Summary
Serves as the Chief, Occupational Safety Service for the VA Portland Health Care System (HCS). The HCS is comprised of two large divisions with one Medical Center located in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. Responsible for all areas of the HCS involving a wide variety of high-risk operations, facilities, and environmental conditions. **Recruitment/Relocation Incentives MAY be available to highly qualified candidates**
Duties
Major duties include, but are not limited to: The incumbent serves as the Chief, Occupational Safety Service for VAPORHCS. The incumbent is responsible for directing, planning, developing and implementing comprehensives programs for Safety, Fire Protection, Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS), Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Health, Laser Safety, and Radiation Safety Programs. The incumbent oversees, monitors and evaluates occupational health and safety activities, administratively manages the overall facility Occupational Health Section clinical staff and safety programs to provide the patients, visitors and staff of VAPORHCS with the highest attainable level of safety possible and identifies opportunities for improvement through an ongoing effort of problem identification, evaluation, resolution, monitoring and evaluation. The incumbent is responsible for the supervision, planning, and direction of work operations and for directing daily operational activities including direct supervision interventions and has full responsibility for assuring efficient and economical work operations including planning the accomplishment of major and complex work operations on a long-range basis and participating in establishing long range goals and facility planning. In managing the Safety personnel resources, the incumbent must be creative, tactful, fair, and impartial. To effectively meet the needs of the HCS, it is necessary to establish a constructive workplace environment that maximizes morale and efficiency. The incumbent will periodically hold staff meetings to solicit the flow of ideas and suggestions. Additionally, the incumbent will encourage and support on-the job training and broaden incumbent training to provide back-up skills by cross-training. The incumbent maintains accountability for developing, implementing, managing, and monitoring a comprehensive Safety Program as defined by agency policy which meets the Safety, OSHA, NFPA, and Life Safety requirements of both the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Joint Commission. These exacting standards emphasize integration of Safety Management and clinical responsibilities, and a closed loop, safety cycle of communication and documentation for significant safety issues and incidents. The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Program Manager serves as the principal source of technical expertise in the Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Environment of Care (Safety), and Fire Protection program areas for VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) providing healthcare services to diverse client groups. The OSH Program Managers leadership is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for directing/managing an integrated Occupational Safety and Health program. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm, PST Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Safety & Occupational Health Manager/PD216130 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: MAY be authorized for highly qualified applicants Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required **Recruitment/Relocation & PCS Incentives MAY be available to highly qualified candidates**
Requirements
You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Education
There is no educational substitution at this grade level.
How you will be evaluated
Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. 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. Resume Reminder - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed: Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible) Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008) Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week) Salary/Rank etc. Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held References, current or recent supervisor Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. The experience stated in your resume must support your assessment responses. Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. 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; religions; 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.