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Industrial Hygienist (GEMS)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
South Texas Veterans Health Care System
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) Coordinator is the key member of the STVHCS GEMS Committee responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of the VA GEMS across STVHCS organizational elements.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/16/2023 to 03/30/2023
Salary
$69,996 to - $90,992 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
San Antonio, TX
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
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
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CAZM-11882475-2023-KEH
Control number
712583900

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Duties

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  • Coordinates the efforts of health care system staff to ensure that the environmental program is developed and implemented in accordance with national, agency, state and local policy and guidance.
  • Coordinates an effective health care decontamination team in compliance with standards of the Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Joint Commission.
  • Performs on-site inspections of new construction to ensure compliance with all applicable codes, standards, and health care system policies.
  • Manages medical center environmental programs and coordinates efforts of organizations that relate to environmental matters.
  • Keeps abreast of latest development in environmental management systems, respiratory protection, and health care decontamination by review of technical publications, attending technical conferences or professional society meetings, and discussions with industry representatives.
  • Is the technical authority for the health care system with the responsibility for assuring adequacy of the Green Environmental Management System program, respiratory protection, and decontamination requirements for the operations and maintenance of such programs.
  • Develops, evaluates, and provides corrective actions for respirator programs. Recommends and approves remedial actions.
  • Conducts internal annual gap analysis of program in preparation for evaluation by higher level office. Reviews implementation of policy and procedures and reports the status to national level. Discusses deficiencies and remedial action with appropriate local leadership and committee. Approves preventive and corrective actions.
  • Reviews how expansion, modifications, or closures of existing facilities and infrastructure and new constructions will affect the environment, and provides information that will minimize adverse impacts to human health and the environment and reduce the health care system's vulnerability.
  • Conducts education program for employees in the prevention of occupational exposures and diseases (hazard communication program) and documents all training.
  • Cooperatively works with federal, state, and local environmental and occupational safety and health organizations in areas of mutual interest.
  • Responds to inquiries and provides technical assistance to health care system personnel.
  • Calibrates and uses a variety of industrial hygiene instrumentation, including but not limited to air sampling pumps, noise survey instruments, and field direct reading devices.
  • Develops, implements, and maintains the respiratory protection program to include identification of workplaces requiring respiratory protection, coordination of medical examinations, and conducting respirator training and fit-testing for affected employees.
  • Receives and disposes of hazardous wastes and maintains appropriate records in accordance with existing Environmental Protection Agency standards and state law.
  • Develops and presents budgetary information related to environmental programs.
  • Identifies and requisitions test equipment used in performing industrial hygiene tasks.
  • Implements and monitors compliance with federal, state, and local environmental and other requirements preventing pollution, minimizing waste, and conserving cultural and natural resources.
  • Conducts studies of work operations and processes, examines work environments, analyzes findings, promotes recommendations, and prepares reports.
  • Receives and disposes of hazardous wastes and maintains appropriate records in accordance with existing regulations.
  • Responds to industrial hygiene inquiries and provides technical assistance to employees.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Industrial Hygienist (GEMS)/PD031260
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Industrial Hygienist - Recruitment/Relocation Incentive - Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized.
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
  • 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 Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
  • Occasional travel required to/from parent facility in San Antonio, TX and outpatient clinic locations. Approved training opportunities may require travel to location of training.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/30/2023.

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 Requirements (IOR). The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

  • A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science; or
  • 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
  • Certification from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH).

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: 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 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). OR,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a combination of education (one year beyond the Master's Degree level) and experience as described above. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED).
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Standards
  • Technical Competence
  • Technical Problem Solving
  • Communications
  • Compliance
  • Financial Management
  • Health Risk Analysis

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: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds, Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds, Straight pulling (1 hour), Pulling hand over hand (1 hour), Pushing (1 hour), Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking (3 hours), Standing (3 hours), Crawling (1hour), Repeated bending (1 hour), Climbing, use of legs and arms, Both legs required, Operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle, Ability for rapid mental and muscular, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, Depth perception, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Ability to distinguish shades of colors, Hearing (aid may be permitted), emotional & mental stability, prosthetic limbs permitted.

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.

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. 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 accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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.

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.

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