Summary The Tibor Rubin VA Medical is recruiting for a Safety & Occupational Health Specialist. Key responsibilities include developing, coordinating, and implementing construction safety policies and procedures, minimizing injuries and property losses through effective safety programs, implementing and evaluating safety initiatives covering mishap investigation, training, hazardous materials, occupational health, PPE, and compliance with laws. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to: Fulfills the duties and responsibilities for the Facility Construction Safety Officer per VHA Directive 7715. Independently manages and oversees the facility's Construction Safety Program and serves on the facility Construction Safety Committee. Develops, delivers and/or facilitates relevant training for the improvement of the Construction Safety Program. Independently conducts surveys to identify and evaluate risks in construction and renovation work environments. Assesses compliance with mechanical standards, safety policies, and program effectiveness. Plans and conducts construction and renovation worksite inspections, especially in hazardous areas. Performs frequent safety audits and follow-up inspections to ensure corrective actions. Conducts risk assessments and recommends methods to control or eliminate hazards. Investigates hazardous conditions and proposes remedial actions such as engineering controls and PPE. Consults with specialists and supervisors on work process changes to reduce risks. Collaborates to establish safety requirements and ensure regulatory compliance. Maintains historical safety records and monitors trends for revising procedures. Manages data integrity and ensures accurate data input. Develops and implements local safety guidelines and procedures. Prepares and revises safety instructions and guides. Evaluates technological changes and recommends safety measures. Proposes well-developed plans considering potential issues. Conducts pre-contract award and acceptance safety surveys and inspections of equipment. Evaluates compliance with safety and occupational health criteria. Analyzes design plans for facility modifications, recommending changes for compliance. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Virtual: This is not a virtual position Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a trial period. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. 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 or trial 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, 04/10/2026. 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-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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Basic Requirements: This position has INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT which is a basic requirement that must be met to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that cannot be waived. To meet the basic requirement for the Safety and Occupational Health Specialist Occupational series, applicants must demonstrate one of the following: Undergraduate and/or Graduate Education with Major study as follows -- 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. OR Experience in or related to safety and occupational health that provided the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Managing safety or occupational health program elements. Developing and recommending safety and occupational health policy to higher levels of management. Applying safety and occupational health laws, regulations, principles, theories, practices, and procedures to advise on or resolve technical matters dealing with occupational safety and health requirements. Developing safety and occupational health standards, regulations, practices, and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards. Developing or implementing programs to reduce the frequency, severity, and cost of accidents and occupational illnesses. Analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards. Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards. Inspecting or surveying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards and to identify potential new hazards. Training of workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subject. Grade Requirements: Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, GS-11 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Creating safety plans and preparing supplements, guidelines, and written procedures to implement technical safety standards, codes, and safety requirements for a variety of operations and activities; Inspecting construction projects to determine compliance with occupational standards; and reviewing designs for new areas that are being built or renovated; Evaluating employee implementation of all prescribed occupational health, safety, and fire and life protection measures. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M., if related. 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 Master's or equivalent graduate degree. Preferred Experience: Demonstrated experience and training requirements equivalent to the VHA Master Safety Specifications (01 35 26, 2024) for a Site Safety and Health Officer (SSHO), including OSHA 30-hour Construction certification completed within the past 5 years. Additionally, candidates should possess one of the following qualifications: Seven (7) years of construction safety experience, or A degree in safety & health from an accredited university with five (5) years of construction safety experience, or Certified Safety Professional (CSP) or Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) certification with three (3) years of construction safety experience. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Audit Reporting Compliance Inspection Data Management Oral Communication Problem Solving Risk Management 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 involves the frequent performance of surveys and onsite visits to offices, laboratory and maintenance shops necessitating prolonged periods of walking, standing, climbing, crouching, and lifting as much as 50 pounds. 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 Receiving Service Credit for 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. 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.
