Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Summary

You will serve as a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist with Bureau of Reclamation. Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on his or her expertise as a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist. Make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.

Location - Bismarck, North Dakota; Pierre, South Dakota; Rapid City, South Dakota

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Duties

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Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Plans, schedules, and conducts recurring Safety and Occupational Health (S&OH) inspections at all DKAO facilities.
• Provides technical assistance and safety oversight of operations and maintenance (O&M) activities.
• Conducts in-depth contract and site reviews of contractor operations and evaluates contractor safety and occupational health programs.
• Represents DKAO at Regional safety meetings and helps accomplish Regional and Area Office safety goals.
• Serves as principle physical security contact for DKAO. Responsible for all physical security issues, answering questions concerning security and keeping Area Leadership team informed.
• Provides daily guidance and leadership as the hazardous waste and materials (HAZMAT) coordinator.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary or 2-year trial period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 08/11/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

Basic Education Requirement: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Basic Educational Requirement AND/OR Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

Major study - safety or occupational health fields (safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene), or degree in other related fields 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. NOTE: You must submit copies of your college transcripts.

-OR-

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience in or related to safety and occupational health that provided the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

• 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 hazards.
• Developing or implementing programs to reduce the frequency, severity, and cost of accidents and occupational illnesses.
• Analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards.
• Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards.
• Inspecting or surveying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards and to identify potential new hazards.
• Training of workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subjects.
• Work in occupational fields such as industrial hygienist, safety engineer, fire prevention engineer, health physicist, and occupational health nurse.

-OR-

Certificates: Certification as 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 meets the requirements for GS-5. Applicants may also qualify for higher grade levels based on their education and/or experience. NOTE: Please provide copy of the certification if claiming eligibility based on the above.

You may combine specialized experience and education to meet the minimum qualifications.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Basic Educational Requirement AND/OR Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level:

Experience : To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: assisting in the inspection of building plans and construction sites and identifying potential hazards; preparing formal inspection reports, including identifying deficiencies in building design or construction methods; and providing information regarding workplace safety. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

Education : Successful completion of at least a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master's degree in Safety or Occupational Health fields (Safety, Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene) or degree in other related fields 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. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

Combination of education and experience as listed above. You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level:

Experience : To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: valuating building plans and construction sites and identifying potential hazards; recommending corrective actions to determine compliance with requirements and other regulatory compliance; and conducting follow-up inspections; preparing a summary report of findings in construction methods, including recommendations regarding prevention of re-occurrence, abatement of hazard and employee re-training; and conducting formal training and developing training materials, such as outlines, handouts, articles, films, exhibits and visual aids to reinforce information related to safe work practices, accident prevention and mishap reporting requirements. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

Education : Successful completion of at least a PhD or equivalent degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education with the major study in Safety or Occupational Health fields (Safety, Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene) or degree in other related fields 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. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

Combination of education and experience as listed above. You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

Education

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the education and/or specialized experience requirement - this information must be clearly supported in the resume.

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit:

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive.

Physical Demands/Work Environment: frequent field inspections or investigations necessitating prolonged periods of walking, standing, climbing ladders, reaching and bending all over a variety of surfaces, terrain and weather conditions. Emergency situations may require these duties to be accomplished in inclement weather, extreme heat or cold and/or darkness. Often exposed to a variety of field conditions and construction hazards, including confined spaces, fall hazards, moving machine parts, high voltage electrical systems, high noise levels, etc. May also be exposed to hazards caused by adverse weather conditions affecting travel.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.