Summary The Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) for Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System reports directly to the Deputy Chief of Staff. The RSO serves as the manager of the Comprehensive Radiation Safety Program, oversees the use of all radioactive materials within the research and clinical domains while monitoring the safety of patients and employees exposed to radioactive material. Responsibilities Plans, directs leads, and executes the radiation safety and medical health physics programs of SLVHCS 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. 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. Plays the lead role in policy development for the organization's multicenter radiation safety program with technical/expert assistance/support to other groups outside the organization. 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. Provides clinical support to Radiology, Nuclear Medicine/PET, Cardiology, Dental, Interventional Radiology, Surgery, Pain Management, Research, Pulmonary, Speech Pathology, Spinal Cord Injury, Anesthesia, Urology, Gastroenterology, and Radiation Oncology, for the application of radiation sources for the diagnosis and treatment of disease Reports patient radiation injuries to the appropriate agency including; National Health Physics Program (NHPP), JC, & FDA. Performs or oversees decontamination of staff and patients as required; Performs or oversees decontamination and release of facilities/physical locations for general use. Ensure the safe use of radioactive materials and ionizing machine-produced radiation by performing physical inspections and creating annual training in accordance with NRC regulation; Provide oversight of the safe storage of radioactive materials; Maintain inventory records of all radioactive materials. Develop and implement a program to train all personnel who work with or in areas that use radioactive materials and/or work with or in areas with ionizing radiation-producing machines as required by regulation and VHA directive and encourage facility education efforts. Report quarterly to the RRSC and as necessary to the MPRSC on the status of the radiation safety programs, ALARA exceptions and actions taken, and other pertinent radiation safety information. Provide assistance to the Medical Imagining Quality Control Program by ensuring that all imaging equipment is tested as required by regulatory and oversight agencies, incorporate full participation of the Radiology Quality Management Technologist, Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) Service, and all involved technologist(s) and professional staff (providers and nurses); Oversee and investigate, as needed, patient radiation doses. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm. subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Telework: Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Physicist - Radiation Safety Officer/PD069890 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved 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 performance of inspections requires recurrent long periods of standing, walking, climbing, crouching, and lifting and occasional carrying of moderate to heavy items. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation. 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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 To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/03/2026. Individual Occupational Requirement: Applicants who meet the Individual Occupational Requirements described below are fully qualified for the specified entry grade and must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements. To qualify, you must have: 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 (transcripts required). 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 (transcripts required). In addition to meeting the above Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR), applicants must also meet the experience and/or directly related education relevant to this position. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: For a GS-13 You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Performs complex dosimetry evaluations for internal exposure, external exposure and skin contamination events and ensure proper documentation of evaluations and dose assignments. Experienced in analyzing situations or data requiring an in-depth knowledge of regulations, directives, and organizational operations and objectives. Established as a subject matter expert by internal and external RP/EHS professionals and internal business colleagues. Assess and operate in hazardous, controlled environments including radiological fields and confined areas. Manages the facility-wide Radiation Safety Program for a medical center, ensuring full compliance with NRC license/permit conditions, Joint Commission standards, OSHA requirements, and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations by maintaining current policies, procedures, and training that reflect the latest regulatory and accrediting agency expectations.. 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/. 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. 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. 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. 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/.
