Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Summary

You will serve as a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Mission Area, Office of the Chief Operating Officer (OCOO), Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF), duty stationed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Duties

At the full performance level (GS-12) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Manage safety or occupational health program elements.
• Develop or recommend safety and occupational health policy to higher levels of management.
• Apply 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.
• Develop safety and occupational health standards, regulations, practices, and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards.
• Develop or implement programs to reduce the frequency, severity, and cost of accidents and occupational illnesses.
• Analyze or evaluate new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards.
• Design or modify workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards.
• Inspect or survey workplaces, processes, products, or other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards and to identify potential new hazards.
• Train 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.

Physical Demands

The work requires the performance of on-site inspections. Work may require extended periods of walking and standing, climbing ladders, or working in inclement weather during surveys and inspections.

Work Environment

Work is primarily performed in an office that is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. During surveys, investigations, and inspections, the incumbent may be required to use a variety of personal protective clothing and equipment such as hard hats, face masks, and hearing protection.

Requirements

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• As a condition of employment, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 08/12/2026 unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-12, you MUST possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience in at least 4 of the following 7 areas:

• Interpreting and applying safety and occupational health laws, regulations, policies, standards, and procedures.
• Planning and conducting inspections and hazard assessments of laboratories, shops, warehouses, equipment, industrial operations, or other complex work environments.
• Evaluating occupational hazards and industrial hygiene concerns and recommending appropriate engineering, administrative, or personal protective equipment controls.
• Documenting identified deficiencies and tracking corrective actions through completion.
• Investigating and analyzing accidents or incidents to determine root causes, contributing factors, and preventive actions.
• Developing or delivering safety education, training, and awareness materials.
• Utilizing software applications to analyze accident or hazard trends and prepare reports, charts, and management briefings.

Education: This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

Additional Information

• Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.
• All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) expenses are authorized with the exception of the Guaranteed Home Sale Provision or first-post-of-duty relocation expenses are authorized, as applicable.
• The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law December 2017, suspends the moving expense deduction and the exclusion from income of qualified employer reimbursements of moving expenses that was allowed under previous tax laws. Employer reimbursements for moving costs are now generally taxed at the same rate as ordinary income.
• Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials, the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating Procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into the following categories:

• Best Qualified – applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position.
• Well Qualified – applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job.
• Qualified – applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.