Safety & Occupational Health Manager

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Alexandria (LA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a Chief of Safety and Emergency Management to direct and coordinate a comprehensive safety program across facilities including fire protection, GEMS, industrial hygiene, radiation safety, and biomedical equipment.

Strong leadership and policy development skills are essential for safeguarding patients and staff. Responsibilities include program planning, regulatory compliance, and oversight of safety projects with potential telework options.

Qualifications

• Education in safety/occupational health with at least 24 semester hours in related disciplines.
• Experience in managing safety and occupational health programs.
• Ability to develop and enforce safety policies and standards.

Responsibilities

• Plan, design, and oversee safety and health programs and facilities.
• Develop and implement safety policies and procedures.
• Inspect workplaces for compliance with safety standards.
• Coordinate with Joint Commission, OSHA, NFPA and other standards bodies.
• Lead or supervise safety and occupational health staff.
• Track corrective actions and maintain safety data systems.

Skills

Safety program management

Policy development

Hazard analysis

Regulatory compliance

Leadership & supervision

Education

Safety or occupational health degree + 24 credit hours

CSP/CIH/CHP certification

Job description

Summary

The primary purpose of the position is to serve as the Chief of Safety and Emergency Management Service and is responsible for directing - planning - developing - and implementing and for oversight of the AVAHCS Safety and Emergency Management Program - Fire Protection - Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS) - Industrial Hygiene - Radiation Safety Programs - and Biomedical Equipment Programs.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 09/29/2026. Individual Occupational Requirement: Applicants who meet the Individual Occupational Requirements described below are fully qualified for the specified entry grade and must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements. Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- safety or occupational health fields (safety - occupational health - industrial hygiene) - or degree in other related fields that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours of study from among the following (or closely related) disciplines: safety - occupational health - industrial hygiene - occupational medicine - toxicology - public health - mathematics - physics - chemistry - biological sciences - engineering - and industrial psychology. (Transcript Required). OR - Experience - Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): 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. OR - Certificates: Certification as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) - Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) - or Certified Health Physicist (CHP) - or similar certification that included successful completion of a written examination meets the requirements for GS-5. Applicants may also qualify for higher grade levels based on their education and/or experience. (Certification Required) In addition to meeting the above Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) - applicants must also meet the experience and/or directly related education relevant to this position. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at theS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation - but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year - it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade - as required by the announcement. In this instance - you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: 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; 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; and 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. 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/.

Duties

• Duties include but not limited to: Plans - designs - constructs modifies improves or maintains facilities either by in house or contractual effort
• Regulates and enforces Safety policies programs and activities
• Establishes standards - promoting improvements - evaluating compliance - and if necessary - directing action to secure satisfactory results
• Acts as technical expert on issues related to safety in a health care facility - with intimate knowledge of Joint Commission - OSHA - NFPA - NIOSH - ADA - and CARF standards
• Resolves difficult and complex technical - project management - and organizational problems using innovative and original approaches
• Issues reports of analyses and tracts status of corrective and preventive actions
• Plans - organizes - oversees - and provides technical assistance for projects to resolve safety problems
• Initiates corrective actions for occupational safety - environment of care - and fire protection inspections
• Manages computer programs and databases to enhance management of safety programs
• Total Rewards Brochure: Safety & Occupational Health Manager Work Schedule: Monday through Friday
• 7:30am-4:00pm
• Subject to change based on the needs of the facility
• Telework: This position may be authorized for telework
• Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Manager/PD062560 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized