Health Physicist (Assistant Radiation Safety Officer)

Summary This position is primarily responsible for serving as a subject matter expert for the Radiation Safety Service to ensure that safety is maintained, policy is implemented, and compliance with regulations is occurring. Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation is employed in the acquisition of medical images. The BVAHCS makes extensive use of radioactive material and machine sources of ionizing radiation in both the diagnosis and treatment of disease in the veteran population. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement – 07/16/2026. Time‑In‑Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current federal employees and have held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time‑in‑grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS‑12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS‑11. 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 the required one‑year time‑in‑grade; in this instance you must provide an additional SF‑50 that clearly demonstrates one‑year time‑in‑grade. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): In order to meet the basic requirement of the Health Physicist – 1306 occupational series you must possess a degree in natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, or calculus. (Copy of transcript required.) OR a combination of education and experience – courses as shown in point A – 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. (Copy of transcript required.) 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. Examples of specialized experience include professional knowledge of health physics as it relates to a medical environment, adapting standard practices, equipment or techniques to solve a variety of health physics problems, planning and conducting work that requires judgment in evaluating, selecting, and adapting precedents and in modifying procedures and criteria, knowledge of health protection standards and theories, operation of instruments used for measuring radiation, identifying and solving complex scientific problems in medical and research laboratory functions involving numerous sources of radiation, ensuring proper use of radioactive materials, advising researchers and medical staff on how to design and conduct procedures, identifying and evaluating radiation hazards and taking measures to eliminate or control exposure, and evaluating safety measures for laser use. Experience may be paid or unpaid, including volunteer work through National Service programs such as Peace Corps or AmeriCorps. Volunteer work will be credited if the nature of the duties and the number of hours per week are clearly described. Physical Requirements: The work involves considerable walking, standing, bending, and lifting. The duties are split approximately equally between sedentary desk work and walking, bending, climbing to inspect laboratory and equipment installations. Occasional crouching, stooping, reaching, and pushing of moderately heavy items such as carts may be required. Often required to wear heavy lead‑enriched radiation‑protective garments for an hour or more. Lifting up to 50 pounds may occasionally be required. Responsibilities Radiation Safety Designs – establishes and implements written policies and procedures for a Radiation Safety Program encompassing the clinical and research use of radionuclides and machine‑made radiation, which includes new imaging and treatment modalities, to ensure safety and compliance with radioactive material permits under the VHA Master Materials License, applicable regulations, VHA directives, and Medical Center policies. Conducts periodic reviews and audits of areas where radionuclides and machine‑made radiation are used. Provides radiological physics support for Medical Center activities involving the use of medical radiation in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Manages a Radiation Safety Program under the direction of the Radiation Safety Officer, including authorizations for individuals using radionuclides, enforcement of regulatory requirements, personnel dosimetry, surveys, and training. Responds to radiation incidents involving patients, employees, or visitors and takes appropriate corrective action as a subject matter expert to mitigate the impact to individuals and the facility. Evaluates radiation exposures to patients, employees, and visitors and makes appropriate recommendations to ensure they are mitigated or occur as infrequently as practicable. Reports exposures and recommendations to the Radiation Safety Committee. Determines when incidents are required to be reported to agencies outside of the VA and completes the required reports. Advises researchers on unusual, complex, and critical problems encountered when reviewing and recommending changes to experimental procedures, and during emergencies involving radioactive materials and X‑ray producing equipment. Instructs personnel on the use of monitoring equipment, safe laboratory practices, decontamination methods, and related topics. Provides initial education and training to new employees regarding safety procedures for all personnel using radioactive materials and radiation‑producing equipment, and delivers continuous training to existing employees, including physicians, nurses, biomedical engineers, and technologists. Leads and maintains the radiation safety personal protective equipment (PPE) programs for all medical center staff, affiliated residency programs, and contracted personnel. Oversees a rigorous fluoroscopic X‑ray user credentialing program in accordance with VHA Directive 1105.04. Coordinates with providers in developing and implementing quality assurance programs to ensure that imaging and treatment uses of radioactive material and machine‑produced radiation are optimal for patient care and that employees, patients, and visitors are protected. Maintains compliance with regulations and best practices. Provides radiological physics support for Medical Center activities involving the use of medical radiation in imaging. Oversees a comprehensive quality assurance program for diagnostic imaging equipment, including acceptance testing of new equipment, annual testing after major repairs, daily and monthly tests by imaging technologists, and implementation of corrective actions based on test results. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday – Friday 7:30 am – 4:00 pm. This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD# : Health Physicist (Assistant Radiation Safety Officer)/PD110340. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. #J-18808-Ljbffr