Industrial Hygienist

Summary

The incumbent serves as an Industrial Hygienist assigned to the New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Responsible for delivering independent and comprehensive Industrial Hygiene (IH) services, including the preparation of written industrial hygiene reports within the scope of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Responsibilities may encompass one or more specialized areas, such as research safety, radiation, and exposure to hazardous agents.

Duties

Major duties include: Performs Industrial Hygiene (IH) surveys on a scheduled, request, or emergency basis to evaluate a wide variety of occupational health hazards that encompass a broad spectrum of work activities. Conduct studies of work operations and processes, examining work environments, analyzing findings, promulgating recommendations, and preparing various reports. Inspects the medical center to identify potential occupational health hazards and the need for further investigative studies and surveys. Performs state-of-the-art technical training, information, guidance or direction on IH and varied occupation health issues. Plans and manages industrial hygiene and environmental construction projects that are related to achieving and maintaining compliance. Develop standard operating procedures and implement environmental policy, guidance and procedures. Interprets results of studies for the work environment in terms of possible impairment to health, nature of health impairment, potential for medical center damages, etc. Receives and disposes of hazardous wastes and maintains appropriate records in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency standards, state laws, and Veteran Affairs regulations. Provides support to one or multiple boards and committees, such as the Safety Committee, Accident Review Board, Construction Committees and/or Environment of Care Committee. Appears on root cause analysis panels dealing with occupational health matters and the application of federal and state regulations. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 07:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD14602A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: AUTHORIZED for select qualified candidates. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

Basic Requirements. Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED); 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 (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED); or Certification from the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene(external link) (ABIH)) (CERTIFICATION DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED). All science or engineering courses offered in fulfillment of the basic 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. GS-11 grade level: Specialized Experience. One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. The experience involves the recognition, evaluation, corrective actions, and elimination of environmental conditions in the workplace that causes sickness, impaired health, or illness. This experience demonstrates 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 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. Specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-9 level includes providing independent Industrial Hygiene services such as written industrial hygiene reports, researching safety, radiation, exposure to agents, respiratory protection program, asbestos control, water safety and testing, accident review infection control and prevention, waste management, construction safety, sterile processing or other areas as related to industrial hygiene. OR Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-11 level. 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 level. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned. Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-11. Only graduate level education in excess of two years of progressively higher level graduate education may be combined with experience. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) 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/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.