Radiation Control Investigator

Texas Department of State Health Services; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 57,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

Texas Department of State Health Services in Austin seeks Health Physicist I to perform complex health physics and radiation control work, including inspections and incident investigations. You will serve as project leader or team member on technical projects, guiding mitigation actions and coordinating with agencies.

The role involves developing technical reports, evaluating data, and possibly providing testimony.

Qualifications

• Graduation from a four-year college with major coursework in health physics, nuclear or environmental sciences, chemistry, or related field.
• Experience and education may be substituted for one another per hiring manager.

Responsibilities

• Oversees environmental assessments and radiological investigations to ensure compliance with laws.
• Leads investigations, prepares technical reports, and coordinates with agencies.
• Performs inspections of installations using radiation and testifies in hearings as needed.
• Coordinates radiological emergency response activities and communicates findings.

Skills

Radiation safety practices

Investigative practice

Technical writing

Dose calculations

Public health compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in health physics or related field

Tools

Radiation detection equipment

RESRAD

Calibration procedures

Job description

Date: Nov 4, 2026

Location: AUSTIN, TX

DSHS is committed to hiring skilled and dedicated individuals who share a passion for public health to pursue our vision of A Healthy Texas. If you are looking to make an impact and tackle new challenges, we encourage you to consider a career with us.

Employee Benefits

DSHS offers insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS). To learn more about all the benefits available to you as a DSHS employee and other DSHS opportunities for early career pathways, visit the DSHS Careers Page.

Review our Top 10 Tips for Success when Applying to State of Texas Jobs.

Functional Title: Radiation Control Investigator Job Title: Health Physicist I Agency: Dept of State Health Services Department: Radiation Posting Number: 22964 Closing Date: 11/18/2026 Posting Audience: Internal and External Occupational Category: Life, Physical, and Social Science Salary Range: $5,098.66 - $8,304.83 Pay Frequency: Monthly Salary Group: TEXAS-B-23 Shift: Day Additional Shift: Telework: Not Eligible for Telework Travel: Up to 75% Regular/Temporary: Regular Full Time/Part Time: Full time FLSA Exempt/Non-Exempt: Nonexempt Facility Location: Job Location City: AUSTIN Job Location Address: 1100 W 49TH ST (RDM) Other Locations: MOS Codes: 230X,61DX,72A,SEI12

Brief Job Description

Performs complex (journey-level) health physics and radiation control work. Work involves conducting inspections, including surveying or investigating facilities using sources of radiation to ensure compliance with radiation safety and environmental laws. May supervise the work of others. Work involves independent evaluation of incident and complaint reports for adequacy and appropriate mitigation actions. Serves as project leader or project team member on various operational and technical projects. As project leader, plans, assigns, and directs the work of others. Plans, develops, and directs highly advanced technical radiological health projects involving investigations of incidents, complaints, and technical assistances concerning uses of various sources of radiation. Coordinates and directs radiological decontamination oversight activities at sites contaminated with radiation. Writes incident and complaint summaries. Participate in emergency exercise activities as response team member. Testifies in enforcement conferences and hearings. Participates in the preparations for hearings and enforcement conferences. Comments on proposed Federal and State radiation regulations and participate in rulemaking discussion groups. Works under general direction with moderate latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Essential Job Functions (EJFs)

Oversees and coordinates the conduct of complex environmental assessments and radiological investigations to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal radiation control, environmental, and public health laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Provides oversight of incident, complaint, or technical assistance investigations. Plans and conducts inspections and investigations of installed X-ray equipment, nonionizing radiation devices, and facilities where radioactive materials are used or stored. Leads investigation teams, prepares reports of team findings from investigations. Performs review and evaluation of incident and complaint reports to assure mitigation and radiation safety issues are resolved. Assigns, coordinates, and leads investigations of incidents and complaints reported by employees of licensees or registrants, the general public, and other state and federal agencies. Performs risk assessments based on quantitative relationships between radiation exposure and biological damage. Prepares highly advanced technical reports of findings and conclusions associated with evaluation of statistical and environmental radiation data and interpretation of results. May serve as technical spokesperson for media contacts during a radiological accident or event associated with an incident or complaint. Consults and coordinates with representatives of other state and federal radiation control, security, and emergency agencies, special interest groups, the public, or department personnel on radiation and environmental issues. Coordinates major technical incident and complaint investigations with staff from other Divisions or Departments, other Texas agencies, other states, or federal government agencies, as needed. Evaluates and interprets statistical and environmental data and calculates radiation doses from internal and/or external exposure to radiation to determine radiation dose and effects for individuals involved with, and environmental impacts from, radiological accidents or other events. Provides technical assistance and advice to facility management, the public, and/or other interested groups in the application of appropriate state and federal laws and regulations. May provide testimony in legal proceedings on health physics issues related to radioactive materials and/or radiation producing devices. (65%)

Prepares and approves correspondence, technical reports or environmental assessments. Writes incident and complaint technical summaries. Performs scientific review of incident databases. Researches and reviews environmental and radiological health documentation. Evaluates highly complex technical information and data to identify trends that impact on rulemaking and changes in the regulatory process. Distributes information within the Agency, to other state and federal agencies, the public, and to the regulated community. Prepares technical reports or presents assessments at technical meetings. (10%)

