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Safety & Occupational Health Specialist (Safety Specialist)

Department of Justice
Justice, Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Summary

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
12/08/2025 to 12/30/2025
Salary
$66,012 to - $94,990 per year
Pay scale & grade
GL 07 - 09
Location
Lompoc, CA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel may be required for training and/or work related issues.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
09
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
LOM-2026-0011
Control number
851832600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

• BOP Employees nationwide • DOJ Surplus and Displaced (CTAP) Employees in the local commuting area. • Duty Location: FCC Lompoc, CA

Duties

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Conducts safety and environmental inspections of the institution and prepares a report for the Environmental and Safety Compliance Administrator’s review.

Promotes the adherence of safety policy for the facility.

Assist in the training of staff and inmates in the techniques of firefighting, occupational safety and environmental protection.

Assist the Safety Administrator or Assistant Safety Administrator in conducting investigations and obtains statements from witnesses and securing physical evidence.

Prepares factual written reports for all concerned that will identify the accident, injuries suffered by staff and/or inmates, cost of property damage and offer recommendations to eliminate future accidents in the future.

Responsible for developing and conducting safety training classes for the inmate population and staff.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staffs correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is Required.
  • See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

Career Transition Programs (CTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:

  • 1. Meet CTAP eligibility criteria;
  • 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
  • 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility.

NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements.

Education:

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- in a 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.

GL-07: 1 full year of graduate education or Superior Academic Achievement.

GL-09: Master’s or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B or J.D., if related.

OR

Experience:

GL-07 and GL-09: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, experience must be in or related to safety and occupational health that provided the specific qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position.


Some examples of the qualifying specialized experience are:

GL-07:

  • Experience participating as a member of a survey or inspection team led by a higher graded specialist and is exposed to the practical application of techniques and measures used to identify hazards.
  • Experience attending and observing closing sessions where violations of appropriate standards and subsequent corrective requirements are discussed with management representatives.
  • Experience studying and reviewing past inspection records to further understanding of the application of technical standards to specific unsafe acts or conditions.

GL-09:

  • Experience surveying work to identify and evaluate hazardous and nonhazardous industrial work operations and conditions and to recommend corrective procedures where the potential for injury or property damage exists.
  • Experience providing informal instruction to work leaders and employees covering a variety of standard, general safety and occupational health subjects including mishap prevention and safe working practices.
  • Experience analyzing accident and injury reports, studying data to discover trends and mishap causes, and to develop recommendations for eliminating or controlling the hazards detected.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience:

GL-07 and GL-09: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Education

See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable.

ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.

Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

Superior Academic Achievement. (S.A.A.) applicants MUST provide a transcript in order to be considered under S.A.A. 

In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.

If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

Additional information

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for original appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution.

The representative rate for this position is $80,742 per annum ($38.69 per hour).

Special Conditions of Employment Section:

Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.  All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks.

All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm.

The Core Value Assessment (CVA) is an in-person assessment that must be facilitated at a Bureau of Prisons Human Resource Servicing office. On the day of the scheduled interview, a CVA will be administered. The applicant assessment must be completed within a 70 minute time period and a passing score must be obtained. Further employment consideration will not be extended if the applicant fails to complete the examination or fails to achieve a passing score.  Note: The Core Value Assessment will not be administered to current BOP employees.

Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques," three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required.

The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application.  You may be required to provide proof of residence.

Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Exceptions may apply. See 5 CFR part 11.

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.

If your composite score exceeds the average score for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your online assessment responses and utilized to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement.  If your selections are not supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application:

  • Your resume, which is part of your USAJOBS profile;
  • Your responses to the eligibility questions;
  • Your responses to the online assessment;
  • Your supporting documentation, if required.

Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements for consideration. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

If you applied to more than one grade level, BE ADVISED that you may be selected at ANY grade level for which you applied and are found qualified (i.e., if the job is announced at the 9/11 grade levels and you apply for the GS/GL-9 and the GS-11,and you are found qualified at BOTH grade levels, you may be selected at either grade level).

What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?

The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required:

GL-07 and GL-09:

  • Ability to communicate orally.
  • Ability to communicate in writing.
  • Ability to interpret and apply policy within the occupational safety and environmental protection, workers compensation and fire protection areas.
  • Knowledge of occupational safety, environmental health, workers compensation and fire protection principles and procedures.

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