This position is in the Assistant Medical Center Director's Office located at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center (CVAMC) in Cincinnati, Ohio. The CVAMC is a highly active, VA Medical Center. The primary purpose of this position is to perform professional or technical work in a clinical, testing, or research laboratory environment. Applies a professional knowledge of health physics to the protection of persons and their environment from unwarranted exposure to ionizing radiation.

Duties

The duties of this position will include: Implements Radiation Safety Program: Implements and evaluates tests, procedures, and reporting mechanisms to ensure proper radiation safety measures within the facility. This position has the primary responsibility for implementing the Medical Center's radiation safety program. Administers the personnel dosimeter program and arranges for processing of personnel monitoring devices and evaluates personnel exposure data and reports. As technical expert handles the most complex patient, employee, and public radiation safety issues. Implements radiation safety program for a complex installation which typically includes clinical, consultation and research functions. Designs, implements, and evaluates strategies to improve radiation program quality assurance and quality management for diagnostic x-ray and radioactive materials use. Oversees development of control criteria for new, improved, or experimental equipment and environments. Represents the organization in agency and peer group committees to develop new policies and procedures. Assumes lead responsibility assuring patient radiation safety through regulatory compliance, maintenance of quality assurance programs and continuing quality improvement. Radiation Safety Officer: Serves as a Radiation Safety Officer for the organization: Resolves highly complex radiation safety problems. Consults with installation medical staff and scientists, equipment vendors and operations personnel to resolve highly complex and unprecedented issues arising from research protocols, new equipment capabilities, applications, or environments. Participates in the development and implementation of new diagnostic procedures, radioisotopes, and radio- pharmaceuticals in humans and supervises the safe usage of radioisotope in humans. Advises medical center administration on all aspects of health physics, including disaster planning for accidents involving radiation exposure or radioactive contamination, designs criteria for major renewal of the facility, etc. Coordinates medical physics testing of x-ray equipment, oversees performance of equipment quality assurance testing, and documentation, tracking and appropriate follow-up of patient exposure in accordance with FDA, The Joint Commission (TJC) and National Health Physics Program (NHPP) requirements. Conducts radiation safety orientation lectures and demonstrations for house officers, research and clinical technologists, nursing personnel, housekeeping personnel, etc. Instructs personnel in use of monitoring equipment, safe laboratory practices, decontamination methods, etc. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm 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#: Health Physicist (Radiation Safety Officer)/PD919730 Recruitment Incentive: May be authorized for eligible applicants Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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, 02/23/2024. 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 grade level. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Individual Occupational Requirements. Basic Requirements: Degree: natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus. (Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major field of study or specific course requirements generally as stated in paragraph A in the individual occupational requirements). OR, Combination of education and experience -- courses as shown in A 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 paragraph A. (The quality of the combination of education and experience must be sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work in the occupation, and is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field. In addition to courses in the major and related fields, a typical college degree would have included courses that involved analysis, writing, critical thinking, research, etc. These courses would have provided an applicant with skills and abilities sufficient to perform progressively more responsible work in the occupation. Therefore, creditable experience should have demonstrated similarly appropriate skills or abilities needed to perform the work of the occupation). Specialized Experience, GS-13:To meet this requirement, applicants must have at 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level performing the following tasks: - Implements and evaluates tests, procedures, and reporting mechanisms to ensure proper radiation safety measures within the facility. - Possesses the primary responsibility for implementing the Medical Center's radiation safety program. - Administers the personnel dosimeter program and arranges for processing of personnel monitoring devices and evaluates personnel exposure data and reports. -Implements radiation safety program for a complex installation which typically includes clinical, consultation and research functions. -Designs, implements, and evaluates strategies to improve radiation program quality assurance and quality management for diagnostic x-ray and radioactive materials use.-Represents the organization in agency and peer group committees to develop new policies and procedures. -Assumes lead responsibility assuring patient radiation safety through regulatory compliance, maintenance of quality assurance programs and continuing quality improvement. -Serves as a Radiation Safety Officer for the organization.-Resolves highly complex radiation safety problems. -Consults with installation medical staff and scientists, equipment vendors and operations personnel to resolve highly complex and unprecedented issues arising from research protocols, new equipment capabilities, applications, or environments. -Participates in the development and implementation of new diagnostic procedures, radioisotopes, and radio- pharmaceuticals in humans and supervises the safe usage of radioisotope in humans. -Coordinates medical physics testing of x-ray equipment, oversees performance of equipment quality assurance testing, and documentation, tracking and appropriate follow-up of patient exposure in accordance with FDA, The Joint Commission (TJC) and National Health Physics Program (NHPP) requirements .-Conducts radiation safety orientation lectures and demonstrations for house officers, research and clinical technologists, nursing personnel, housekeeping personnel, etc.-Instructs personnel in use of monitoring equipment, safe laboratory practices, decontamination methods, etc. Preferred Experience: It is highly desirable that applicants meet the RSO qualifications in 10 CFR 35.50: Except as provided in § 35.57, the licensee shall require an individual fulfilling the responsibilities of the Radiation Safety Officer or an individual assigned duties and tasks as an Associate Radiation Safety Officer as provided in § 35.24 to be an individual who- (a) Is certified by a specialty board whose certification process has been recognized by the Commission or an Agreement State and who meets the requirements in paragraph (d) of this section. The names of board certifications that have been recognized by the Commission or an Agreement State are posted on the NRC's Medical Uses Licensee Toolkit web page. To have its certification process recognized, a specialty board shall require all candidates for certification to: (1)(i) Hold a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in physical science or engineering or biological science with a minimum of 20 college credits in physical science; (continued below in the Education Section of the Announcement) 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 job requires considerable walking and the ability to lift to 50 pounds. Standing, stooping, bending, kneeling, and climbing are frequently necessary during inspections and other surveillance activities. Duties include wearing a lead apron while working with x-rays. Office duties require a considerable amount of time sitting at a desk, keyboarding, and reviewing documents on a computer monitor. The selected applicant for this position will be required to travel to Chillicothe VA Medical Center 1-2 times per month. 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.

