What are the responsibilities and job description for the Industrial Hygienist position at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
Summary
The Technical Career Field (TCF) is a national workforce development program within VHA that was designed to replenish technical staff in critically identified positions.
This is a trainee position that aims to train an incumbent to become an Industrial Hygienist within the Safety Department. The incumbent trainee will serve under the preceptorship of a Supervisory Industrial Hygienist designee for the purpose of orientation, learning and experiencing specialized functions.
Help
Duties
The TCF career fields represent those technical fields where VA-specific knowledge and experience is desirable for success in the field. Individuals selected follow a formal training plan for two years during which they are trained, coached, and supervised by a preceptor. Preceptors are selected annually, through an extensive application process, for their technical expertise, their commitment to training and the suitability of their facility as a training location. *Selectees will be required to sign Mobility, Training, and Continued Service Agreements.
This is a developmental position leading to a GS-11, performing assignments intended to broaden skills and provide practical experience leading to progressively more complex assignments performed under progressively less supervision. 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.
Industrial Hygienist Trainee:
Duties include working with Safety Office staff to conducting studies and follow-up on complaints, analyzing findings, and preparing various reports to be reviewed with the Safety Manager. Environmental conditions involve a variety of hazards, e.g., chemical, noise, heat, actinic rays, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and other environmental physical agents. Assigned work includes industrial shops, production areas, laboratories, confined areas, and outdoor work sites
Work schedule: Monday - Friday daylight tour to be discussed during the interview process
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: negotiable
Telework: not authorized
Position Description Title/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD646051210
Help
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/02/2025.
THIS POSITION HAS A BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:
Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:
Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable.
Experience/Education GS-07: In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, Applicant must have one year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Assisting in identifying and evaluating health hazards; surveying, assessing, and investigating health problems; determining the probable cause and recommending solutions; sampling equipment and techniques; and calibrating and using a wide variety of industrial hygiene sampling instrumentation.
OR,
Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one full academic year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science. (
Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.). or superior academic achievement (3.5 GPA). Transcripts Required
OR,
Combination of Education and Experience:
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. 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.
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/.
Physical Requirements: The performance of duties requires long period of walking, standing, crawling, kneeling and bending. Moderate lifting and carrying of equipment, use of personal protective devices, and work in hazardous and confined spaces is required. Use of all appendages, good vision and hearing are necessary.
Education
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Additional information
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Read more
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
The Technical Career Field (TCF) is a national workforce development program within VHA that was designed to replenish technical staff in critically identified positions.
This is a trainee position that aims to train an incumbent to become an Industrial Hygienist within the Safety Department. The incumbent trainee will serve under the preceptorship of a Supervisory Industrial Hygienist designee for the purpose of orientation, learning and experiencing specialized functions.
Help
Duties
The TCF career fields represent those technical fields where VA-specific knowledge and experience is desirable for success in the field. Individuals selected follow a formal training plan for two years during which they are trained, coached, and supervised by a preceptor. Preceptors are selected annually, through an extensive application process, for their technical expertise, their commitment to training and the suitability of their facility as a training location. *Selectees will be required to sign Mobility, Training, and Continued Service Agreements.
This is a developmental position leading to a GS-11, performing assignments intended to broaden skills and provide practical experience leading to progressively more complex assignments performed under progressively less supervision. 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.
Industrial Hygienist Trainee:
Duties include working with Safety Office staff to conducting studies and follow-up on complaints, analyzing findings, and preparing various reports to be reviewed with the Safety Manager. Environmental conditions involve a variety of hazards, e.g., chemical, noise, heat, actinic rays, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and other environmental physical agents. Assigned work includes industrial shops, production areas, laboratories, confined areas, and outdoor work sites
Work schedule: Monday - Friday daylight tour to be discussed during the interview process
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: negotiable
Telework: not authorized
Position Description Title/PD#: Industrial Hygienist/PD646051210
Help
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- You may be required to serve a probationary period
- Subject to background/security investigation
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Training-Service Agreement and Mobility Agreement required
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/02/2025.
THIS POSITION HAS A BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:
Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:
- 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
- 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
- Certification from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (external link) (ABIH).
Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable.
Experience/Education GS-07: In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, Applicant must have one year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Assisting in identifying and evaluating health hazards; surveying, assessing, and investigating health problems; determining the probable cause and recommending solutions; sampling equipment and techniques; and calibrating and using a wide variety of industrial hygiene sampling instrumentation.
OR,
Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one full academic year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science. (
Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.). or superior academic achievement (3.5 GPA). Transcripts Required
OR,
Combination of Education and Experience:
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
- Analysis and Problem Solving
- Compliance Inspection
- Knowledge Management
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. 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.
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/.
Physical Requirements: The performance of duties requires long period of walking, standing, crawling, kneeling and bending. Moderate lifting and carrying of equipment, use of personal protective devices, and work in hazardous and confined spaces is required. Use of all appendages, good vision and hearing are necessary.
Education
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Additional information
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Read more
- Help A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Salary : $51,654 - $67,155
