Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Summary

"The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), through strategic partnerships, prepares the federal law enforcement community to safeguard America's people, property, and institutions." We are a unique inter-agency organization preparing the next generation of law enforcement officers to meet our Nation's most pressing security challenges." Click here to learn more.

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Duties

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Serving as a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist GS-0018-9/11/12 makes you a valuable member of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) team and mission. This position is located in the Organizational Health Division within Mission and Readiness Support Directorate located in Glynco, Georgia.

The primary purpose of this position is ensuring that operations and activities are performed safely and in accordance with established policy and procedures. The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and Medical Programs at FLETC encompass all activities and operational disciplines, including law enforcement training, administrative, industrial, and medical support activities.

Typical duties include:

• Leading the development and implementation of medical safety policy decisions and serves as a subject matter expert for the Organizational Health Division.
• Developing and implementing essential portions of the OSH and medical surveillance programs, including evaluating program adequacy and compliance, and reviews and recommends changes to medical safety protocols and standards.
• Developing and delivering advanced technical medical safety education and training programs for hazardous and physically demanding occupations, evaluates and monitors exposure to medical hazards, recommending and implementing hazard control measures, and ensures ongoing compliance.
• Provides technical medical safety education and training for all FLETC employees, assists in developing medical safety training programs, and ensures personnel engaged in hazardous work receive required medical safety training.

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• Current and former federal employees within the General Schedule (GS) must meet the time-in-grade requirements outlined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement.
• This is a non-bargaining unit position.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state issued driver's license to conduct official government business.
• You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.
• Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
• Must be able to meet job-related medical and/or fitness standards. Subject to an initial and annual physical examination that measures visual, hearing, and physical acuity.
• Required to undergo initial and random drug testing for illegal drug use. Employment is contingent upon favorable results.
• This position is Emergency Essential and required to sustain FLETC's operations under all conditions of DHS operations or services, to ensure FLETC Continuity of Operations for Mission Essential Functions locally or DHS-wide.
• Overtime may be required.
• Travel of 25% or less may be required.
• This position is eligible for situational-only telework based on agency policy.

Qualifications

A resume must be no more than two pages. If an applicant's resume exceeds two pages, the USAJOBS database will not allow the application to be submitted. For additional assistance, please visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirements

Specialized Experience GS-09

You qualify for the GS-09 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal government, performing duties such as: 1) Assisting with safety, occupational health, or medical safety programs, 2) Evaluating workplace activities for compliance with safety requirements, 3) Identifying safety or health concerns and recommending corrective actions and 4) Providing safety related guidance or training. -OR-

Successful completion of a master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B or J.D. with major study in the safety and occupational health field (safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene), or 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. -OR-

An equivalent combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as listed above. Only graduate education beyond the first 18 semester hours will be combined with the specialized experience.

NOTE: Only graduate education in excess of the first year may be used to qualify for the GS-09 level.

Specialized Experience GS-11

You qualify at the GS-11 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the federal government, performing duties such as: 1) Assisting with the administration or implementation of safety, occupational health or medical safety programs, 2) Evaluating programs activities or workplace for compliance with established safety and health requirements, 3) Identifying hazards or safety concerns and recommending corrective actions and 4) Providing safety or occupational health guidance education or training. -OR-

Successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. with major study in the safety and occupational health field (safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene), or 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. -OR-

An equivalent combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as listed above. Only graduate education beyond the first 36 semester hours will be combined with the specialized experience.

NOTE: Only graduate education in excess of the first two years may be used to qualify for the GS-11 level.

Specialized Experience GS-12

You qualify at the GS-12 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the federal government, performing duties such as: 1) Developing or implementing safety, occupational health or medical safety programs, 2) Evaluating programs effectiveness and compliance with established safety and health requirements, 3) Conducting inspections or investigating, identifying hazards and recommending corrective actions and 4) Providing technical safety or occupational health guidance education or training.

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Time-in-grade: Current General Schedule (GS) federal employees, and those that have served in GS positions within the last 52 weeks, must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade, or a combination of the next lower grade level and an equivalent band in the federal service by the closing of this announcement.

Note: Current or former Federal employees MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment ("position occupied" block 34 on the SF-50 should show a "1"), tenure group (block 24 should show a 1 or 2), grade, and salary. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50 Form which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade ( examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, With-in Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s dated a year apart within the same grade/job ). If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment. IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT ALL OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CONSIDERATION AS A STATUS CANDIDATE.

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.

Re-employed annuitants' annual salaries will be reduced by the amount of their retirement annuity and by further cost of living increases. FERS retirees receiving a FERS annuity supplement must also be aware that, like social security benefits, their FERS annuity supplement is subject to an earnings test and may be reduced if the salary earned is more than the social security exempt amount of earnings. Additional information is available on OPM's website or by contacting OPM.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be placed in the well-qualified category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Physical Demand: The work requires inspection of field sites, construction sites, and wide variety of physical structures and scenarios necessitating frequent walking, prolonged standing, occasional climbing and occasionally carrying, moderately heavy equipment.

Work Environment: Onsite evaluations and inspections involve exposure to inclement weather (primarily high heat and humidity), operating equipment, machinery, firearms, vehicle emissions, chemicals, hazardous and biological wastes, dust, vapors, and fumes, and high noise levels. Protective gear is required. Significant and sometimes prolonged periods of the position's time also involve performing sedentary tasks in an office setting.

Education

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: must submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an accredited institution listing the college/university, degree confirmation date(s) and applicable courses for the position you are applying to.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

Additional information

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 here:

A recruitment/relocation incentive may be authorized.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) is not authorized.

This position may be filled at the GS-09 or GS-11 level. If selection is made at the GS-9 level, promotion to the GS-11 level may occur without further competition.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

Pursuant to Executive Order 12564 and FLETC policy, FLETC is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, conducts random and other drug testing of its employees in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing and all applicants tentatively selected for employment at FLETC are subject to drug testing resulting in a negative test result.

he Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to View email address on click.appcast.io.

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.