The Technical Career Field (TCF) is a national workforce development program within VHA that was designed to replenish technical staff in critically identified positions. This position is located at the VA Central Iowa Healthcare System in Des Moines, IA. The Safety and Occupational Health Specialist is responsible for conducting safety inspections for comprehensive safety, fire prevention, fire protection, and/or fire inspection programs for the Medical Center.

Duties

The TCF career fields represent those technical fields where VA-specific knowledge and experience is desirable for success in the field. Individuals selected follow a formal training plan for two years during which they are trained, coached, and supervised by a preceptor. As part of the VA's succession planning, the Technical Career Field (TCF) training program was created to ensure individuals are trained in critical areas that have current or predicted shortages. The program is nationally funded to include salary, benefits and training/travel dollars. At the time of acceptance into the TCF program, trainees will be asked to sign mobility, training, and service agreements. Relocation expenses for acceptance into the training program or for placement are not funded by the TCF program. Please keep in consideration, the training program is meant for those individuals who plan on staying with the VA a minimum of 3 years after completion of their training program. Selectees will be required to complete and sign the following paperwork; Mobility, Training, and Continued Service Agreements. Although not guaranteed, with more than 150 freestanding facilities and hundreds of clinic locations, we will strive to place trainees in positions that will work for their needs and the needs of the VA. This is a developmental position leading to a GS-11, performing assignments intended to broaden skills and provide practical experience leading to progressively more complex assignments performed under progressively less supervision. You will ultimately acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-11. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds. Duties include, but are not limited to, the following: Manages and supervises hazardous chemical spill cleanups; Prepares written procedures for implementation of safety, fire protection, and occupational health policies; Develops training plans for employees in fields of fire protection. workplace safety, and occupational health; Develops an operating budget; Conducts administrative inspections of workplaces for hazards and occupational safety and fire code violations; Conducts administrative inspections of patient care areas for hazards and Life Safety Code violations; Ensures that fire drills are conducted throughout the facility; Investigates alleged adverse incidents involving regulated materials, machinery, or other items; Prepares and manages industrial hygiene contracts; Reviews construction drawings for compliance with fire codes and other safety standards; Prepares monthly, quarterly, and annual occupational safety and health reports; Serves as a member of the Safety Committee Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 7:30am-4:00pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position at the GS-9 grade level, you must meet one of the following: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of an Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Qualifying specialized experience includes: 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 subjects; work in occupational fields such as industrial hygienist, safety engineer, fire prevention engineer, health physicist, and occupational health nurse. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. -OR- EDUCATION (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Successful completion of amaster's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. The major study must be in safety or occupational health field (safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene), or a degree in another related field 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- COMBINATION (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, may be used to meet total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the Safety and Occupational Health Specialist position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Analytical ReasoningEmergency ManagementPublic Safety and SecurityResearch IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address VA Central Iowa Health Care System 3600 30th St Des Moines, IA 50310 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]