Industrial Hygienist

Summary

The Industrial Hygienist service under the supervision of the Chief of Safety, in the Safety Department of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS). The incumbent is responsible for management of the VAPHS Industrial Hygiene Programs for VAPHS is a university affiliated medical center which spans approximately 180 acres at two geographically separated campuses.

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Duties

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Major Duties include but are not limited to:

• Oversees a comprehensive and effective program of industrial hygiene which recognizes, evaluates and monitors chemical, physical, biological and ergonomic stresses in the workplace to provide patients, visitors and staff of the VAPHS the highest possible level of safety attainable.
• Maintains a comprehensive and current library pertaining to industrial hygiene, as well as individual currency in the promulgation of new codes and regulations.
• Identifies opportunities for improvement through an ongoing effort of hazard identification, evaluation, solution implementation, and monitoring.
• Makes decisions and commitments relating to assigned programs which routinely do not typically require referral to higher management. These decisions and commitments have direct and considerable effect on the efficacy of the spectrum of medical center programs.
• Evaluates existing and proposed new work processes or materials, particularly in experimental operations, to assure incorporation of adequate measures for prevention of occupational disease hazards.
• Performs ergonomic assessments existing and proposed new work processes to evaluate and make recommendations to alleviate ergonomic stressors. - Investigates health problems which arise among workers, such as individuals having allergic or environmental reactions related to their work, and determines corrective measures.
• Establishes a program and protocols for physical screening of employees exposed to particular toxic materials or physical hazards, concentrating on specific health effects.
• Formulates directives, laboratory procedures and information bulletins related to the occupational health program at the VAPHS.
• Participate in major facility, VISN, or agency wide projects and activities that significantly affect the context, interpretation or development of agency, VISN, and facility policies or programs concerning critical industrial hygiene matters.
• Ensures that all internal Industrial Hygiene and OSH codes standards and regulations are practiced uniformly and consistently and makes recommendations for changes to achieve full compliance when deficiencies are detected.
• The Industrial Hygienist is authorized to take the necessary immediate action when hazardous conditions pose a threat of personal injury or danger to equipment or buildings.
• Reviews findings with appropriate facility management and employee groups; prepares formal findings and recommendations for alleviation or elimination of hazards; involved in negotiating settlement or implementation of corrective action with facility managers at various organizational levels, as well as labor unions representing federal employee interests.
• Provides expert and consultative technical assistance to various VAPHS committees, work groups and task forces as well as to senior leadership and as a member of the Incident Command Team during activation of the hospital Incident Command System on industrial hygiene matters.
• Plans and directs a health education program designed to educate the VAPHS personnel as to means of preventing occupational disease and their role in controlling hazards.

Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 7:00am to 3:30pm

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/ PD01154A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/02/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below. Please note, this position requires and individual occupational requirement in addition to qualifications for the GS-11 grade level:

Basic Requirement (Individual Occupational Requirement) 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; or
• A 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; or
• Certification from the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene(external link) (ABIH)). Please note: Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable .

In addition to the approve applicants must meet the specialized experience requirement below:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying experience involves 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. Specialized experience includes:

• The acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data.
• 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.
• The selection and recommendation of appropriate controls, including management, medical, engineering, education or training, and personal protective equipment. OR,

Education: You must have three 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR,

Combination: You must have an Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

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: 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:

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

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.