Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Summary This position serves as a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist GS-0018-11 with the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Office of the Chief Operating Officer (OCOO), Water, Lab & Analysis Services Division. This job is open to U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S. Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants. Clarification from the agency: This announcement is open to United States Citizens; U.S. Nationals; and Career transition eligibles (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). Duties This position is located within the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Water, Lab & Analysis Services Division, duty stationed in Lakewood, Colorado. At the full performance level (GS-12) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: Manage safety or occupational health program elements. Develop or recommend safety and occupational health policy to higher levels of management. Apply 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. Develop safety and occupational health standards, regulations, practices, and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards. Develop or implement programs to reduce the frequency, severity, and cost of accidents and occupational illnesses. Analyze or evaluate new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards. Design or modify workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards. Inspect or survey workplaces, processes, products, or other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards and to identify potential new hazards. Train 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. Physical Demands The work requires the performance of on-site inspections. Work may require extended periods of walking and standing, climbing ladders, or working in inclement weather during surveys and inspections. Work Environment Work is primarily performed in an office that is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. During surveys, investigations, and inspections, the incumbent may be required to use a variety of personal protective clothing and equipment such as hard hats, face masks, and hearing protection. Travel You may also be required to travel for meetings and/or trainings. Telework You may be allowed to telework only on a situational basis at management discretion. Requirements 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 As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. The Probationary Period Is An Extension Of The Appointment Process And Therefore Requires The Agency To Determine If Continued Employment Would Advance The Public Interest, Meet The Organization Goals And Mission Of The Agency, And/or Otherwise Promote The Efficiency Of The Service. In Determining If Your Employment Advances The Public Interest, The Agency Will 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. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 09/01/2026 unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. Minimum Qualification Requirements To qualify for this position, you must meet A , B or C below: Specialized Experience To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the federal sector. Specialized experience is that which has equipped you with the ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. Examples of specialized experience include Utilizing Knowledge of regulatory and engineering standards governing the occupational health issues and programs pertinent to laboratory operations including the ability to establish/maintain credibility with others on technical matters. Experience independently interpreting, evaluating and applying safety guidelines to hazardous situations that includes modification and adaptation of the work environment as required. Utilizing Knowledge of safety and occupational health programs and issues, with specific emphasis in fire prevention, electrical safety, hazardous materials/hazardous waste management. Applying knowledge of safety management systems and/or the ability to plan, develop, implement, coordinate, maintain and continually improve a complete and comprehensive safety management program. Experience planning and implementing safety and occupational health education and training activities to various audiences. If qualifying solely on Experience, then you MUST MEET two (2) of the above specialized experience statements to be found qualified. OR- Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Education MUST be related to the nature of the advertised position. You must submit Transcripts (Unofficial Okay). OR- 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education MUST be related to the nature of the advertised position. You must submit Transcripts (Unofficial Okay) . OR- LL.M.; if related. Education MUST be related to the nature of the advertised position. You must submit Transcripts (Unofficial Okay) . OR- Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: A combination of education and specialized experience that totals 100% of the requirement for the GS-11 grade level. Education MUST be related to the nature of the advertised position. You must submit Transcripts (Unofficial Okay). 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 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. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. 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. All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. 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. 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. Review our benefits 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. How you will be evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. Candidates Will Be Rated And Ranked Using Category Rating Procedures. These Procedures Place Candidates With Veteran's Preference Above Non-preference Eligibles Within Each Category. Veterans With a Service-connected Disability Of At Least 10 Percent Are Listed In The Highest Quality Category, Except When The Position Being Filled Is Scientific Or Professional At The GS-09 Grade Level Or Higher. Under Category Rating, Candidates Will Be Rated And Ranked Into The Following Categories Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job. You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Safety Training Laboratory Safety Inspection Occupational Hazards and Industrial Hygiene Oversight Safety Information Coordinator Safety Incident Investigation Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a Structured Interview. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job. Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in your application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. Agency contact information Franky Sanchez Email View email address on click.appcast.io Address LAB AND ANALY SERV DIV 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Mail Stop 600 Reston, VA 20192 US #J-18808-Ljbffr