Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

About the role

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), with 1 vacancy in San Diego, CA. This position is also announced under vacancy number NMFS-26-13057955-ST, which is open to Status Candidates.

You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

What you will do

• Plan, coordinate, and execute the organization's facilities, safety, and occupational health program, to analyze and advise on changes in policies and resources that affect program objectives.
• Review standards and codes, publications on work processes, and current industrial problems and make recommendations to senior leadership on required changes to standards and policies.
• Identify and ensure that environmental and occupational operations (including highly hazardous control activities) are documented, in place, monitored and controlled, such as Material Safety Data Sheet or Safety Data Sheet data.
• Lead inspections to ensure the effectiveness of occupational safety requirements in the work environment, and to assess the degree of compliance.
• Conduct facility safety inspections of reportable and non-reportable mishaps involving personal injury accidents, property damage, and cases of occupational illnesses or findings.
• Identify unsafe conditions, practices, or hazards.
• Report findings, assign risk assessment codes, recommend corrective actions, and conduct follow-up inspections.
• Collect data and research information for annual updates to the Environmental Health and Safety Action Plan, to ensure environmental compliance and reports are complete.
• Contribute to and communicate with Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) leadership regarding the Safety Action Plan.
• Collaborate with management on program changes or alternative courses of action on policy or procedural changes that may result in the modification of new and existing safety and occupational health management techniques, operations, activities and improvement on environmentally responsible operations.
• Advise management on more complex safety risks encountered and in risk assessments, analyze operating practices to minimize safety risk and incidents, and identify risk mitigation strategies.
• Submit and manage status of work orders on behalf of SWFSC.
• Facilitate meetings, review responses to data calls for accuracy and completeness, and report on the Facilities Working Group, Safety, Environmental, and Security Committee, Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Manager.
• Brief new employees on emergency management procedures and develop, implement and conduct formal classroom training on compliance procedures, legal, regulatory, and procedural guidance.
• NOTE: The duties are at the full performance level of the ZA-3 the ZA-2 is the developmental leading to such performance.
• This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS).
• Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band.
• The ZA-2 is equivalent to the GS-07/09.
• The ZA-3 is equivalent to the GS-11/12.
• The Full Performance Level (FPL) is the ZA-3.

Requirements

• Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
• More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Additional Information.
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (***) Qualification requirements must be met by closing date of the announcement.
• Additional Considerations: One year probationary period may be required.
• Payment of relocation expenses (PCS) is not authorized.
• Payment of relocation incentives OR recruitment incentives may be authorized.
• Note: Relocation incentives are for current federal employees only.
• This position requires Low Risk Security Clearance.
• Background investigation will be required.
• Continued employment is subject to applicant's successful completion of security investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. *Note: A one year probationary period will be required unless you are a current Department of Commerce (including NOAA) employee and are in the same line of work and with no more than a 30 day break in service.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, for those required to serve a 1-year probationary period, we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: Your performance and conduct; Needs and interests of the agency; Whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
• Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
• Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active.
• Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system.

Education

College Transcript: If you are qualifying based on education, submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., Bio 101, Math 210, etc.), name of accredited institution, course title, number of credit hours and grade earned.

You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume.

You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.

Note: Your college transcript is used to verify successful completion of degree, or college course work. An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty. Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements.

You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.

For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: OPM Foreign Education Evaluation.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire and/or evaluation through a manual assessment process, and your responses to any additional assessments (i.e. USAHire) required for this position. Your qualifications will be also be evaluated using a Job Knowledge Test.

The Job Knowledge Test is designed to assess technical and professional expertise directly relevant to the requirements of this announcement. This assessment measures the specialized knowledge and skills accumulated over time, which are critical for successful performance in this position.

The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. CATEGORY RATING: Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. Within each category, those entitled to Veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed.

The quality categories are Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Preference eligible with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (Gold) depending on the position and grade level of the job. For more information on Category Rating, please go to Category Rating.

Your responses to the application questions and/or assessment method will determine your placement in the appropriate quality category described above. Your responses must be substantiated by your resume and supporting documents. If you do not respond to the application questions you may be rated ineligible.

Candidates placed in the "Gold" category will be identified first for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Compliance, Decision Making, Risk Management, and Technical Credibility If referred, all relevant documents submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: ***

Documents you must provide

• REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (may be: (1) uploaded directly from your desktop; or (2) uploaded directly from your USAJOBS stored attachments): 1.
• Resume: Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted.
• Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
• Reference the USAJobs Help Center for additional recommendations and instructions.
• You are encouraged to make your resume and profile searchable ***
• You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included in your Resume.
• If you use your own resume or curriculum vitae, for each work experience at a minimum, your resume should include; job title(s) (including job series and grade, if Federal); description of duties or work performed; starting and ending dates (month and year).
• Part-Time work must be clearly identified and include the number of hours per week; if not identified, then work will be assumed to be Full-Time.
• (NOTE: A full-time work schedule requires most employees to work 33-40 hours during the work week.
• A part-time schedule requires an employee to work less than full-time, typically 16-32 hours per week.) 2.
• Veterans' Preference Eligibles: If you are claiming veterans' preference you must provide a legible copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, member 4 copy or any official documentation or statement from the Armed Forces that confirms your dates of service and that your separation, discharge, or release from active duty was under honorable conditions (i.e., Honorable or General Discharge).
• Note: If you have more than one DD-214 for multiple periods of active duty, submit a copy for each period of service.
• Active Duty Service Members: You must submit a statement of discharge/certification of release or an official written document from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions no later than 120 days from the date the announcement closes.
• Enlisted Record Briefs and military identification do NOT qualify as official documentation.
• If the appropriate information is not submitted to confirm the discharge status, dates of service, etc., you will not be considered for this job opportunity under Veteran Preference procedures.
• To gain access to your DD-214 online please visit.
• If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, in addition to the documents specified above, you must also submit documentation that supports your claim, e.g., an official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs (dated 1991 or later) or from a branch of the Armed Forces certifying the existence of a service-connected disability, or the award of the Purple Heart, completed SF-15, etc. The overall rating must be identified on your certification letter or separation orders.
• Documentation must be received by the closing date shown in this vacancy announcement.
• If you fail to submit any of the required documentation, you will not be granted veterans' preference.
• Additional information on veterans' preference can be found in the Vet Guide.
• Unofficial Transcripts: If you are using the substitution of education to meet qualifications, you must submit an unofficial transcript.
• The unofficial transcript must include the following information: name of accredited institution; courses by title; number and department (BIO 101 Intro to Bio, MATH 210 Calculus I, etc.); grades earned; completion dates; quarter or semester hours earned; and degree award date (if applicable).
• Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities.
• Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree.
• You MUST provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application.
• Failure to provide such documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in lost consideration.
• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation if applicable (see "Additional Information" section).

What to expect next

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other equivalent positions throughout the Federal government. The position must be alike (e.g.: within the same geographic locations, equivalent grade/band and requires the same qualifications and specialized experience as indicated in this vacancy announcement). Salary ranges will vary based on the location.

Please visit: OPM Salary Charts for specific salary information related to a specific location. You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable.

You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website and clicking on "Track Your Online Application." The four points of notification are: Application Received Application assessed for qualification; Referred or Not Referred; and Selected or Not Selected.

By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment.

The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, Veterans' Preference, proof of disability, etc.).

Additional information

ICTAP and CTAP Candidates: Eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition.

ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: Copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement; Copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc; Copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: Copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).

Copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location; Copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

NOAA participates in e-Verify, an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. The Federal Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.