Summary The Industrial Hygienist is the key member of the Environmental Health and Safety Team at Butler VA Health Care System. They are responsible for coordinating the development, implementation and sustainment of the VA GEMS and Industrial Hygiene programs including all associated Community-Based Outpatient Clinics and leased facilities. The incumbent coordinates the environmental compliance program with VISN, health care facility management, supervisors, safety managers and others as required. Responsibilities Position Description Title/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD070230 Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Telework: Not Available SLRP Authorized: This occupational series is eligible for the Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP). Repayment is limited to $40,000 annually, up to $100,000 in lifetime awards. Participants must sign a service agreement and maintain an acceptable level of performance to remain eligible for this program. Major Duties include but are not limited to: Utilizes professional knowledge of the theories practices and methodologies of natural, physical and social sciences as they relate to the natural and human environment to serve as a regulatory specialist with technical expertise to organize, analyze, interpret, and evaluate scientific data in the solution of environmental engineering problems. Development, implementation and sustainment of a comprehensive Environmental Management System program performing compliance audits annually. Management of facility recycling, waste minimization, pollution prevention and sustainment programs. Ensure proper development, implementation and management of programs designed to ensure ongoing compliance with local, state and federal environmental statutes and associated regulations including but not limited to Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Resource Conservation Act, Toxic Substance Control Act, Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act and Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. Responsible for the preparation and submission of environmental plans, permits, and reports and maintains proper recordkeeping. Manages the hazardous materials management program including but not limited to inventory of hazardous material, Safety Data Sheets, lead and asbestos etc. Chairs the GEMS committee reporting up to Leadership Forum. Participates and assists the Recycling Coordinator with leading the Green Team. Responds and tracks all Environmental and GEMS related suspense actions including initial/routine update and management of facility environmental surveys. Management of facility recycling, waste minimization, pollution prevention and sustainability programs. Environmental contract acquisition and management. Training program development and execution for environmental programs as outlined by supervisor but no less than once per quarter. Provides extensive expert advice and direction on industrial hygiene matters to VA personnel, including use of toxic and hazardous substances, control measures for reducing exposure to hazardous agents and disposal of hazardous chemical agents. Investigates accidents, which may include those involving fatalities and serious injury, and complaints of employees concerning unhealthful work conditions and determines corrective measures, prepares necessary reports and records. Recommends corrective measures such as engineering controls, administrative controls, or personal protective equipment to eliminate or reduce occupational health hazards. Provides support for the oversite and evaluation Radiologic and any laser program activities ensuring compliance with directives including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Develops, maintains and sustains a comprehensive Respiratory Protection Program to include policy development, Fit Testing and training. Develops and administers the Medical Center's Hazard Communication Program. Provides technical assistance to the Employees Health Unit in the interpretation of OSHA requirements, development of occupational health program policies and procedures, and in response to employee's exposure incidents. Supports the development of facility industrial hygiene policies, programs, and procedural documentation. Develops, maintains and sustains a comprehensive Hearing Conservation Program to include policy development and training. Performs other duties as assigned. Physical Requirements/Work Environment: There will be walking, climbing, bending, stooping and lifting up to 50lbs when at field locations or conducting inspections. On occasion, the work requires the employee to wear various @types of Personal Protective Equipment to include respirators, hard hats and steel toe shoes. Incumbent must remain physically fit to perform all assigned duties. May be required to operate a government vehicle. Work is usually performed in an office setting, although there may be occasional work that may be performed in a variety of heights, dusty and dirty environments, outside during inclement weather, and during off hours. This employee will be required to travel off site to perform inspections and work areas throughout BVAHCS. Travel to each campus, CBOC and other VA and contract sites of care is required. A valid state license must be maintained for the operation of government vehicles. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job Subject to a background/suitability investigation Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required 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. 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. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period (OR INSERT "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. Individual Occupation Requirement (IOR): 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 (Transcripts Required); 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 (Transcripts Required); or Certification from the Board of Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH)). Please note: Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable. For engineering degrees to be acceptable, the curriculum must be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) as a professional engineering curriculum. In addition to the approve applicants must meet the specialized experience requirement below. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-12 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 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: Development, implementation and sustainment of a comprehensive Environmental Management System (EMS) program performing compliance audits annually Plan, coordinate, and conduct environmental conservation, restoration, compliance and pollution prevention projects and carry out actions to ensure compliance of operations using applicable standards Management of facility recycling, waste minimization, pollution prevention and sustainment programs Participates in the coordination and implementation of financial and budget execution activities related to environmental programs Development of facility policy, guidance and procedures related to environmental requirements for regulatory and statutory analysis Plans, coordinates and carries out advanced long-term project assignments dealing with functional technical disciplines that are required to meet environmental compliance requirements 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. Selective Placement Factor: Bachelor of Science Degree (or higher) in Safety Management, Industrial Hygiene or Environmental Management Preferred Experience: Chemical assessments, exposure and PPE requirements. Experience with respiratory protection program i.e. FIT testing and other IH and environmental program testing : hearing (noise) conservation, air and water. 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. 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. 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.
