, as required.

Major Duties:
-Utilizes professional knowledge of the theories, practices and methodologies of natural, physical and social sciences as they relate to the natural and human environment to serve as a regulatory specialist with technical expertise to organize, analyze, interpret and evaluate scientific data in the solution of scientific environmental problems.
-Works independently with minimal supervisory control to perform all scientific environmental tasks required for the design, operation and management of environmental management systems and projects related to the operation of a health care facility. Duties include, but are not limited to: potable water supply and distribution; wastewater collection and treatment; solid and hazardous waste storage, handling, sampling, treatment, transport, and disposal; environmental statute, regulation and permit compliance; waste minimization; environmental health risk assessment and mitigation; pollution prevention and cleanup and development of VA facility policy and procedures related to environmental requirements and regulatory and statutory analysis.
-Review of engineering plans, drawings, technical specifications and estimated cost of projects related to environmental compliance.
-Development of health care facility policy, guidance and procedures related to environmental requirements and regulatory and statutory analysis, as well as the application of the foregoing to improve EMS program at the VHA facility.
-Performs on-site surveys to identify environmental compliance deficiencies and pollution prevention opportunities, and to provide technical advice in the assigned areas of responsibilities.
-Participates in the coordination and implementation of financial and budget execution activities related to environmental programs at the VHA facility.
-Compiles and prepares technical data for use by a variety of different sources, such as upper-level facility management, supervisors, engineers, safety managers, technical managers or other interested parties.


Work Schedule: 7:00am-3:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Physical Scientist (Environmental)/PD22059O
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/11/2022.

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-9. 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.

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

Basic Requirement:

A. Degree: physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: education equivalent to one of the majors shown in A above that included at least 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

GS-11 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Knowledge in evaluating and applying methods and equipment to the practice of safety and industrial hygiene. Knowledge and skills to develop and implement plans to accomplish program goals, modify policies and procedures to comply with frequent changes to applicable laws and regulations, provide technical advice and assistance to employees, plans, coordinates and implements tests and conduct studies and surveys to identify problems and recommends modifications to operations to complete projects, and develop and/or review all environmental documentation relating to assigned program areas. Knowledge in performing scientific and technical evaluation, correlation, synthesis, and presentation of important data for Air Quality Management. Developing and implementing environmental policies, procedures, and systems. Knowledge on asbestos abatement, underground storage tanks, solid waste management, and water and air quality management programs in a healthcare environment.

OR

3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. (Transcript Required)

OR

A combination of equivalent specialized experience as stated above and graduate level education leading to a Ph.D (Transcript Required)

To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-11. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.


You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:??????. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Information Management
  • Manages and Organizes Information
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Writing


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 the employee to carry a good deal of equipment and involves walking, standing, bending, climbing, crawling during surveys, or stooping to observe work operations and identify leaking containers in a treatment, storage, or disposal area.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

This position has a positive education requirement. Therefore, you MUST provide documentation supporting any education claims in your application. This documentation can include unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned and final grade. For specific education requirements, please see the Education Requirements. If selected, official transcripts may be requested.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

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.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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/.

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

As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required exception from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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.

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.

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