Summary

This position serves as the Safety and Occupational Health Manager, and is responsible for planning, organizing, administering, and evaluating a comprehensive environmental and safety management program at the White River Junction Medical Center that provides comprehensive health care and education for Veterans and their families. Duty location: White River Junction, VT.

Duties

Help

***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 the following:

• Develop, implement, maintain, and revise comprehensive fire protection, fire prevention, occupational safety, and Life Safety programs for the Medical Center and supported locations.
• Plan, direct, and evaluate fire drills; serve as principal investigator on major fires; and direct and evaluate the effectiveness of corrective-action plans.
• Oversee the testing and maintenance of fire protection and alarm systems, and evaluate equipment for replacement or upgrade based on changing technologies, standards, codes, and regulations.
• Conduct recurring and special safety surveys, inspections, and investigations-using systematic methods such as Root Cause Analysis-to identify hazardous conditions, evaluate occupational and environmental risks, and recommend corrective or preventive measures.
• Monitor and ensure compliance with OSHA, Joint Commission, NFPA, Life Safety Code, CARF, and other applicable federal, state, and local safety requirements across the Medical Center, outreach centers, contract nursing homes, and Community Based Outpatient Clinics.
• Review accident and incident reports, coordinate corrective actions with service chiefs and responsible officials, and evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken to reduce hazards, lost-time cases, and OWCP claims.
• Prepare and present Environment of Care indicator reports, including GEMS information and accident and incident-rate statistics, to the Environment of Care Committee.
• Advise the Environment of Care Committee on safety and Life Safety issues affecting employees, patients, visitors, facilities, and Medical Center operations.
• Brief the Environment of Care Committee on construction hazards, Interim Life Safety Measures, regulatory discrepancies, product recalls, and safety alerts.
• Review semiannual emergency-preparedness drills for the Environment of Care Committee before and immediately after the drills are conducted.
• Prepare quarterly summaries of Safety Committee activities for the Medical Executive Committee and Administrative Executive Board, and prepare regular reports to leadership regarding the status of recommendations and implementation.
• Plan and assign subordinate work, establish priorities and completion schedules, and adjust assignments based on workload, complexity, and employee capabilities.
• Establish performance standards, evaluate employee performance, provide guidance and counseling, identify developmental needs, and arrange required training for subordinate staff.
• Exercise personnel-management authority, including approving or disapproving leave and overtime, resolving employee complaints, recommending or taking disciplinary action, making or recommending selections, and recommending awards or organizational changes.
• Develop and implement safety, fire protection, occupational health, and emergency-preparedness training programs, including mandatory refresher training, and evaluate program effectiveness annually.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work involves the frequent performance of surveys and onsite visits to offices, laboratory, and maintenance shops necessitating prolonged periods of walking, standing, climbing, crouching, and lifting as much as 50 pounds. Work frequently involves walking, standing, bending, crawling during surveys of spaces. Protective devices and equipment must be worn as required by the hazards of incidence which may include extreme temperatures, asbestos, lead, chemical exposure, etc. Incumbent occasionally must climb ladders, navigate access hatches to perform observations of existing conditions of infrastructure.
• 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 identification 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-12 GRADE LEVEL, YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-11) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience in or related to safety and occupational health that provided the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

• Managing safety or occupational health program elements.
• Developing and recommending safety and occupational health policy to higher levels of management.
• Applying 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.
• Developing safety and occupational health standards, regulations, practices, and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards.
• Developing or implementing programs to reduce the frequency, severity, and cost of accidents and occupational illnesses.
• Analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards.
• Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards.
• Inspecting or surveying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards and to identify potential new hazards.
• Training of 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.

NOTE: 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. 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.

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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for 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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

Help

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.

Review our benefits

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.