Safety & Occupational Health Specialist

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Administration's Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System in New Orleans, LA, seeks a Safety Management Specialist to manage and administer construction safety programs, inspections, and regulatory compliance across facilities.

This role focuses on applying OSHA and related safety standards, developing safety policies, conducting risk assessments, and coordinating training to prevent accidents and injuries within the service network.

Qualifications

• Experience in safety/occupational health programs and policy development.
• Ability to develop safety standards and procedures to reduce hazards.
• Experience preparing reports and data analysis for leadership.

Responsibilities

• Plan, schedule, and conduct difficult safety inspections.
• Investigate hazardous conditions and incidents to identify root causes.
• Develop and implement safety campaigns and training materials.
• Promote safety compliance and coordinate with subject matter experts.

Skills

Safety management

Regulatory knowledge

Data analysis

Report preparation

Inspections

Safety training

Education

Master's degree in safety/occupational health

Graduate education with 24 semester hours in safety fields

Tools

ECOMP documentation experience

Regulatory databases

Job description

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Administration - South Central Veterans Affairs Health Care Network - Veterans Integrated Service Network (16) - Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System - Office of the Associate Director - Safety Management Section - New Orleans - LA. The work involves the management - administration - and operation of a construction safety program.

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Administration - South Central Veterans Affairs Health Care Network - Veterans Integrated Service Network (16) - Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System - Office of the Associate Director - Safety Management Section - New Orleans - LA. The work involves the management - administration - and operation of a construction safety program.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 11/09/2026. 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. 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. OR - 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. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09.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. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: For GS-09 you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience could include but are not limited to: Experience with safety - inspections - or compliance activities. Demonstrates knowledge of regulations associated with an Occupational Health & Safety Management program - such as but not limited to OSHA - NFPA - TJC - EPA - and NIOSH Experience preparing reports and analyzing data. Experience supporting a safe environment. Ability to lift and transport equipment or materials (up to 40 lbs.) and walk or stand for prolonged periods to perform job duties. OR - Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Successfully completed a Master's or equivalent - or 2 years of progressively higher-level education leading to such a degree - or an LL.B or J.D.in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge - skills - and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Note: Transcripts are required. OR - Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: Equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience (beyond the first graduate year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge - skills - and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. Note: Transcripts are required. To qualify at the GS-11 grade - you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or higher and/or meet educational requirements or a combination of specialized experience and education. Specialized Experience: Experience managing timely and accurate documentation and accident reporting in ECOMP to ensure VHA and OSHA compliance. Experience in preparing reports and data analysis for leadership - supporting workplace safety improvements. Experience investigating accidents and incidents to identify root causes and develop corrective measures to prevent future injuries. Experience with promoting adherence to safety requirements and regulations through effective reporting and communication. Experience in construction safety - including applying regulatory requirements - assessing hazards - and recommending facility or process improvements to ensure compliance and mitigate risks. OR - Education: Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree - or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree - or an LL.M. in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge - skills - and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Note: Transcripts are required. OR - Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: Equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience (beyond the first two graduate years or 36 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge - skills - and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. Note: Transcripts are required. 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

• Serve as a safety and occupational health specialist who plans - schedules - and conducts difficult inspections in establishments and worksites where there is a strong probability of encountering hazardous work processes and materials - and unsafe environmental conditions - involving a substantial number of employees
• Conducts safety surveillance audits and inspections on a frequent basis according to the required standards and regulations and depending on the degree of hazard obtains immediate corrective action of conditions - which are of imminent danger to life or limb
• Investigates hazardous conditions - equipment - practices - etc
• to identify and analyze the nature and severity of hazards and possible remedial actions (i.e. - elimination - correction - or protection)
• Ensures corrective actions are initiated and consults with subject matter specialists and managers about changes in work processes and proposed methods to eliminate unnecessary risks and control hazardous conditions
• Investigates or assist investigators in investigating accidents/mishaps - obtains witness statements - photographs the accident scene - records circumstances and extent of injuries - estimates cost of property damages - and prepares a report of findings which includes recommendations to correct unsafe acts or conditions which caused the accident
• Plans - develops - and implements safety promotional and educational campaigns containing aspects of difficult issues that are designed to meet both general and specific goals of reducing accidental occurrences and meet unique local situations
• Promotes safety campaign and education materials
• selects appropriate medium (i.e. - lecture - campaign - safety meeting - posters - video - e-learning - brochures - training assembly - etc.) for use in promoting safety
• ensures that safety standards are published in appropriate training manuals
• and establishes necessary safety committees
• Determines areas for emphasis
• develops or adapts material for safety campaigns and training courses and conducts technical training for personnel
• assists operating officials in establishing safety committees - participates in committee meetings - and provides technical guidance and assistance
• Ensures the distribution of information and guidance developed by accident prevention committees is distributed to all pertinent parties
• Develops and prepares supplements to guidelines developed by higher authority and initiates written procedures implementing technical safety standards - codes - and safety requirements for a variety of operations or activities within the serviced area
• Conducts comprehensive analytical surveys and/or studies of serviced safety programs
• Works closely with all personnel in the establishment of realistic safety requirements and compliance with applicable directives and regulations
• Provides necessary administrative support for the assigned safety program or program segment
• Maintains records of all area training
• notifies supervisors when training is due
• schedules training to include all shifts
• and conducts training when requested or required
• Maintains long-term historical safety records and notes trends or changing conditions that warrant revision of safety procedures
• Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory - qualification - and performance requirements are met
• Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 7:30 am - 4:00 pm - subject to change based on the needs of the facility
• Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Specialist/PD069390 and PD075140 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized