Safety & Occupational Health Specialist

Position Overview

Safety & Occupational Health Specialist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, located within the Facilities Management Service at the Providence VA Healthcare System, Providence, Rhode Island. This is a permanent, full‑time position (40 hours per week).

• Time‑In‑Grade Requirement for GS‑11: must have served 52 weeks at GS‑09 or equivalent in any federal occupation. Current employees must submit a SF‑50 that demonstrates this eligibility; a second SF‑50 may be required if the most recent one does not cover a full year.
• Specialized
  
  Experience:
  
  at least one year of experience equivalent to GS‑09 in safety and occupational health, including but not limited to: applying laws and regulations, analyzing hazards, designing controls, inspecting workplaces, training personnel, or working as an industrial hygienist, safety engineer, fire prevention engineer, health physicist, or occupational health nurse.
• Education:
  
  a Ph.D., equivalent doctoral degree, or three full years of progressively higher graduate education in a related field (LL.M. allowed). Graduate education may substitute for some years of experience; transcripts required. Major study must be related to safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene, or closely related disciplines (e.g., toxicology, public health, engineering). Education may be combined with experience up to the next lower grade (GS‑09).
• Competencies:
  
  Communications, Planning and Evaluating, Safety Engineering, Self‑Management. Volunteer experience counted as paid employment (35‑40 hours per week). Application must detail the nature and hours of all experience.
• Physical Requirements:
  
  frequent performance of surveys and onsite visits requiring prolonged walking and standing; exposure to mechanical, chemical, and biological hazards during medical facility surveys.
• Other Requirements:
  Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) appointment and interchange agreements apply as specified; submit SF‑50(s) confirming tenure, step, and service type; position covered by locality‑based pay. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

• Perform occupational hazard and safety surveys of medical facilities.
• Study and review inspection safety records.
• Plan and conduct surveys or inspections to identify safety hazards and violations.
• Analyze accident and injury reports.
• Advise senior‑level management on safety programs and recommend changes.
• Determine compliance of mechanical and physical conditions with required or accepted standards.
• Schedule surveys of laboratories, shops, and offices to evaluate risk potential.
• Prepare safety guides and internal instructions for low‑risk and normal safety situations.
• Direct investigations of accidents, analyzing precipitating factors and accident cause data to develop prevention methods.
• Certify laboratories or work environments where local guidelines or standards require safeguards before work begins.
• Instruct employees on chemical, biological, or physical safety, laboratory safety, or ventilation requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Work schedule:
  
  Monday – Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Compressed/flexible schedule not available. Telework not authorized; not a virtual position.

Base pay: $84,579.00/yr – $/yr (GS‑11 locality comparison).

• Seniority level:
  Mid‑Senior.
• Employment type:
  
  Full‑time.
• Job function:
  Management and Manufacturing.
• Industry: Government Administration.