Health Sciences Safety Specialist - Bethesda, United States - National Institutes of Health

Description

Summary

Take the next step in your career now, scroll down to read the full role description and make your application.

If you have experience participating in assigned safety and health programs in a clinical or research science laboratory or equivalent; applying safe practices, and procedures to work activities AND you want to play a significant role in a dynamic organization, then consider joining the NIH Office of Research Services For more information, visit

Duties

• Develops, implements, and maintains ongoing programs, projects, and initiatives to promote a safe and healthy work environment for NIH employees, patients, visitors, and guest workers.
  
• Performs investigations and interviews to follow up on incidents involving personal injury, illness, or property damage, providing analysis and feedback on prevention of future occurrences.
  
• Uses scientific knowledge to review data collected during investigations and provides quarterly/yearly analysis of trends. Proposes action items for prevention based on scientific analysis.
  
• Uses scientific knowledge to instruct management officials, program and technical staff, and scientists on a variety of occupational safety and health programs and subjects in a biomedical and research setting.
  
• Participates in the development and implementation of training programs designed to increase awareness of safety hazards, enhance the understanding of preventative measures, and promote safe and healthful practices.
  

Requirements
Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
  
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
  
• Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
  
• Position requires Education.
  
• If selected, you must be enrolled in the NIH Animal Exposure Program.
  
• The use of personal protective equipment may be required.
  
• You may work in hazardous environments or handle hazardous substances.
  
• If selected, you must be able to bend, stoop, walk, stand, and climb, and work in cramped positions with or without a reasonable accommodation when completing facility/lab surveys and risk assessments.
  
• If selected, you must be able to stand for prolonged periods on concrete floors and walk over rough and uneven terrain with or without a reasonable accommodation.
  

Qualifications
In order to qualify for a Health Sciences Safety Specialist, GS-0601, position you must have successfully completed a full 4 year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree or graduate/higher level degree with major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. (This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained).

In addition, in order to qualify for a Health Sciences Safety Specialist, 0601 at the GS-09 level, you must have:

A. completed 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or, have a master's or equivalent graduate degree in a related field;

OR

B. at least 1 year of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: working with safety and occupational health staff in the implementation and maintenance of ongoing biomedical research programs, projects and initiatives to promote a safe and healthy work environment; assisting in the identification of potential safety-related problems and hazards in clinical or research laboratories; providing input into guidance and recommendations for the control of risks associated with the conduct of biomedical research and support functions.

OR

C. a combination of post baccalaureate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

In addition, to qualify for a Health Sciences Safety Specialist GS-0601 position at the GS-11 level, you must have:

A. completed 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or, have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field;

OR

B. at least 1 year of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal Government obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: advising scientists and investigators working with hazardous agents or chemicals on proper safety requirements; developing training programs designed to increase awareness of safety hazards, enhance the understanding of preventive measures, and promoting safe and healthful practices in biomedical research or clinical environments; conducting risk assessments and ensuring compliance with appropriate safety standards and guidelines in biomedical research facilities; and developing solutions to reduce or eliminate recurrence of safety hazards and causal factors associated with the conduct of biomedical research and support functions.

OR

C. a combination of graduate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Preview assessment questionnaire before you apply: How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Factor 1. Ability to apply health sciences disciplines in administering occupational safety and health programs.
• Factor 2. Knowledge of safety and occupational health management practices, laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Factor 3. Ability to provide advice, guidance, findings, and recommendations to improve workplace safety and health.
• Factor 4. Skill in developing, interpreting, and implementing policies, guidelines, and training materials pertaining to occupational safety and health programs.

If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and responses to the online questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:

• Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
  
• Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
  
• Qualified - for those who only meet the minimum qualification requirements
  

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Applicants determined to be Best Qualified will be referred for further consideration. Preference eligibles in the Best Qualified category are referred before all other applicants.

To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Ensure you support your self-ratings by the information you provide in your application. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as having knowledge of your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin prior to receiving an offer.

To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the and the , you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 85 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

Required Documents

REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICANTS

RESUME:

Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career.

To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the . If you choose to use your own resume, you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:

1. Job title
   
2. Name of employer
   
3. Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
   
4. Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
   
5. Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
   
6. Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position)
   

If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you must list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.

Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.

For resume writing guidance, please visit the following resources: , , and the .

ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE:

You must submit a completed assessment questionnaire.

Unless otherwise stated, we will only use the information above to determine your qualifications. Not providing the required information may result in a determination that you do not meet minimum requirements for the position (e.g., an ineligible rating) or a lower rating.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS

To claim veterans' preference, career transition selection priority, Schedule A or military spouse eligibility, you must provide the documentation listed below AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire.

• (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): Reference for required documentation for 10 point claims. Submission of SF-15 is not required, unless you are claiming derived preference (XP) as described in questions 7, 8, or 9 on the SF-15. In those cases, you must submit a completed SF-15 and the required documentation. For 5 point claims, you must submit your DD-214 (if separated) or any written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the is submitted with your application package.
  
• Visit our sites on / for more information and required documentation.
  
• Visit our site on the for more information and required documentation to verify eligibility.
  
• Schedule A Eligibility (Applicants with Disabilities) Applicants who are eligible to be considered under must submit appropriate documentation to verify eligibility. Documentation must be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. The letter must be printed on a medical professional's letterhead and signed. Veterans' preference takes precedence in these appointments.
  

The Schedule A and military spouse hiring authorities do not guarantee employment or give an individual preference in the hiring process.

If you do not provide the required information, we will assume you are not eligible, or you do not wish to be considered for any preference or eligibility.

Do not submit documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official or hiring manager.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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