Industrial Hygienist

Joining the Secret Service, Office of Human Resources, Safety, Health and Environmental Programs Division will allow you to apply your technical health and safety expertise by conducting facility and equipment surveys and evaluations, monitoring hazards, and ensuring regulatory compliance.

For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here.

The selectee will serve as an Industrial Hygienist in the Office of Human Resources, Safety, Health and Environmental Programs Division. Typical work assignments include:

• Conducting air quality surveys and personnel air monitoring to determine worker exposure to lead, noise, volatile organic compounds, and other dust, mists, and vapors. Conducting non-ionizing ration surveys to determine employee exposure to electromagnetic radiation
• Working independently to conduct site inspections to ensure compliance with industry, local, and federal regulations.
• Providing technical guidance on the evaluation and use of chemical laboratory hoods, ventilation systems, biological safety cabinets, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Performing qualitative and quantitative fit testing, conducting hands-on training, providing respiratory protection guidance, and/or coordinating with health professionals for medical surveillance.
• Working in a team to report on and develop recommendations for the handling of environmental and industrial hygiene issues such as wastewater, chemical inventory, hazardous material storage, air permits, and emergency procedures.

Apply for this exciting opportunity to help protect the health and safety of Secret Service personnel and facilities.

Recruitment Incentive: A recruitment incentive of up to $25,000 is approved for selectees who meet eligibility requirements. Payment of the incentive will be made upon completion of onboarding and is contingent upon the selectee entering into and fulfilling a two-year service agreement.

To be considered qualified for this position you must meet the following qualification requirements for the respective grade level in which you are applying.

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements AND Minimum Qualification requirements as listed below:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
A. A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science.
OR
B. A bachelor's degree in a branch of engineering, physical science, or life science that included 12 semester hours in chemistry, including organic chemistry, and 18 additional semester hours of courses in any combination of chemistry, physics, engineering, health physics, environmental health, biostatistics, biology, physiology, toxicology, epidemiology, or industrial hygiene.
OR
C. Certification from the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH)).

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

You qualify for the GS-13 level if you possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level performing duties such as:

• Evaluating workplace hazards to determine compliance with safety and industrial hygiene regulations, such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration Regulations, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health recommendations, state or local requirements, and/or American National Standards Institute requirements.
• Utilizing industrial hygiene equipment (i.e., sound level meters, noise dosimeters, velometers, balometers, anemometers, moisture meters, mold collection pumps, indoor air quality meters, and/or pressure differential equipment) to collect and document data on environmental and facility conditions.
• Providing guidance on environmental controls to mitigate safety hazards.

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current competitive service employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. NOTE: All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50, "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or 2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to comply.

The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for a position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service

If selected for this position, you will be required to:

• Obtain and maintain a Top-Secret Tier 5 clearance. For more information visit OPM Mythbuster Page.
• Submit a credit check after a conditional offer of employment has been accepted.
• Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which 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;
• the 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 or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays.

Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.