Summary This position is located at the Stratton VA Medical Center (SVAMC) as the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO). He/she is responsible for developing and enforcing radiation safety policies and procedures for protection of people and the environment from the hazards of radiation. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION 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. Duties include, but not limited to: The incumbent serves as 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 clinical or research settings under a single NHPP radioactive materials permit (issued under the authority of the NRC). The incumbent plans, directs, leads, and executes the radiation safety and medical health physics programs of the VAMC 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. Review of experimental procedures including dose-specific calculations and development of risk wording, occupational dosimetry determinations for employees, and evaluation of data regarding patient absorbed radiation dose. Evaluates shielding requirements for radiographic devices, linear accelerators, and radioactive materials and sets a monitoring program to determine resulting exposure levels. Evaluates the training and experience of the medical staff and other professional personnel relative to regulatory compliance requirements for the use of radioactive materials and machine-produced ionizing radiation in clinical and research settings. Interprets regulations which contain little detail and develops a detailed program to meet the required standards. Independently planning, coordinating, and carrying out the duties, resolving any conflict that arises, working with others and interpreting policies and regulations and develops local protocols and SOPs to meet these requirements. Responding to radiation incidents involving patients, employees, or visitors and taking appropriate corrective action(s) as a subject matter expert to mitigate the impact to the individuals and the facility. Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday thru Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. 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 requires some physical exertion such as long periods of walking and standing while performing audits and surveys and consulting with staff. Time is also spent in formal and informal meetings with many different groups. Additionally, much of the work is administrative in nature and requires sitting in an office and utilizing computers. Must be medically cleared to participate on the decontamination team. 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Basic Qualification Requirements - you must meet one of the following: A) Successfully completed of a full 4-year course of study at an accredited college or university leading to 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: Transcripts must be included to meet the requirement. -OR- B) A combination of education and experience -- This must include 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: Transcripts must be included to meet the requirement. -AND- In addition to the above, to qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must meet the minimum qualifications: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service. Specialized experience must have been in a medical/healthcare setting within a radiation safety program involving both radioactive materials and machine-produced radiation with x-ray and CT units; advising on radiation safety and decontamination matters and to senior management and recommends courses of action to senior management and when complex radiation safety problems are encountered. (Experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit). -OR- Education: You must have 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. NOTE: Transcripts must be included to receive credit. -OR- Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience as described above may be used to meet total experience requirements. Only graduate level education over 2 years may be combined with experience. NOTE: Transcripts must be included to receive credit. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. 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/.
