Safety & Occupational Health Manager

Veterans Health Administration; Alexandria (LA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Veterans Health Administration in Alexandria, LA seeks a Chief of Safety and Emergency Management to direct, plan, develop, implement, and oversee the AVAHCS Safety and Emergency Management Program, Fire Protection, GEMS, Industrial Hygiene, Radiation Safety Programs, and Biomedical Equipment Programs.

Qualified applicants must meet an Individual Occupational Requirement, with education in safety/occupational health or related fields and/or equivalent specialized experience.

Qualifications

• Education in safety or occupational health, or a related field with 24 semester hours in safety disciplines.
• One year of specialized safety/occupational health experience equivalent to GS-11.
• Experience in managing safety or occupational health programs and developing policy.

Responsibilities

• Direct, plan, develop and implement the AVAHCS Safety and Emergency Management Program.
• Oversee Fire Protection, GEMS, Industrial Hygiene, Radiation Safety, and Biomedical Equipment Programs.
• Advise management on safety and occupational health standards and hazard controls.

Skills

Safety program management

Occupational health expertise

Hazard analysis

Training workers

Education

Bachelor's degree in safety or related field

CSP/CIH/CHP certification

Job description

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.

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 occupationa