Recruitment Incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidates. This position is located in the Office of the Chief of Staff at VA South Texas Health Care System - Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans' Hospital in San Antonio, TX. The Health Physicist (Radiation Safety) is the STVHCS Associate Radiation Safety Officer and must possess at minimum the same qualification required of the facility RSO to be listed on the NRC license (10 CFR Part 35.50, 35.59), as defined in 10 CFR 35.2.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. The Health Physicist (Radiation Safety) serves as the Associate Radiation Safety Officer (ARSO) and is responsible for the management of all aspects of the STVHCS Radiation and Laser Safety Programs located within the freestanding Northwest Health Care Center (NWHCC), Aurora Radiation Oncology Clinic, all Outpatient Clinics (OPC), and Kerrville, Texas Campus. Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Providing radiological physics support for all areas of responsibility outside of the ALMC and assist the RSO in providing support to the Medical Center activities involving the use of medical radiation in the diagnosis and treatment of disease Managing the machine-produced radiation safety program, which encompasses x-ray machine performance evaluations, CT dose optimization, extensive Joint Commission and VA requirements for training and safety procedures for the use of fluoroscopy Assisting the RSO in coordinating with providers in developing and implementing quality assurance programs to ensure that imaging and treatment uses of radioactive material and machine produced radiation are optimum for patient care, and that employees, patients, and visitors are protected Participating in VA-wide committees and work groups as delegated by the RSO to develop new policies and procedures Assisting the RSO with a very large broad scope radiation safety program involving both radioactive materials and machine-produced radiation (xrays) Acting as technical expert in radiation safety and decontamination matters for all areas outside of the Audie L. Murphy Campus (ALMC) Contributing in the designing, establishing, and implementing written policies and procedures for the STVHCS Radiation Safety Program encompassing the clinical and research use of radionuclides and machine produced radiation Responding to radiation incidents involving patients, employees, or visitors and takes appropriate corrective action(s) as a subject matter expert to mitigate/minimize the impact to the individuals and the facility Performing delegated duties from the RSO to the ARSO: administering the personnel dosimetry program; investigating excessive radiation exposure to staff and patients; conducting audits and radiation surveys; preparing, surveying, and decontaminating radioiodine therapy rooms and giving radiation safety training to physicians, nursing staff, researchers, technologists, housekeepers, and other staff Managing contracts including personnel dosimetry and xray machine performance evaluations consulting with Construction Section staff regarding construction radiation safety standards; and working with facility Equipment Committee Fostering a collaborative environment by addressing and effectively keeping staff informed or by responding within required timeframes to Radiology, OR, Nursing, Supply Chain Management, outpatient clinics and contracting regarding concerns over the healthcare systems delivery of patient care with an understanding of how the whole organization works Acting STVHCS RSO and be responsible for the overall maintenance of the STVHCS Radiation Safety Program in the absence of the STVHCS RSO Performing other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 08:00 a.m. to 04:30 p.m. Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates. 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. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirement: The following are basic requirements for appointment as a Health Physicist (Radiation Safety) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met. Basic Education: Bachelor's or higher degree in natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) Basic Combination of Education and Experience: Combination of education and experience -- courses as shown in 'Basic Education' 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 Basic Education. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT AND/OR CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: If you do not submit the required document, your application may not be reviewed.) Minimum Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements one of the following minimum requirement criteria must be met to be qualified for this position. Specialized Experience (GS-09): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: performing duties utilizing a mastery of health physics as it relates to a medical environment, which includes a thorough knowledge of the theories, principles, and applications of nuclear physics, radiobiology, nuclear instrumentation, and mathematics as they relate to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation protection. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) OR, Education (GS-09): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position (Health Physicist (Radiation Safety). NOTE: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) OR, Combination (GS-09): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education as described above. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (i.e., 9 semester hours graduate education) may be combined with experience. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) AND SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability, or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirement for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: As defined in 10 CFR 35.2 the Associate Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) must possess at minimum the same qualification required of the facility RSO to be listed on the NRC license (10 CFR Part 35.50, 35.59). You must possess one of the following options to be qualified for this position. (SUPPORTING DOCMENT REQUIRED: If you do not submit a copy of certificate, license, or completion of training, your application may not be reviewed.) Certification by a Specialty Board (§ 35.50(a)): (1) The individual must be certified by a specialty board recognized by the Commission or an Agreement State; (2) The certification process involves specific educational and experience criteria, including holding degrees in specific disciplines, years of professional experience in health physics, and passing an examination. OR Structured Educational Program (§ 35.50(b)): (1) Complete 200 hours of classroom and laboratory training in areas such as radiation physics, protection, biology, dosimetry, etc.; (2) One year of full-time radiation safety experience under specific supervision; (3) Obtain a written attestation from a preceptor RSO or Associate RSO regarding the completion of the above requirements and the individual's ability to fulfill the RSO-related duties. OR Medical Physicist, Authorized User, etc. (§ 35.50(c)): (1) Medical physicists certified by a recognized specialty board; (2) Authorized users, authorized medical physicists, or authorized nuclear pharmacists with experience in radiation safety. OR Training in Radiation Safety, Regulatory Issues, and Emergency Procedures (§ 35.50(d)): Training in radiation safety, regulatory issues, and emergency procedures for the types of use the licensee seeks approval for. This training can be supervised by qualified individuals such as RSOs, Associate RSOs, authorized medical physicists, etc. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Attention to DetailHealth PhysicsHealth Risk Analysis 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.

Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion such as long periods of walking and standing while performing audits and surveys and consulting with staff. Time is also spent in formal and informal meetings with many different groups. Additionally, much of the work is administrative in nature and requires sitting in an office and utilizing computers. Decontamination team participation is very physically demanding since one wear a sealed suit with respiratory device. The incumbent must be medically cleared to participate on the decontamination team. The incumbent will require driving a government furnished vehicle to various locations throughout the STVHCS to review the radiation and laser safety program at those sites.

Contacts

• Address Audie L Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital 7400 Merton Minter Boulevard San Antonio, TX 78229 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]