Summary

This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol, Office of Safety and Code Compliance, Safety Division.

The incumbent establishes policy and conducts oversight to ensure compliance with safety, fire and environmental laws and regulations. The Safety Division is responsible for policy and program development, implementation support and evaluations with regards to occupational health, safety and industrial hygiene.

Duties

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Work schedule may require some occasionally mandatory overtime on holidays and weekends.

Tour of Duty: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm (Hours may Change due to Operational Needs of Management)

***Two Selections May Be Made From This Vacancy Announcement.

Responsibilities and Duties:

Implements Safety and Occupational Health Program

Directs and serves as a senior technical expert on safety and occupational health programs, such as electrical safety, incident investigation, confined space, control of hazardous energy, electrical safety, cranes/aerial lifts/powered industrial trucks, elevators/escalators/railcar systems, storage tanks and pressure vessels, construction safety, and hot work/welding/cutting/brazing, working/walking surfaces and fall protection. Provides guidance and technical assistance to the jurisdictions/offices on existing program policies and requirements.

Works as lead developer of Contractor Scopes of Work which provide implementation assistance to the various jurisdictions. Serves as a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) on assigned projects.

Solicits Cooperation and Support to Ensure Program Success

Serves as liaison with assigned policy-level officials within the AOC to ensure the agency views and interests are promoted with respect to current and emerging policy issues.

Works with AOC jurisdictions to create a central database for standards and documents such as exposure assessments, policies, Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and other template documents.

Performs On-Site Inspections, Conducts Plans and Specification Reviews and Completes Other Safety Related Tasks

Plans, coordinates and conducts occupational health and safety inspections, audits, surveys, tests and evaluations of AOC facilities and operations including construction and renovation sites.

Conducts safety and occupational health tests for hazardous substances such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, natural gas, propane, ozone, volatile organic compounds, asbestos, lead, silica and others while using equipment to monitor these unsafe conditions. Administers other tests to determine, quantify and negate Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) situations. Evaluates excessive noise, poor ventilation, low-level lighting conditions, excessive heat or cold situations, etc. and offers recommendations to resolve unsafe conditions.

Provides Advisory Services for Safety Policies and Projects

Develops and applies new program methods, approaches and/or technology or revises and adapts existing methodology to new and unusual situations.

Trains and instructs AOC staff on safe work practices and during New Employee Orientation. Reviews training needs, creates or adapts training materials, conducts training programs and evaluates training effectiveness.

Examines personal injuries and illnesses and property accidents; to determine causes; and makes recommendations regarding preventative and corrective actions.

Performs Safety and Occupational Health Program Planning and Design

Develops guidance to be used for implementing criteria and evaluating program effectiveness based on injury records, incidents, inspections and other input.

Explores and builds components of the safety and occupational health program for the agency. Studies workforce statistics and occupational data, discovers populations and trends, gets information on agency and contractor capabilities, drafts work plans, prepares managers' briefings, prepares specifications and scope-of-work statements and offers recommendations regarding preventive actions.

Conducts Research and Analysis for Safety and Occupational Health Program Policies

Creates alternative strategies and assesses trade-offs between safety concerns and economic issues related to implementing safety programs, policies and regulations in major agency organizational components. Creates impact assessments focusing on the costs to facilities.

Conducts JHA, hazard assessments and exposure assessments to match worker's tasks to the need for personal protection. Researches, understands and makes recommendations for the use of personal protective equipment. Understands Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) capabilities and limitations.

Establishes Program Evaluation Criteria and Conditions

Establishes standards by which to judge program effectiveness and plans for evaluation of compliance with those standards for major agency organizational components. Analyzes existing health and safety program evaluation criteria, procedures and guidelines to develop innovative new procedures.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Certification from the Board of Certified Safety Professional-Certified Safety Professional (preferred but not required).

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Candidates for the GS-13 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as meeting at least three (3) of the four (4) requirements listed below:

(1) Planning, developing, organizing, administering, evaluating and coordinating a comprehensive safety and occupational health program.

(2) Performing work site analyses, hazard prevention and control.

(3) Performing incident and complaint investigations and reporting, process analysis to identify critical failures, and developing of corrective actions and monitoring procedures ensuring compliance; and

(4) Reviewing construction contractors' health and safety/accident prevention plans and conducting construction safety inspections.

Education

There is no substitution of education for the required specialized experience.

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp#6.

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with theSelective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

A variety of health insurance plans; retirement system with investment options; paid holidays; paid sick and annual (vacation) leave; life insurance; incentive systems; subsidized transportation; training and development opportunities, etc.

Selected applicant(s) may be eligible to earn a higher annual leave accrual rate credit towards annual leave accrual based on prior non-Federal or uniformed service work experience. The amount of service credit will be based on specialized experience or qualifying experience that is provided on the applicant profile submitted. As such, if you are a new employee to the Federal Government or a rehire, it is important that you provide a work history that lists all directly related positions held, and it must include the dates of employment (month/day/year).

The Architect of the Capitol offers eligible employees opportunity to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.