Summary This position is located within the Safety and Occupational Health service at the VA Maryland Healthcare System, Baltimore, Maryland as a administrative and technical advisor to the Safety and Occupational Health Program Manager. The person in this position is responsible for providing pertinent technical advice and assistance in the enforcement of the Safety, Occupational Health, and Fire Protection Program. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Major duties include, but are not limited to: Plans and conducts radiation training activities for employees. Works to eliminate radiation hazards and unsafe work practices through educating employees, recommending alternative engineering designs and instructing employees in the proper use of personal protective equipment. Prepares reports of results for the Safety and Occupational Health Program Manager, which contain recommendations for improvement. Works with Engineering Service staff in the areas of project development, design, and construction to provide technical advice in matters pertaining to the Radiation Safety Program. Plans and conducts educational programs for the Safety, Occupational Health, Fire Protection program, and other staff in the area of radiation safety. Monitors the storage, ordering, receipt, handling, and disposal of radioactive materials controlled by the medical center. Monitors and implements all aspects of a radiation safety program. Assists the Safety and Occupational Health Manager to accomplish the full scope of the Safety, Occupational Health, and Fire Protection Program. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am until 4:30 pm. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Designated Drug-Testing Position: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. 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. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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 English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. AND All applicants must meet the following Basic and Minimum Qualification requirements: BASIC REQUIREMENT: Successfully completed a bachelor's degree (or higher) in natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics and/or calculus. NOTE: If you select this option, you must submit a copy of your transcript with your application. Education will not be credited without documentation. OR A combination of education and experience that includes courses as shown above, plus appropriate experience or other education; or certification as a health physicist by the American Board of Health Physics (copy of certification must be submitted with your application materials), plus appropriate experience and other education that provided an understanding of sciences applicable to health physics comparable to that described above. NOTE: If you select this option, you must submit a copy of your transcript with your application. Education will not be credited without documentation. Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the Federal Service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes using in-depth knowledge of the techniques used to implement a radiation safety program within a medical facility; performs radiation safety inspections and audits; interpreting regulations, standards, concepts, and procedures to include Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Fire Protection Administration (NFPA), etc., as they pertain to the use, handling, storage, and disposal of radioactive materials. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position. Your experience must be fully documented in your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Hazardous Materials Health Physics Interpersonal Skills Mathematical Reasoning Technical Competence IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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, 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. Physical Requirements: Occasional movement of moderately heavy objects (40-60 pounds). Expected to walk throughout the medical in the performance of his/her duties. Handles and uses delicate instruments. The Radiation Safety Officer is likely to spend several hours per day updating documents, records, correspondence, and filing in an office, at a desk, with or without a desktop computer. The Radiation Safety Officer will make frequent use of the telephone, e-mail, and a beeper, if desirable. Makes routine visits to each VA Maryland Health Care System division sites, and especially to Radiology Service, Medical Service, Research and Development Service, and all restricted areas designated for the purpose of radiation procedures or radioactive materials use. 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 IMPORTANT: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.