A recruitment/relocation incentive may be available for highly qualified applicants. The Industrial Hygienist (GEMS Program Manager) serves as a technical authority in environmental engineering for a VAMC, with responsibility for assuring adequacy of facility Green Environment Management Systems (GEMS) and decontamination programs

Duties

Duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Advising on the overall planning and programming requirements for problems encountered in the operations and maintenance of such programs at VAMC. Conducting internal gap analyses of GEMS at VAMC. Issues reports of gap analyses and track status of corrective and preventive actions. Plans, manages and coordinates environmental engineering projects needed to achieve and maintain regulatory compliance. Resolves difficult and complex technical, project management, and organizational problems using innovative and original approaches. Provides expert technical advice and guidance to senior management officials in the appropriate application of technology to VHA's mission as it relates to environmental issues. Serves as an expert on issues related to environmental statues including the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Superfund statuses, Toxic Substances Control Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Serves as a technical authority for new or enhanced information systems software. Applies this knowledge to development of environmental management information systems. Performs work planning, designing, constructing, modifying or improving, and maintaining facilities either by in-house or contractual effort. Evaluates facility decontamination programs for compliance with agency policy, regulatory standards and current best practices. Provides evaluation and guidance on the development and maintenance of effective healthcare decontamination teams in compliance with VA, VHA, OSHA, EPA. Serves as key member of the VAMC GEMS Committee responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of the VA GEMS across VAMC organizational elements. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Position Description Title/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD078800 Physical Requirements: The work requires the employee to carry a good deal of equipment and involves walking, standing, bending, climbing or crawling during surveys. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. This occupational series has an Individual Occupational Requirement - for this series the following Basic Requirement must be met in addition to the Specialized Experience. Basic Education Requirements: The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. 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 including date degree conferred, coursework and grades must be submitted with application.) OR 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 including date degree conferred, coursework and grades must be submitted with application.) OR Certification from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) (A copy of this certification must be submitted with application.)**Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable. In addition to meeting the Basic Education Requirements, you must meet the following specialized experience: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as the recognition, evaluation, corrective actions, and elimination of environmental conditions in the workplace that causes sickness, impaired health, or illness. This experience must demonstrate a professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of industrial hygiene and closely related sciences such as physics and engineering controls. Such work must have involved experience in all of the following areas: the acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data, and the measurement of exposures for a variety of chemical, physical, and biological stresses; the analysis of the data acquired and the prediction of probable effects of exposures on the health and well-being of workers; and the selection and recommendation of appropriate controls, including management, medical, engineering, education or training, and personal protective equipment. There is no educational substitution for the GS-12 level. 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. Work Environment: During surveys, the employee is subjected to all the risks and discomforts associated with industrial activities of the agency. This exposure requires the use of protective clothing and equipment, including respirators, hardhats and ear protectors. Exposure to hazardous materials includes biological, chemical and radioactive agents.

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.

Contacts

• Address Lexington VA Health Care System 2250 Leestown Road Lexington, KY 40511 US
• Name: Crystal Conley
• Phone: 901-288-8689
• Email: [email protected]