Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Duties

• Duties described below are at the full-performance level. Duties assigned at a lower grade level will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
• Serve as Range Safety Specialist for limited launch flight operations; review conditions subject to safety plan limits; exercise hold authority on operations when necessary. Serve as overall decision authority for Safety launch/landing.
• Support launch flight operations for high altitude scientific balloons, manned and unmanned aerial systems. Support pre-mission planning activities and oversee onsite safety.
• Conduct reviews of range operational documentation (e.g., Operations Directive, Mishap Preparedness and Contingency Plans, and safety operations plans); provide assessments to supervisor and program/project managers.
• Review hazard reports/safety data packages; ensure compliance with safety requirements/regulations; Review/concur on analyses, evaluations, and failure modes and effects analyses for safe operational execution of Ground and Flight Safety Plans.
• Monitor/interpret flight safety displays; detect errant vehicle flight; serve as decision authority involving flight termination for operations, as assigned.
• Participate in range safety systems reviews; ensure compliance with safety requirements and regulations; review test procedures for new/modified systems to ensure adequate number and testing types are performed to meet safety requirements.
• Assist the Lead Range Safety Officer to develop, review, and present simulations, tabletop scenarios, and written and/or oral performance evaluations.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
• Position subject to pre-employment background security investigation.
• This position may require a one year probationary period.
• You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.

To qualify for GS-11, you must have:
a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level:

• Working on a team supporting launch operations;
• Assisting senior level engineers by contributing ideas to aid them in defining risk mitigation options and hazard determinations that ensure public safety and secure operations;
• Assisting senior level safety personnel by reviewing safety documents for flight vehicle systems to ensure compliance with safety requirements.

OR

b) Completed all requirements for a doctoral degree (i.e., Ph.D. or equivalent) in an appropriate field
OR
c) Completed 3 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree in an appropriate field
OR
d) LL.M., if related
OR
e) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study as discussed in a), b), c) and d) above

To qualify for GS-12, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level:

• Working on a team and assisting by making recommendations about information needed to assist launch operations for suborbital flight operations;
• Assisting higher level employees by reviewing risk mitigation options and hazard determinations that ensure compliance with safety requirements;
• Assisting senior level safety personnel to review and evaluate aerospace flight vehicle systems for safety in operations, processes, and facilities.

To qualify for GS-13, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level:

• Working on a team providing real-time, on-console assistance with critical decisions during launch operations for suborbital flight operations;
• Defining risk mitigation options and determining hazards to ensure public safety and compliance with safety guidelines;
• Reviewing and evaluating aerospace flight vehicle systems for safety in operations, processes and facilities;
• Coordinating with external organizations and other internal departments to execute launch operations.

Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job.

Education

If you are using education completed in the United States to meet the qualification requirements for GS-11, your undergraduate or graduate degree must be in a safety or occupational health field (safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene), or a 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. To qualify, your degree must have been awarded from a college or university that is accredited by a recognized accrediting organization. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, go to http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements for GS-11, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. These education credentials must be 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: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

All degrees must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation

Additional information

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across NASA within the local commuting area(s) of the location(s) identified in this announcement_. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) within NASA. CTAP/ICTAP will be cleared for any additional selection from this announcement._

If you have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must:

- Indicate your eligibility when applying for a position. The questionnaire asks you to identify your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility.
- Be well qualified for this position to receive consideration. Candidates rated in the 'Best Qualified' category are considered well-qualified. Please see 'How You Will Be Evaluated' for more information.
- Submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP as indicated in 'Required Documents.'

For additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, click: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/#ictap.

Reasonable Accommodation 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 reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you receive the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, 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

This is a bargaining unit position. If additional selections are made, those positions may or may not be in a bargaining unit. To learn more about bargaining units at NASA please click here NASA Unions (Bargaining Units) | NASA.

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How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. 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:

• Decision Making
• Stress Tolerance
• Public Safety and Security
• Mishap Investigation
• Occupational and Environmental Health
• Workplace Safety
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading
• Reasoning
• Self-Management (Achievement)
• Teamwork

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

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.

NASA considers 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.

Under NASA's category rating process, applicants will be assessed on the position competencies and placed in one of three categories identified and defined below:

• Best Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate a superior level of all evaluation criteria.
• Highly Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate a satisfactory level of the evaluation criteria.
• Qualified Category - Applicants who demonstrate the basic qualifications, with general knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Names of all qualified candidates in the Best Qualified category will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration (unless a sufficient number of qualified veterans are found - in which case only those names will be initially certified ). Candidates within the Best Qualified category who are eligible for veteran preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.