Safety & Occupational Health Specialist

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Reno (NV); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Reno, NV seeks a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist (GS-0018 series) to perform routine and non-routine safety duties with high independence in support of the Safety Service of the VASNHCS.

The incumbent will work under General Schedule guidelines, with responsibilities spanning surveys, hazard analyses, policy development, and program implementation to mitigate hazards and promote workplace safety.

Qualifications

• Specialized Experience: one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-7 in safety/occupational health.
• Experience managing safety or occupational health program elements.
• Experience developing safety/occupational health policy for management.
• Experience applying safety laws/regulations to advisory roles.

Responsibilities

• Assists with safety and fire protection surveys and inspections using established checklists.
• Documents findings electronically and drafts standard recommendations for corrective action.
• Participates in construction safety walk-throughs to observe contractor compliance with PPE and safety requirements.
• Performs initial checks of contractor plans and analyses for required elements and consistency.
• Gathers data for accident investigations, photographs scenes, and collects witness statements.
• Prepares summaries of facts and contributing factors for higher-graded review.

Skills

Safety program management

Hazard analysis

Regulatory compliance

Training workers

Occupational health knowledge

Education

Safety or occupational health education

Tools

Regulatory references (OSHA/NFPA)

Job description

Summary

The incumbent will serve as a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist GS-0018-7 -GS-0018-9 - Target GS-0018-11 - which is designed to provide the knowledge - skills - abilities - and experience to perform the full range of routine and non-routine assignments with high level of independence in support of the Safety Service of the VASNHCS.

Summary

The incumbent will serve as a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist GS-0018-7 -GS-0018-9 - Target GS-0018-11 - which is designed to provide the knowledge - skills - abilities - and experience to perform the full range of routine and non-routine assignments with high level of independence in support of the Safety Service of the VASNHCS.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 10/05/2026. 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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 and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: 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 GS-7 Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge - skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Safety & Occupational Health Specialist - and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. GS-9 Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge - skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Safety & Occupational Health Specialist - and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. GS-11 Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge - skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Safety & Occupational Health Specialist - and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Qualifying specialized experience includes: 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 to 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. At this level - applicants would have obtained this experience in: performing surveys - inspecting construction projects and designs to determine compliance; recommending corrective measures to eliminate or control hazards with a variety of Subject Matter Experts from various service lines; identifying actual and potential hazards and ability to explain the need to apply specific safety measures. Surveying construction activities - reviewing plans and drawings - emergency exits - and types of construction materials used - interpreting NFPA - JC and OSHA regulations to determine compliance activities and scope of future projects. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. OR - Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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 - Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond. 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

• 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
• Major Duties not limited to but may include: Assists higher-graded specialist with safety and fire protection surveys and inspections of clinical - support - administrative - and construction/renovation areas used established checklists and guidance
• Documents findings electronically and drafts standard recommendations for corrective action for review
• Participates in construction safety walk-throughs with higher-graded staff to observe contractor compliance with PPE - fall protection - housekeeping - and other basic safety requirements
• Performs initial checks of contractor Accident Prevention Plans and Activity Hazard Analyses for required elements and consistency with prescribed templates - referring complex issues upward
• Help gather data for accident and incident investigations - including photographing scenes - obtaining witness statements - and assembling relevant records
• Prepare draft summaries of facts and contributing factors for review by higher-graded Specialists or the Chief
• Work Schedule: M-F 7:30am-4:00pm Telework: AD-HOC -Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Specialist/PD03488-LS Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized