The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for an Safety & Occupational Health Manager (Assistant Chief). The Safety & Occupational Health Manager will function in Safety & Occupational Health Service.

Duties

Oversees, monitors, and evaluates safety activities, manages the overall facility safety program to provide the patients, visitors, and staff of Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System with the highest attainable level of safety possible and identifies opportunities for improvement through an ongoing effort of problem identification evaluation, resolution, monitoring and evaluation. Assesses the effectiveness of specific programs, projects, and functions; plans alternative courses of actions to resolve hazardous conditions and unsafe work practices; defines safety issues, collects reports, investigates accidents and incidents, assists in prioritizing issues and assists in defining solutions that can be implemented by supervisory line officials at all management levels. Oversees the planning, organization, direction, and presentation of education and training courses related to Occupational Health & Safety Program matters and provides instructions to staff physicians, hospital administrators, research investigators, nurses, technicians, and other hospital personnel. Reviews work operations throughout VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System from an Occupational Health & Safety point of view and recommends the safest, most effective methods and/or procedures to Executive Leadership. Applies knowledge gained from continuing study and analysis 'as well as review of latest methodology in developing optimum safety programs by staying abreast of the latest technical developments in an extremely broad base so that the facility benefits from the latest technologies available. Performs risk assessments to mitigate issues that pertain to potential legal concerns. Assesses and corrects unsafe or unhealthy working conditions, and plans, develops, and implements an accident prevention and reporting system; receives and reviews accident, injury, and illness report and ensures that reporting procedures are followed in accordance with Federal requirements. Performs or recommends corrective actions; provides direction to the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System Accident Review Board in development of processes to reduce compensation costs and work-related injury or illness. Oversees the daily operation of the unit, ensures that agency policies and priorities are being followed; develops performance standards; and evaluates work performance of subordinates; gives advice, counsel, and instruction to employees on both work and administrative matters. Oversees reviews of all plans and specification for new construction, minor improvements, and non-recurring maintenance to assure incorporation of appropriate mitigating factors based on hazard vulnerability assessments. Maintains an extensive working knowledge of all regulatory agency requirements as they pertain to the organization's overall Environment of Care, including processes for various departments such as Environmental Health and Safety, Environmental Management Service, Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Infection Control, Logistics, Women's Health, Physical Security, Patient Safety, Privacy, Information Security, Nutrition and Food Service, and Veterans Canteen Service. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: No Telework: 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. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Safety and Occupational Health Manager/PD930280 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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. May qualify based on your experience and/or education for the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) as described below: Specialized Experience: 1 year of experience in or related to safety & occupational health that provided the specific knowledge, skills, & abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of experience typically include, but not limited to: manage safety or occupational health program elements; develop & recommend safety & occupational health policy to higher levels of management; apply safety & occupational health laws, regulations, principles, theories, practices & procedures to advise on or resolve technical matters dealing w/ occupational safety & health requirements; develop safety & occupational health standards, regulations, practices, & procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards; develop or implement programs to reduce the frequency, severity, & cost of accidents & occupational illnesses; analyze or evaluate new & existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, & outcome of hazards; design or modify workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards; inspect or survey workplaces, processes, products, or other systems for compliance w/ established safety & occupational health policies or standards & to identify potential new hazards; train workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety & occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subjects; work in occupational fields such as industrial hygienist, safety engineer, fire prevention engineer, health physicist, & occupational health nurse; OR, Education: May substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education you must have an undergraduate or graduate education with a major in safety or occupational health fields (safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene), or 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, Certification: May also have a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or Certified Health Physicist (CHP), or similar certification that included successful completion of a written examination. Grade Level Requirements: You may qualify based on your experience for the GS-13 as described below: Specialized Experience: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but not limited to: 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 hazard, and developing or implementing programs to reduce the frequency, severity, and cost of accidents and occupational illnesses. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Accountability Decision Making Flexibility Technical Competence Standards 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: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion related to frequent inspections and surveys requiring considerable standing, walking, climbing, bending, crouching, stretching, and reaching or similar movements. Occasionally, there may be a need to lift and carry moderately heavy objects. The work may require some degree of agility and dexterity when, for example, it involves inspecting construction sites. 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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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 Northeast Ohio Healthcare System 10701 East Boulevard Cleveland, OH 44106 US
• Name: Jena Wells
• Phone: 216-791-2300
• Email: [email protected]