Summary The South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) Coordinator is the key member of the STVHCS GEMS Committee responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of the VA GEMS across STVHCS organizational elements. Responsibilities The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department. The five Core Values define "who we are," our culture, and how we care for Veterans, their families and other beneficiaries.The Values are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence ("I CARE").As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips. Coordinates the efforts of health care system staff to ensure that the environmental program is developed and implemented in accordance with national, agency, state and local policy and guidance. Coordinates an effective health care decontamination team in compliance with standards of the Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Joint Commission. Performs on-site inspections of new construction to ensure compliance with all applicable codes, standards, and health care system policies. Manages medical center environmental programs and coordinates efforts of organizations that relate to environmental matters. Keeps abreast of latest development in environmental management systems, respiratory protection, and health care decontamination by review of technical publications, attending technical conferences or professional society meetings, and discussions with industry representatives. Is the technical authority for the health care system with the responsibility for assuring adequacy of the Green Environmental Management System program, respiratory protection, and decontamination requirements for the operations and maintenance of such programs. Develops, evaluates, and provides corrective actions for respirator programs. Recommends and approves remedial actions. Conducts internal annual gap analysis of program in preparation for evaluation by higher level office. Reviews implementation of policy and procedures and reports the status to national level. Discusses deficiencies and remedial action with appropriate local leadership and committee. Approves preventive and corrective actions. Reviews how expansion, modifications, or closures of existing facilities and infrastructure and new constructions will affect the environment, and provides information that will minimize adverse impacts to human health and the environment and reduce the health care system's vulnerability. Conducts education program for employees in the prevention of occupational exposures and diseases (hazard communication program) and documents all training. Cooperatively works with federal, state, and local environmental and occupational safety and health organizations in areas of mutual interest. Responds to inquiries and provides technical assistance to health care system personnel. Calibrates and uses a variety of industrial hygiene instrumentation, including but not limited to air sampling pumps, noise survey instruments, and field direct reading devices. Develops, implements, and maintains the respiratory protection program to include identification of workplaces requiring respiratory protection, coordination of medical examinations, and conducting respirator training and fit-testing for affected employees. Receives and disposes of hazardous wastes and maintains appropriate records in accordance with existing Environmental Protection Agency standards and state law. Develops and presents budgetary information related to environmental programs. Identifies and requisitions test equipment used in performing industrial hygiene tasks. Implements and monitors compliance with federal, state, and local environmental and other requirements preventing pollution, minimizing waste, and conserving cultural and natural resources. Conducts studies of work operations and processes, examines work environments, analyzes findings, promotes recommendations, and prepares reports. Receives and disposes of hazardous wastes and maintains appropriate records in accordance with existing regulations. Responds to industrial hygiene inquiries and provides technical assistance to employees. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Industrial Hygienist (GEMS)/PD035680Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Industrial Hygienist - Recruitment/Relocation Incentive - Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Occasional travel required to/from parent facility in San Antonio, TX and outpatient clinic locations. Approved training opportunities may require travel to location of training. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/25/2026. 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-09. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR). The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science; or A bachelor's degree in a branch of engineering, physical science, or life science that included 12 semester hours in chemistry, including organic chemistry, and 18 additional semester hours of courses in any combination of chemistry, physics, engineering, health physics, environmental health, biostatistics, biology, physiology, toxicology, epidemiology, or industrial hygiene; or Certification from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH). You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-09 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Receives and disposes of hazardous wastes and maintains appropriate records in accordance with existing Environmental Protection Agency standards and state law. Responds to industrial hygiene inquiries and provides technical assistance to employees. Calibrates and uses a variety of industrial hygiene instrumentation, including but not limited to air sampling pumps, noise survey instruments, and field direct reading devices. Performs on-site inspections of new construction to ensure compliance with all applicable codes, standards, and health care system policies. Develops, evaluates, and provides corrective actions for respiratory programs. Recommends and approves remedial actions. OR Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-09 level. 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree OR Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-09 level. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: the recognition, evaluation, corrective actions, and elimination of environmental conditions in the workplace that causes sickness, impaired health, or illness. This experience must demonstrate a professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of industrial hygiene and closely related sciences such as physics and engineering controls. Such work must have involved experience in all of the following areas: the acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data, and the measurement of exposures for a variety of chemical, physical, and biological stresses; the analysis of the data acquired and the prediction of probable effects of exposures on the health and well-being of workers; and the selection and recommendation of appropriate controls, including management, medical, engineering, education or training, and personal protective equipment. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). 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 combination of education (one year beyond the Master's Degree level) and experience as described above. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Standards Technical Competence Technical Problem Solving Communications Compliance Financial Management Health Risk Analysis 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: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds, Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds, Straight pulling (1 hour), Pulling hand over hand (1 hour), Pushing (1 hour), Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking (3 hours), Standing (3 hours), Crawling (1hour), Repeated bending (1 hour), Climbing, use of legs and arms, Both legs required, Operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle, Ability for rapid mental and muscular, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, Depth perception, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Ability to distinguish shades of colors, Hearing (aid may be permitted), emotional & mental stability, prosthetic limbs permitted.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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. 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. VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. The following will be communicated to applicants for VA employment in a testing designated position and will also be included in all VA vacancy announcements for such positions: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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 well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.