Preferred Experience: (continued from above in the Qualifications Section of the Announcement)

(ii) Have 5 or more years of professional experience in health physics (graduate training may be substituted for no more than 2 years of the required experience) including at least 3 years in applied health physics; and

(iii) Pass an examination administered by diplomates of the specialty board, which evaluates knowledge and competence in radiation physics and instrumentation, radiation protection, mathematics pertaining to the use and measurement of radioactivity, radiation biology, and radiation dosimetry; or

(2)(i) Hold a master's or doctor's degree in physics, medical physics, other physical science, engineering, or applied mathematics from an accredited college or university;

(ii) Have 2 years of full-time practical training and/or supervised experience in medical physics-

(A) Under the supervision of a medical physicist who is certified in medical physics by a specialty board recognized by the Commission or an Agreement State; or

(B) In clinical nuclear medicine facilities providing diagnostic or therapeutic services under the direction of physicians who meet the requirements for authorized users in §§ 35.57, 35.290, or 35.390; and

(iii) Pass an examination, administered by diplomates of the specialty board, that assesses knowledge and competence in clinical diagnostic radiological or nuclear medicine physics and in radiation safety; or

(b)(1) Has completed a structured educational program consisting of both:

(i) 200 hours of classroom and laboratory training in the following areas-

(A) Radiation physics and instrumentation;

(B) Radiation protection;

(C) Mathematics pertaining to the use and measurement of radioactivity;

(D) Radiation biology; and

(E) Radiation dosimetry; and

(ii) One year of full-time radiation safety experience under the supervision of the individual identified as the Radiation Safety Officer on a Commission or an Agreement State license or permit issued by a Commission master material licensee that authorizes similar type(s) of use(s) of byproduct material. An Associate Radiation Safety Officer may provide supervision for those areas for which the Associate Radiation Safety Officer is authorized on a Commission or an Agreement State license or permit issued by a Commission master material licensee. The full-time radiation safety experience must involve the following-

(A) Shipping, receiving, and performing related radiation surveys;

(B) Using and performing checks for proper operation of instruments used to determine the activity of dosages, survey meters, and instruments used to measure radionuclides;

(C) Securing and controlling byproduct material;

(D) Using administrative controls to avoid mistakes in the administration of byproduct material;

(E) Using procedures to prevent or minimize radioactive contamination and using proper decontamination procedures;

(F) Using emergency procedures to control byproduct material; and

(G) Disposing of byproduct material; and

(2) This individual must obtain a written attestation, signed by a preceptor Radiation Safety Officer or Associate Radiation Safety Officer who has experience with the radiation safety aspects of similar types of use of byproduct material for which the individual is seeking approval as a Radiation Safety Officer or an Associate Radiation Safety Officer. The written attestation must state that the individual has satisfactorily completed the requirements in paragraphs (b)(1) and (d) of this section, and is able to independently fulfill the radiation safety-related duties as a Radiation Safety Officer or as an Associate Radiation Safety Officer for a medical use license; or

(c)(1) Is a medical physicist who has been certified by a specialty board whose certification process has been recognized by the Commission or an Agreement State under § 35.51(a), has experience with the radiation safety aspects of similar types of use of byproduct material for which the licensee seeks the approval of the individual as Radiation Safety Officer or an Associate Radiation Safety Officer, and meets the requirements in paragraph (d) of this section; or

(2) Is an authorized user, authorized medical physicist, or authorized nuclear pharmacist identified on a Commission or an Agreement State license, a permit issued by a Commission master material licensee, a permit issued by a Commission or an Agreement State licensee of broad scope, or a permit issued by a Commission master material license broad scope permittee, has experience with the radiation safety aspects of similar types of use of byproduct material for which the licensee seeks the approval of the individual as the Radiation Safety Officer or Associate Radiation Safety Officer, and meets the requirements in paragraph (d) of this section; or

(3) Has experience with the radiation safety aspects of the types of use of byproduct material for which the individual is seeking simultaneous approval both as the Radiation Safety Officer and the authorized user on the same new medical use license or new medical use permit issued by a Commission master material licensee. The individual must also meet the requirements in paragraph (d) of this section.

(d) Has training in the radiation safety, regulatory issues, and emergency procedures for the types of use for which a licensee seeks approval. This training requirement may be satisfied by completing training that is supervised by a Radiation Safety Officer, an Associate Radiation Safety Officer, authorized medical physicist, authorized nuclear pharmacist, or authorized user, as appropriate, who is authorized for the type(s) of use for which the licensee is seeking approval.

Contacts

• Address Cincinnati VA Medical Center 3200 Vine Street Cincinnati, OH 45220 US
• Name: Amanda Flores
• Email: [email protected]