Summary The Dayton VAMC is looking for a Health Physicist (Radiation Safety) to join the Therapeutic and Diagnostic Imaging Service. The incumbent functions independently to provide expert, comprehensive radiation safety oversight for medical use of radioactive material and state-of-the art diagnostic medical imaging and radiotherapy systems. Note: This is opportunity is limited to a two-page resume. Please see "How To Apply" for additional information. Responsibilities Major duties include but not limited to: Provides expert advice and guidance to medical staff with regard to routine and advanced procedures that involve the use of ionizing radiation to include both radioactive material and machine-produced radiation. Develops, coordinates, and administers policy in order to execute a comprehensive radiation safety program. Sets the overall radiation safety program goals, utilizes available resources or acquires new ones as necessary, defines objectives, sets priorities, establishes deadlines and reviews the end product. Develop and manage the radiation safety annual budget. Develops procedures to manage critical issues as they are identified and prepares for unusual events that may require an emergency response. Oversees the personnel monitoring program to hundreds of staff and maintains a program that ensures the safety of thousands of staff, patients and the general public. Takes emergency action in the event of loss or theft of radioactive material. Evaluates all areas of ionizing radiation use for proper security, shielding integrity, usage, and ventilation in areas to include the following: Nuclear Medicine, Radiology, Intervention Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Cardiology, Surgery, Dental Service and radiation use laboratories as well as non-clinical or non-research areas. Provide oversight of the safe storage radioactive material. Instruct all personnel who utilize ionizing radiation on subjects including the As Low as Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) program, safety procedures, disposal policy and procedures (if applicable), compliance with regulations, local policy and procedures and any other pertinent radiation safety information. Participates in the design and renovation of all construction projects that involve the use of ionizing radiation. Develops training programs for all staff that have the potential to work with ionizing radiation. Package, prepare shipping manifests, confirm burial site licensing applications, and make arrangement for off-site shipping, allotment and oversight of radioactive qualities disposed in the sanitary sewage, air exhaust system, and by incineration. Maintain all records and reports that are required by all pertinent group or agency. Report quarterly to the Radiation Safety Committee (RSC) on the status of the radiation safety programs, ALARA exceptions and actions taken, and other pertinent radiation safety information. Report annually to the Medical Center Director on the radiation safety program to ensure all aspects of the radiation safety program are in compliance with VHA Directives and Radioactive Material Permit issued by National Health Physics (NHPP). Prepare correspondence, license amendments, applications and other written communications required with the NHPP, NRC, OSHA, DOT, FDA, EPA, TJC and any other pertinent group or agency. Perform or oversee calibrations of radiation survey instruments, equipment and other radiation measuring devices (e.g. dose calibrators), as necessary. Maintains appropriate oversight of activities performed by the contract/hired Diagnostic Medical Physicist (DMP) and Therapeutic Medical Physicist (TMP). Prepares highly technical reports and papers for regulatory bodies. Authorizes the purchase of radioactive materials. Authorizes the purchase of radioactive materials. Oversee and investigate, as needed, patient radiation doses. Investigate any action level that is exceeded. Other duties as assigned. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, or as needed by the Service Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Physicist (Radiation Safety)/93431-0, 93432-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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 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, 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, 04/06/2026. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12.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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR): A. Degree: natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus. OR B. Combination of education and experience -- 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, plus appropriate experience and other education that provided an understanding of sciences applicable to health physics comparable to that described in paragraph A. Specialized Experience: Specialized Experience GS 12 - You will have to have one year specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS 11) in order to qualify for the GS 12 level. Specialized experience can include but is not limited to: maintaining radiation safety, regulatory compliance, training, reporting, and budgeting. Specialized Experience GS 13 - You will have to have one year specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS 12) in order to qualify for the GS 13 level. Specialized experience can include but is not limited to: development of radiation safety programs, overseeing the work of others, program planning, advising on complex problems, reporting, and budgeting. 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 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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/. VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the @context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
