Health Physicist (Radiation Safety)
Summary
This position is aligned under the Occupational Safety and Health/Emergency Management (OSH/EM) service at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. The primary purpose of this position is to function as the Health Physicist/Assistant Radiation Safety Officer (ARSO) serving as an independent subject matter expert for the Radiation Safety Program to ensure that safety is maintained, policies are implemented, and providing expert, comprehensive radiation safety oversight for the Medical Center.
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Duties
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Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level GS-11 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.
Duties at the Development Level: Serves in a developmental capacity at the GS-09 grade levels. Key functions will be similar to those described at the full performance level of the target position (GS-11). However, during the developmental assignment, full performance range and level of selected functions will not be completely delegated to the employee until proper orientation and training have been completed and the incumbent has demonstrated the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the work at the full performance level.
Duties at the Full Performance Level include:
-Performs professional or technical work in clinical, testing, or research laboratory environment.
-Acts as the Approving Official in the ordering of radioactive materials by services to ensure that the Permit possession limit is not exceeded.
-Ensures that the facility is in full compliance with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the National Health Physics Program (NHPP) requirement.
-Assists with compliance with the regulations governing the receipt, inspection, monitoring and recording of incoming shipments of radioactive materials.
-Maintains records of radioisotope inventory and waste disposal to assure compliance with the permit position limits.
-Assists in the management of the radiation safety program.
-Performs inspections of services and facilities and assists in evaluating reports and records submitted by users.
-Assists with the preparation of written documents, reports and communications.
-Operates and evaluates personnel radiation exposure records in coordination with RSO.
-Responds to emergencies and prepares the documentation of personnel, equipment and facilities in the event of an accident involving radioactive materials.
-Manages the calibration program ensuring survey instruments and dose calibrators are calibrated.
-Provides advice and instruction to medical center personnel and research workers on issues bearing on radiation safety such as administration of radioisotopes to patients, radioactive materials use, and the disposal of radioactivity.
-Develops and instructs seminars, classes and demonstrations for the instruction of medical and research personnel in the theory and practical aspects of radiation physics, radiation biology, radiation chemistry, statistics, instrumentation, radiation safety, and related subjects.
-Performs other duties within the Occupational Safety department under the guidance from the Safety Manager.
Work Schedule: 7:30am- 4:00pm Monday-Friday
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Physicist (Radiation Safety)/PD22153O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
- 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 is divided approximately equal between sedentary desk work and walking, bending, and climbing required to inspect laboratory and equipment installations. Some occasional crouching, stooping, reaching, and pushing of moderately heavy items such as carts may be required. Lifting moderately heavy items, devices and objects up to 50 pounds in weight may occasionally be 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 ([click to reveal website link]). 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.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/22/2026.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR):
A degree in natural science or engineering that includes at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus. (Transcripts Required)
OR,
Possession of courses as per the education requirements above, plus appropriate experience or other education or certification as a health physicist by American Board of Health Physics, plus appropriate experience and other education that provided an understanding of sciences applicable to health physics comparable to the basic education as described above. (Transcripts Required)
In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) above, applicants must meet the following grade requirements.
GS-09 Grade Determination:
Specialized Experience: At least one (1) year of specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the Health Physicist position, and that is typically in or related to the duties of this position. To be credible, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience includes: Evaluating the background and with radioisotopes by prospective users and making recommendations to the RSO regarding such qualifications; Periodic inspections of services and facilities; Preparing written documents, reports and communications etc.
OR,
Substitution of Education for Experience: Masters or equivalent graduate degree, or successful completion of two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree if related and if such education demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: (Transcripts Required)
OR,
Combination Education and Experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the Health Physicist position, which may be substituted to meet the experience requirements of the position. NOTE: (Transcripts Required)
GS-11 Grade Determination:
Specialized Experience: At least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the experience to perform successfully the duties of the Health Physicist position, and that is typically in or related to the duties of this position. To be credible, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position consists of: Maintaining records of radioisotope inventory and waste disposal to assure compliance with the Permit possession limits; Providing signs and notices required by the NHPP and NRC to individual users as needed, and instructing individual users in the establishment and maintenance of their records which are under the supervision of the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO); Managing the calibration of programs to ensure all survey instruments and dose calibrators are calibrated; Providing advice and instruction to medical center personnel and research workers on issues bearing on radiation safety such as, administration of radioisotopes to patients, radioactive materials use, and the disposal of radioactivity; Developing and instructing seminars, classes and demonstrations for the instruction of medical and research personnel in the theory and practical aspects of radiation physics, radiation biology, radiation chemistry, statistics; Water sampling and hazardous and pharmaceutical waste collection.
OR,
Substitution of Education for Experience: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, obtained in an accredited college or university, with a major field of study directly related to the position being filled. NOTE: (Transcripts Required)
OR,
Combination Education and Experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the Industrial Hygienist position may be used to meet the experience requirements for this position. NOTE: Only education in excess of 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education may be used to qualify at the grade 11 level. (Transcripts Required)
Physical Requirements: The work is divided approximately equal between sedentary desk work and walking, bending, and climbing required to inspect laboratory and equipment installations. Some occasional crouching, stooping, reaching, and pushing of moderately heavy items such as carts may be required. Lifting moderately heavy items, devices and objects up to 50 pounds in weight may occasionally be required. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at [click to reveal website link].
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: [click to reveal website link]. 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: [click to reveal website link].
Additional information
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.
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.
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at [click to reveal website link].
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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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.
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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.