About This Position
The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo.
This position is located in the Office of Safety, Health, and Environmental Management (OSHEM) which provides policy, guidance, and assistance for the Smithsonian's safety, occupational health and wellness, fire protection, industrial hygiene, and environmental management programs. More than one selection may be made from this announcement.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications: The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.
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 Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH)). Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable.
In addition to the basic qualification requirement above: Experience: GS-12: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as: Reviewing and providing guidance on occupational health/industrial hygiene policies and programs; Conducting periodic inspections to identify and assess occupational/environmental hazards; and Providing guidance in the development of occupational health/industrial hygiene audits/inspections. GS-13: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Service.
For this position, specialized experience is defined as Developing, reviewing and providing guidance on occupational health/industrial hygiene policies and programs; Conducting periodic inspections to identify and assess occupational health hazards; Utilizing industrial hygiene principles and practices to assist in evaluating and monitoring of occupational health hazards; Providing guidance on the development and improvement of audits; and Conducting Global Harmonization, Respiratory Protection, Asbestos/Lead (Pb) Awareness, and Confined Space Entry' industrial hygiene related compliance training sessions. Evaluation of Education All science or engineering courses offered in fulfillment of the above requirements must be acceptable for credit toward the completion of a standard 4-year professional curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in science or engineering at an accredited college or university. For engineering degrees to be acceptable, the curriculum must be in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) as a professional engineering curriculum.
Evaluation of Experience Qualifying experience involves the recognition, evaluation, corrective actions, and elimination of environmental conditions in the workplace that causes sickness, impaired health, or illness. This experience must demonstrate a professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of industrial hygiene and closely related sciences such as physics and engineering controls. Such work must have involved experience in all of the following areas: the acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data, and the measurement of exposures for a variety of chemical, physical, and biological stresses; the analysis of the data acquired and the prediction of probable effects of exposures on the health and well-being of workers; and the selection and recommendation of appropriate controls, including management, medical, engineering, education or training, and personal protective equipment.
Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual experience.
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. Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.
Major Duties
The Industrial Hygienist is responsible for the recognition, evaluation, and control of environmental factors or stresses arising in the workplace or public area which may cause illness, impaired health and well-being, or significant discomfort among Smithsonian workers or others affected by property or operation of the Smithsonian. In this position, you will: Serve as a staff consultant to all activities of the Smithsonian Institution on industrial hygiene matters. Utilize knowledge in the calibration of and use of industrial hygiene instrumentation.
Recommend and implement policies/strategies for effectively monitoring health hazards which may include exposure monitoring, determining medical surveillance requirements, evaluating workplace health hazards, personal protective equipment needs, and consulting with employees and supervisors. Work directly with line supervisory staff in museums and related facilities, various federal agencies and the Smithsonian management on matters related to industrial hygiene programs. Develop material for inclusion in handbook, manual, pamphlet, bulletin, and related regulatory analysis/impact statements for use by the Smithsonian Institution personnel.
Conditions of Employment
Conditions of Employment Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on OPM Website.
Education
Basic Qualifications: The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.
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 Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH)). Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable.
How You Will Be Evaluated
Your application will be evaluated first for the basic qualifications described above. The applications that meet the basic qualifications will be evaluated further against the following criteria: Skills in reviewing, providing technical assistance, and participating in the development of comprehensive industrial hygiene programs. Skills in using a wide variety of industrial hygiene monitoring equipment for detecting occupational health hazards.
Skills in conducting comprehensive industrial hygiene surveys and evaluations. Skills in presenting oral instructions and consultation regarding occupational health/industrial hygiene policies and programs. Skills in developing written materials (e.g., technical reports, course instruction, handbooks, bulletins, etc.).
Applicants who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will be assigned to one of three category groups based on job-related criteria: Best Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and excels in most of the job related competencies above. Better Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and satisfies most of the job related competencies above. Good Category - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but does not satisfy most of the job related competencies above to a substantive degree.
This category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three", but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Category) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category unless the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 3317(b) or 3318(b) are satisfied. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher.
Applicants who have not submitted a resume in the USAjobs system and/or have not answered all of the vacancy questions will not be considered for this position. Important
Note: Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience.
Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Additional Information
This position is not included in the bargaining unit. Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position. However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.
Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.
How to Apply
Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. Please
Note: You must apply for this position online through the 'Apply Online' button and submit required supplemental documents (if they are relevant to you).
Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages.
You may submit required documents by uploading them online during the application process; OR You may manually fax required documents. Faxes are received by an automated system, not a physical fax machine. Documents that are faxed as part of the application process must be sent with the system generated cover sheet by the closing date. Documents faxed without the system generated coversheet are not retrievable and cannot be considered as part of the application package.
The complete application package, including any required documents, is due in the Smithsonian Office of Human Resources on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. If you are unable to apply online, paper applications may be accepted with prior approval of the Contact Person listed below.
Required Documents
Your application package should include the following documents: Resume - Your resume can be uploaded and attached to your application or created using the USA Jobs on-line resume builder. Ensure your resume contains the job title (including the occupational series and grade if it is Federal), job-related qualifications, starting and ending dates (month and year), and hours worked per week, for each employment period. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is submitted. Failure to include this information may result in disqualification for the position.
Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual experience.
For assistance with creating a resume, please click USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? Proof of Veteran's Preference - DD214 (Member 4 Copy), if you are a veteran. Additionally, applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, as well as additional documentation required by the SF-15, such as a VA letter.
Unofficial school transcripts, if the position has an education requirement or if you are using education to qualify. If selected for the position, you must provide an official transcript before appointment. Proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study, if applicable.