Address
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This position is a trainee position leading to the full performance level of Safety and Occupational Health Specialist. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a mid-level trainee in the Safety and Occupational Health section under the Office of the Associate Director. The incumbent is given a variety of developmental assignments in order to broaden skills and provide experience for progressively more complex assignments.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Current, permanent Wilkes Barre facility employees only.
All applicants must ensure that they have included more than one SF50's showing both current (SF50 dated 2024) employment status and additional SF50s to demonstrate 1+ year equivalent to a GS-7 or higher.
All required documentation must be uploaded before the announcement closes, to support eligibility.
Failure to submit documentation will constitute the application being categorized as incomplete and therefore ineligible for referral.
Videos
Duties
Major duties include, but not limited to:
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Telework: Ad-hoc - VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Travel: Travel to CBOCs for inspections, fire drills and inspection of community nursing homes
****All required documentation must be uploaded before the announcement closes, to support eligibility.****
Failure to submit documentation will constitute the application being categorized as incomplete and therefore ineligible for referral.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/06/2024.
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. 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.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
OR,
. OR,
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
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; religions; 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.
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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.
Physical Requirements: Work is performed in a wide range of environments and includes exposure to potentially hazardous conditions such as asbestos, chemical spills, extreme temperatures and damaged or defective buildings and structures. Work activity may involve prolonged periods of sitting, standing, climbing, work in cramped spaces, walking and bending. Incumbent occasionally lifts and moves moderately heavy objects. Some degree of agility and dexterity is required to conduct inspections.
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/.
****All required documentation must be uploaded before the announcement closes, to support eligibility.****
Failure to submit documentation will constitute the application being categorized as incomplete and therefore ineligible for referral.
Education
A legible 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/.
****All required documentation must be uploaded before the announcement closes, to support eligibility.****
Failure to submit documentation will constitute the application being categorized as incomplete and therefore ineligible for referral.
Additional information
Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this r...
This position is a trainee position leading to the full performance level of Safety and Occupational Health Specialist. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a mid-level trainee in the Safety and Occupational Health section under the Office of the Associate Director. The incumbent is given a variety of developmental assignments in order to broaden skills and provide experience for progressively more complex assignments.
This job is open to
- Internal to an agency
Current federal employees of this agency.
Clarification from the agency
Current, permanent Wilkes Barre facility employees only.
All applicants must ensure that they have included more than one SF50's showing both current (SF50 dated 2024) employment status and additional SF50s to demonstrate 1+ year equivalent to a GS-7 or higher.
All required documentation must be uploaded before the announcement closes, to support eligibility.
Failure to submit documentation will constitute the application being categorized as incomplete and therefore ineligible for referral.
Videos
Duties
Major duties include, but not limited to:
- serves as the Life Safety Specialist within the Occupational Safety and Health Office at the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center
- works with higher level specialist to identify opportunities for improvement through an ongoing effort of hazard identification, evaluation, solution implementation, monitoring, and collaborating with others
- works with higher graded specialist to conduct internal gap analyses of the Life Safety program. Assist higher level specialist with issuing reports of gap analysis and tracks the status of corrective and preventive actions
- assist higher level specialists with coordinating responses to VA and external Life Safety audits, surveys, inspections, etc.
- performs pre-Occupancy inspections of all spaces prior to the occupancy of any employees after renovations, construction, or new leases for purposes of Safety and Life Safety hazards
- responsible for the preparation of safety and fire prevention-related reports, correspondence, checklists, and hazard abatement evaluations after all inspections, drills, etc.
- works with higher level employees to review construction drawings and provide technical expertise for determination of location and adequacy of smoke walls, fire walls, sprinkler systems, alarms, occupancy requirements, exits, evacuation routes, types of doors, size of hallways, and other Life Safety and safety requirements
- conducts Risk Assessment of all construction designs, modifications, and maintenance of facilities for all Life Safety issues
- perform routine inspections on the VA campus to include: life safety, fire extinguisher, fire sprinkler, fire and smoke wall, fire and smoke door, exit door, interim life safety measures (ILSM), fire hydrant testing, and fire alarm
- assists higher level specialist on the following: conduct and evaluate fire drills (quarterly and annually) in various locations throughout the VA Campus and Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC)
- manages computer programs and databases to track the management of Life Safety programs
- Monitor contracts for fire alarm inspections, testing, and maintenance for fire alarms, sprinklers, pumps, and all associated equipment
- perform Safety and Life Safety inspections during the following: Construction Rounds with the Contracting Representative (weekly of all construction sites or more frequent depending on requirements) and Environment of Care (EOC) Rounds (semi-annual inspections of all areas throughout the hospital)
- coordinates with local fire departments for support to the VAMC. Communications include but are not limited to notifications of conditions within and around the VAMC that would interfere with the local response to emergencies
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Telework: Ad-hoc - VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Travel: Travel to CBOCs for inspections, fire drills and inspection of community nursing homes
****All required documentation must be uploaded before the announcement closes, to support eligibility.****
Failure to submit documentation will constitute the application being categorized as incomplete and therefore ineligible for referral.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- You may be required to serve a probationary period
- Subject to background/security investigation
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
- Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/06/2024.
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. 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.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
- Specialized Experience: 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 would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience related to conducting safety inspections, monitoring safety compliance, working with stake holders to develop corrective action plans, preparing accident and injury reports, conducting investigations, conducting fire and emergency drills, maintaining safety contracts for items such as fire protection equipment and extinguishers or other substantially similar specialized experience.
OR,
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Graduate degree within a technical or scientific field such as 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,
- Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond .
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
- Communication
- Compliance Inspection
- Education and Training
- Problem Solving
- Technical Competence
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; religions; 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.
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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.
Physical Requirements: Work is performed in a wide range of environments and includes exposure to potentially hazardous conditions such as asbestos, chemical spills, extreme temperatures and damaged or defective buildings and structures. Work activity may involve prolonged periods of sitting, standing, climbing, work in cramped spaces, walking and bending. Incumbent occasionally lifts and moves moderately heavy objects. Some degree of agility and dexterity is required to conduct inspections.
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/.
****All required documentation must be uploaded before the announcement closes, to support eligibility.****
Failure to submit documentation will constitute the application being categorized as incomplete and therefore ineligible for referral.
Education
A legible 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/.
****All required documentation must be uploaded before the announcement closes, to support eligibility.****
Failure to submit documentation will constitute the application being categorized as incomplete and therefore ineligible for referral.
Additional information
Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this r...
