Safety & Occupational Health Specialist
What you'd do
This position is assigned to the Operations, Safety, Security, and Preparedness Directorate, Office of Mission Support, Veterans Benefits Administration Central Office (VBACO) and is responsible for advising VBA facilities on implementing Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) programs to meet regulatory and internal VA requirements. The position's duty station is VBACO, in Washington, DC.
Major duties
Specific duties include: Maintains an effective OSH program that includes prevention, investigation, and appropriate reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses. Reviews all worker injury and illness incidents, conducts accident investigations using root cause analysis, and recommends preventive measures to reduce reoccurrence. The employee applies general knowledge of safety and occupational health laws and regulations to assist VA facilities with meeting all requirements. The incumbent has substantial knowledge of OSH to prepare written technical documents and guidance materials for VBA facilities. The incumbent participates in VBA Safety Committees and national-level Safety Committees within the VA. They may be asked to represent the Manager at various meetings to present or discuss OSH topics. The incumbent will independently develop and provide training as well as standard operation procedures (SOPs) to VBA personnel on various OSH programs and/or topics. The incumbent conducts facility inspections and writes inspection reports to ensure compliance with OSH laws and regulations. Monitors and tracks abatement of unsafe or unhealthy working conditions. Recommends corrective solutions/actions to ensure prompt abatement of unsafe working conditions. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday Compressed/Flexible: Not Available. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Specialist; GS-0018-13 PD# 41186-A. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required.
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:07/13/2026. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements (unless if in the commuting area and eligible for a non-competitive hiring authority such as Schedule A, VRA, or 30% or more disabled Veterans). For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12 level. 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. These requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement and those applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): There is an Individual Occupational Requirement that must be met to be found minimally qualified for this series, please read the requirement description carefully. Education Undergraduate and Graduate Education: 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. OR Experience 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. Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting the IOR listed above, you must also have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. GS-13 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: defined as experience as an Occupational Safety and Health Specialist, and at least 12 months of experience at the GS-12 level. The incumbent must have: Knowledge of accident investigations, workplace hazard assessments, construction safety, ergonomics, injury and illness recordkeeping, hazard communication, and root cause analysis. Experience performing workplace hazard assessments and risk assessments Experience conducting facility inspections/surveys and writing inspection reports Experience reading architectural drawings, engineering construction drawings, and other facility renovation plans. Ability to communicate results of complex analysis both orally and in writing to a diverse audience. 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; religions; 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. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week. Physical Requirements: There may be frequent walking, standing, climbing, crawling, or bending during walk-through inspections of worksites. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
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