Industrial Hygienist -Technical Career Field (TCF) Trainee
What you'd do
This position is located in Martinez, California. The employee serves as a participant in the Technical Career Fields Program under the direction of a qualified preceptor. The Technical Career Field (TCF) is a national workforce development program within VHA that was designed to replenish technical staff in critically identified positions.
Major duties
The TCF career fields represent those technical fields where VA-specific knowledge and experience is desirable for success in the field. Individuals selected follow a formal training plan for two years during which they are trained, coached, and supervised by a preceptor. As part of the VA's succession planning, the Technical Career Field (TCF) training program was created to ensure individuals are trained in critical areas that have current or predicted shortages. The program is nationally funded to include salary, benefits and training/travel dollars. At the time of acceptance into the TCF program, trainees will be asked to sign mobility, training, and service agreements. Relocation expenses for acceptance into the training program or for placement are not funded by the TCF program. Please keep in consideration, the training program is meant for those individuals who plan on staying with the VA a minimum of 3 years after completion of their training program. Selectees will be required to complete and sign the following paperwork; Mobility, Training, and Continued Service Agreements. Although not guaranteed, with more than 150 freestanding facilities and hundreds of clinic locations, we will strive to place trainees in positions that will work for their needs and the needs of the VA. This is a developmental position leading to a GS-11, performing assignments intended to broaden skills and provide practical experience leading to progressively more complex assignments performed under progressively less supervision. You will ultimately acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-11. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds. Major Duties Include: Conducts industrial hygiene surveys and investigations of work areas to identify and evaluate actual or potential occupational health hazards. Evaluates employee exposure to chemical, physical, and environmental hazards such as toxic materials, noise, heat, radiation, and other workplace agents. Determines whether workplace conditions and employee exposures comply with established occupational safety and health standards and threshold limit values. Collects and analyzes environmental or industrial samples to determine the presence and degree of hazardous or toxic materials. Selects, calibrates, operates, and adapts industrial hygiene sampling and monitoring equipment used to measure workplace hazards. Analyzes survey and investigation findings and prepares reports documenting hazards, exposure levels, conclusions, and recommended corrective or preventive actions. Recommends engineering controls, administrative controls, work-practice changes, or other measures to reduce or eliminate harmful employee exposures. Reviews applicable Federal and agency occupational safety and health standards, technical literature, and established industrial hygiene practices when evaluating workplace hazards. Coordinates with occupational health personnel, physicians, safety personnel, supervisors, and employees regarding workplace hazards, exposure evaluations, and appropriate medical testing or monitoring. Provides advice to management and employees regarding occupational health hazards, regulatory requirements, and measures necessary to protect worker health and safety. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-Time; Monday through Friday; 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized.
What you need to qualify
Basic Requirement (Copy of Transcripts and/or Certification Required): 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 American Board of Industrial Hygiene (external link) (ABIH). Evaluation of Education: Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable. All science or engineering courses offered in fulfillment of the above requirements must be acceptable for credit toward the completion of a standard 4-year professional curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in science or engineering at an accredited college or university. For engineering degrees to be acceptable, the curriculum must be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) as a professional engineering curriculum. In addition to meeting the Basic Education Requirement, applicants must meet at least one of the following specialized experience and/or education qualification requirements. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-7: I have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that involved 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. Such work must have involved experience in all of the following areas: the acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data, and 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; and the selection and recommendation of appropriate controls, including management, medical, engineering, education or training, and personal protective equipment recommendation of appropriate controls, including management, medical, engineering, education or training, and personal protective equipment. SUBSITUTION OF EDUCATION GS-7: I have successfully completed one (1) full year of graduate education or 18 semester hours in courses that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of Industrial Hygienist - TCF Trainee. (Transcript(s) Required) COMBINATION GS-7: : I have a combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience as described above. Transcript(s) Required). SAA GS-7: I qualify based on Superior Academic Achievement (SAA). Applicants who wish to apply under this provision must submit proof from their educational institution that they meet one of the criteria listed below. To qualify for SAA, applicants must have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled and meet one of the following: 1) Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university or major subdivision; 2) A grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; 3) A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; or 4) Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. (Transcript(s) Required) For a list of recognized honor societies please visit http://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp. For more information regarding SAA please visit http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-II/s2-e5.asp#e4f. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-9: I have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that involved 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. Such work must have involved experience in all of the following areas: the acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data, and 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; and the selection and recommendation of appropriate controls, including management, medical, engineering, education or training, and personal protective equipment. SUBSITUTION OF EDUCATION GS-9: I have successfully completed two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree OR master's or equivalent graduate degree that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work of Industrial Hygienist - TCF Trainee. (Transcript(s) Required) COMBINATION GS-9: I have a combination of successfully completed progressively higher-level graduate education and specialized experience as described above. (Transcript(s) Required) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Attention to Detail Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Reasoning Teamwork IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. 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. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
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