Safety & Occupational Health Specialist

Job summary

About the Position: This position is with the Safety and Occupational Health Division in Brussels. Belgium. Federal employees in Brussels, Belgium are currently entitled to receive a 50% Post Allowance (COLA) in addition to the base salary. This is subject to change.

Major duties

Provide safety and occupational health support/assistance to HQ, district Superintendent, district Chief of Staff, school administrators, Chemical Hygiene Officers/Coordinators, nurses, facilities management and DoDEA employees in a timely manner. Liaison and maintain close professional relationships with the host installation safety, industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, environmental health, and fire departments for mission essential support. Serve as technical advisor for the HQ Safety and Occupational Health Division Chief and support the district superintendent, school principals, and DoDEA employees on matters pertaining to the safety of students, employees, contractors and visitors. Develop and deliver technical inspection reports, trend analysis, briefings, training, safety awareness products, conduct accident investigations, and maintain accident reporting and hazard tracking systems. Conduct safety inspections and directly support special projects and policy development; obtain and maintain playground safety inspector certification. Serve as an essential team member within the DoDEA Safety and Occupational Health Division and participate in projects that standardize and enhance the safety program for DoDEA. Provide technical and regulatory expertise in areas such as electrical and fire safety, fall protection, chemical hygiene, material handling equipment, machine guarding, and vehicle operations. Provide technical and regulatory expertise in areas such as hazard communication, construction and renovation design reviews, and OSHA record keeping requirements.

Qualification

Who May Apply: U.S. Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Specialized Experience GS-11: One year of specialized experience which includes: Managing safety or occupational health program elements, developing and recommending safety and occupational health policy to higher levels of management, and 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. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09). OR Education: Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree with a major study in safety or occupational health fields (safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene), or Ph.D or equivalent doctoral 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. Specialized experience GS12: One year of specialized experience which includes: Evaluating a school's safety hazards; developing or implementing programs to reduce the frequency, severity, or cost of accidents and occupational illnesses; and training workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subjects. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11 or above). Physical Demands: Consistent and repeated inspections of existing facilities, playgrounds and new construction must be performed which requires frequent standing, walking, climbing, crouching, frequent stretching and lifting of moderately heavy items such as facilities and grounds equipment. Work Environment: Frequent inspections of new construction sites, maintenance facilities, bus operations and exercise/drill observations involve frequent exposure to operating machines and equipment, hazardous materials, high noise level, dust and fumes. May perform job duties requiring the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) against safety hazards. Such PPE may include hearing, foot, eye, hand, head and visibility protection. The incumbent may be required to travel by military and/or commercial aircraft to a variety of stateside and overseas locations for meetings and conferences. The incumbent is subject to a variety of environmental conditions typical of the overseas areas in which traveling, to include the potential for exposure to acts of terrorism. GS11 - Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-09). GS12 - Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent (GS-11). Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified and Qualified. Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Best Qualified. Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for the announced position. Highly Qualified. Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements for the announced position. Qualified. Candidates in this category meet the minimum experience requirements for the announced position. All candidates must reside within the local commuting area where the position is located. Local commuting area is defined as the geographic area surrounding a work site that encompasses the localities where people live and reasonably can be expected to travel back and forth daily to work based on the generally held expectations of the local community. (5 CFR 575.203) Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Evaluations

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), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Additional Information regarding overseas appointments: If an employee brings a child to an overseas location and that child is entitled to attend a DoD school on a space-required basis in accordance with DoDEA Regulation 1342.13, the DoDEA and the Military Department responsible for providing related services will ensure that the child, if eligible for special education, receives a free appropriate public education, including related services pursuant to DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12. If an employee brings an infant or toddler (up to 3 years of age) to an overseas location, and that infant or toddler, but for the child's age, is entitled to attend the DoDEA on a space-required basis in accordance with DoDEA Regulation 1342.13, then the Military Department responsible for EIS will provide the infant or toddler with the required EIS in accordance with the eligibility criteria consistent with DoDI 1342.12 and DoDM 1342.12. If an employee brings a family member to an overseas location who requires medical or dental care, then the employee will be responsible for obtaining and paying for such care. Access for civilian employees and their families to military medical and dental treatment facilities is on a space-available and reimbursable basis only. Family member appointments will expire based on the sponsor's rotation date. Family member appointments may not exceed two months after an employee is no longer considered a family member within the local commuting area due to PCS or divorce of sponsor or, in the case of a child, the age of 23. Family members are defined according to the DODI 1400.25, Vol.1232 as: For a military member whose duty station is in a foreign area, the member's spouse or unmarried dependent child. For a civilian US employee as defined by section 2105 of Title 5, United States Code, the employee's spouse, domestic partner, or unmarried dependent child, or unmarried child of the employee's spouse or domestic partner. A family member must physically reside with his or her sponsor to receive family member preference.