Supervisory Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Full Job Description

The position is located in the Emergency Regulatory and Compliance Services, Emergency Management, Safety and Security Division, Safety and Health Branch.

If selected, you will serve as a Supervisory Safety and Occupational Health Specialist.

The Safety and Health Branch is responsible for ensuring agency facilities, nationwide, fully meet compliance standards through effective management and oversight of the occupational safety programs.

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for 0018 job series: 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 Specialized Experience: 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.

These examples are not all inclusive.

OR 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 individual occupational requirements for the 0018 job series, applicants must meet the following: FOR THE GS-13 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates: 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.

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. Note: There is no education substitution for this grade level.

TRANSCRIPTS are required if: This position requires specific coursework or a degree in a specific field to be basically qualified. You are qualifying for the position based on education.

This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Major Duties:

• The duties may include, but are not limited to:
• Develops policies and protocols in accordance with existing laws and regulations and provides training in areas such as personal protective equipment, respiratory protection, defensive driving, hazardous waste operations and emergency response.
• Conducts comprehensive unannounced safety and health inspections at various locations throughout the Agency.
• Inspects locations, develops reports to the site manager noting all discrepancies requiring abatement within established time frames, and tracks abatement plans to ensure compliance.
• Serves as the Executive secretary to the National APHIS Safety and Health Council; coordinates all of the meetings, conference calls, and minutes of meetings.
• Assesses, develops, and implements control measures for environments characterized by unsafe work processes, high potential for mishaps, and difficult, costly abatement.
• Notifies the USDA Safety Manager of any accident involving an APHIS employee or any non-APHIS individual involved in the accident.
• Manages and coordinates associated central services account(s) with allocations provided.
• Assigns and reviews the work of staff to ensure timely performance, soundness, and value; monitors the progress of work, prioritization of the work, including the development of assignments and schedules.
• Evaluates subordinates through annual performance ratings and initiates formal award recommendations based on job performance.
• Initiates recruitment action for job vacancies. Evaluates applications, conducts interviews, and recommends selections.