Safety & Occupational Health Specialist

About this role

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/24/2026. Individual Occupational Requirement: Applicants who meet the Individual Occupational Requirements described below are fully qualified for the specified entry grade and must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements. 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 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. In addition to meeting the above Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR), applicants must also meet the experience and/or directly related education relevant to this position. 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 by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09.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 you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Applicants who meet the Individual Occupational Requirements described below are fully qualified for the specified entry grade and must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: For GS-09 you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience could include but are not limited to: Experience managing Environment of Care (EOC) Program, coordinating safety inspections, and using Performance Logic software for effective monitoring and documentation of compliance activities. Demonstrates knowledge of regulations associated with an Occupational Health & Safety Management program, such as but not limited to OSHA, NFPA, TJC, EPA, and NIOSH Experience preparing reports and analyzing data to help leadership ensure Environment of Care compliance with VHA and regulatory standards, supporting a safe environment at the medical center and CBOCs. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Successfully completed a Master's or equivalent, or 2 years of progressively higher-level education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B or J.D.in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Note: Transcripts are required. OR, Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: Equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience (beyond the first graduate year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. Note: Transcripts are required. To qualify at the GS-11 grade, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or higher and/or meet educational requirements or a combination of specialized experience and education. Specialized Experience: Experience managing Accident Review Board program, ensuring timely and accurate documentation and accident reporting in ECOMP for VHA and OSHA compliance. Experience preparing reports and data analysis for leadership, supporting injury trend identification and workplace safety improvements. Experience investigating accidents and incidents to identify causes and develop corrective measures to prevent future injuries. Prepares reports, shares critical information, and motivates adherence to safety requirements to support a safe work environment. Experience in managing construction safety for complex healthcare settings, applying safety procedures and regulatory requirements, assessing potential hazards, and advising on facility modifications and process improvements to ensure compliance and mitigate construction-related risks. OR, Education: Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Note: Transcripts are required. OR, Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: Equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience (beyond the first two graduate years or 36 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. Note: Transcripts are required.