Determines when incident or complaint response is complete. Reviews all data and information collected from reports and investigations and independently determines if information is adequate for closure and issuance of appropriate compliance notices. (10%)

Participates in escalated enforcement actions. Independently determines if recommendation of escalated enforcement action is necessary. Reviews incident and complaint history. Makes recommendations through Deputy Director. Participates with other Division staff to prepare administrative penalty actions. Coordinates with legal staff technical reviewer in preparation of preliminary reports. Prepares and provides testimony in administrative hearings and court cases on highly technical radiological health issues. Performs follow-up investigations when necessary. (5%)

Coordinates and performs inspections of licensed and registered facilities for the following uses of radiation sources: Broad scope authorization, processor of loose radioactive material, nuclear pharmacy, decontamination services including naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), waste and NORM processors, multi-disciplinary research and development institutions, industrial irradiators, accelerators, commercial manufacture and distribution, evaluation of Agency accepted courses, transportation/packaging evaluation, other advanced radioactive material technologies. (5%)

Actively participate or serve in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery, or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation. Actively participate on the agency’s radiological emergency response team. Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.

On an as-assigned basis, participates in assigned role(s) in public health, COOP, or radiological emergency response drills and events. (5%)

Knowledge Of

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)

• Radiation control, radiological health, and environmental laws and regulations, and of radiation safety practices and techniques.
• Medical and industrial uses of radioactive materials, x-ray, accelerator and non ionizing sources of radiation.
• Types of radiation and their characteristics.
• Non-ionizing radiation.
• Biological effects of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation including radiological safety practices and techniques.
• Internal and external radiation dose calculations including annual limits of intakes (ALI) and derived air concentrations (DAC).
• Radiation detection and highly advanced technical analytical equipment.
• Investigative practice.
• Texas Regulations for Control of Radiation and federal laws concerning radiation control.
• Other local, state, and federal agencies and their general capabilities and areas of authority.
• X-ray equipment used for medical, dental and mammography procedures.

Skill In

• The use of radiation detection, monitoring, and measuring instruments; in the collection of environmental samples; in radiological computer applications; and in the use of research techniques.
• The operation, maintenance, and calibration of radiation detection and highly advanced technical analytical instrumentation.
• Use highly advanced computer models (RESRAD, Stampede, RASCAL, etc.)
• Lead investigations of radiological incidents and complaints.
• Interview individuals with knowledge of complaints and incidents.
• Analyze and interpret radiation data.
• Technical writing, oral communication and interview techniques.
• Use of computer modeling equipment in dose/risk assessment.

Ability To

• Interpret and use radiation shielding designs and radiological and statistical data; to communicate effectively; to interpret laws and regulations; to apply health physics and other scientific principles; and to detect and evaluate radiation hazards; and to supervise the work of others.
• Conduct inspections, surveys, and studies of radioactive material licenses and registrations of radiation producing machines.
• Establish satisfactory working relationships with coworkers and other agency representatives.
• Perform internal dose calculations using biological models and/or ALI's and DAC's.
• Make independent decisions concerning radiological hazards, risk assessments, and adequate mitigation.
• Independently recommend protective actions based on highly advanced technical data.
• Prepare concise and accurate highly technical reports.
• Evaluate information contained in reports and documents.
• Conduct inspections, surveys, and studies of radioactive material licenses and registrations of radiation producing machines.
• Analyze environmental samples.
• Evaluate information received from surveys, highly advanced analyses, and other data and make independent decisions concerning radiological hazards, risk assessments, and adequate mitigation.
• Plan, design, oversee, and coordinate radiation control projects.

Registrations, Licensure Requirements Or Certifications

N/A

Initial Screening Criteria

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in health physics, nuclear or environmental engineering, environmental or natural sciences, chemistry, or a related field. Experience and education may be substituted for one another; four years of experience may be substituted for education at the discretion of the hiring manager.

Additional Information

N/A

Active Duty, Military, Reservists, Guardsmen, And Veterans

Military occupation(s) that relate to the initial selection criteria and registration or licensure requirements for this position may include, but not limited to those listed in this posting. All active-duty military, reservists, guardsmen, and veterans are encouraged to apply if qualified for this position. For more information see the Texas State Auditor’s Military Crosswalk at https://hr.sao.texas.gov/CompensationSystem/JobDescriptions/.

ADA Accommodations

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), DSHS will provide reasonable accommodation during the hiring process for individuals with a qualifying disability. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the interview process, please notify the person who contacts you to schedule the interview. If you need assistance completing the on-line application, contact the HHS Employee Service Center at 1-888-894-4747 or via email at [e-mail].

Salary Information, Pre-employment Checks, And Work Eligibility

• The salary offered will follow DSHS starting salary guidelines. Any employment offer is contingent upon available budgeted funds.
• Depending on the program area and position requirements, applicants selected for hire may be required to pass background and other due diligence checks.
• DSHS uses E-Verify. You must bring your I-9 documentation with you on your first day of work. Download the I-9 form

Nearest Major Market: Austin