Summary The Radiation Safety Officer overseeing a comprehensive program in support of hundreds of individuals in the Services of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Oncology, Cardiology, Surgery, Dental, Research and various other Medical and Surgical specialties using ionizing radiation in a clinical/academic/research setting under NHPP radioactive materials permits (issued under the authority of the NRC). Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Oversees a comprehensive program in support of the services or sections of Imaging, Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Oncology, and various medical and surgical specialties using radioactive material or ionizing radiation in clinical, academic, and research settings under a radioactive materials permit issued by the NHPP. Directs, supervises and conducts emergency response procedures for radiological emergencies. Advises staff on unusual, complex and critical problems encountered and develops solutions when implementing new clinical programs, such as PET/CT or PET/MR and new radiopharmaceutical therapies, when designing new or remodeling existing clinical facilities such as PET/CT, PET/MR, or SPECT/CT imaging facilities and radiation oncology facilities, and when creating or revising facility policy and procedures. Establishes and manages a comprehensive quality assurance program for diagnostic and interventional imaging equipment. Reviews equipment quality control parameters for imaging and therapeutic equipment including computed tomography, angiography, radiography, digital radiography and fluoroscopy, clinical linear accelerators, and positron emission tomography (PET), and possibly lasers, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. Provides oversight and evaluates the technical quality assurance program to determine its effectiveness and recommend and implement improvements. Designs and implements training programs in line with organizational strategies related to maintaining and improving safety. Adapts various available media to fit special and unique training requirements and participates in the development of novel or innovative safety training and promotion activities. Provides training and instruction to nursing staff, other clinical staff, and support staff such as Environmental Management Services (housekeeping) and dietetics personnel involved in the care of patients who have been administered therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals or undergoing brachytherapy. Evaluates the training and experience of the medical staff and other professional personnel relative to regulatory compliance requirements for the use of radioactive materials in clinical and research settings. Advises staff regarding safety and regulatory compliance aspects of biomedical research programs and facilities involving radioactive material and equipment producing ionizing radiation. Reviews laboratory methods and the objectives of the research to ensure that the radiation risks to personnel are minimized and may advise principal investigators and facility research committees on other aspects of research uses such as appropriateness. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30a - 4:00p Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Requirements 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 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 dentification 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 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. Qualifications English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. AND To qualify for this position, you must also meet the Basic Educational Requirements as well as Specialized Experience requirement. Basic Educational Requirement: Successfully completion of a bachelor's degree (or higher) in natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics and/or calculus. NOTE: If you select this option, you must submit a copy of your transcript with your application. Education will not be credited without documentation. Or, a combination of education and experience that includes 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 (copy of certification must be submitted with your application materials), plus appropriate experience and other education that provided an understanding of sciences applicable to health physics comparable to that described in paragraph A. NOTE: If you select this option, you must submit a copy of your transcript with your application. Education will not be credited without documentation. Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. AND Specialized Experience Requirement: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the Federal Service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience: Plans, directs, leads, and executes the radiation safety and medical health physics programs in a technical, scientific, and administrative scope of function with responsibility for all diagnostic, therapeutic and research modalities that require the use of ionizing radiation; Advises ancillary staff, researchers, technical, and medical personnel in the safe use of radioactive materials and devices producing ionizing radiation;. Reviews experimental procedures specific calculations and development of risk wording, occupational dosimetry determinations for employees, and evaluation of data regarding patient absorbed radiation dose; Offers consultation and advice to other onsite and offsite senior technical experts because of the position-specific responsibilities in the various associated disciplines. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position. Your experience must be fully documented in your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Education and Training Health Physics Quality Management Research IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; 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. Physical Requirements: Occasional movement of moderately heavy objects (40-60 pounds). Expected to walk throughout the medical in the performance of his/her duties. Handles and uses delicate instruments. The Radiation Safety Officer is likely to spend several hours per day updating documents, records, correspondence, and filing in an office, at a desk, with or without a desktop computer. The Radiation Safety Officer will make frequent use of the telephone, e-mail, and a beeper, if desirable. Makes routine visits to each VA Maryland Health Care System division sites, and especially to Radiology Service, Medical Service, Research and Development Service, and all restricted areas designated for the purpose of radiation procedures or radioactive materials use. 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 IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. 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.
