Environmental Health Specialist
Indian Health Service
Summary This position is located within the Division of Environmental Health Services at the Office of Environmental Health & Engineering, in Fort Duchesne, Utah. The specialist is responsible for independently planning, developing, and implementing a comprehensive environmental health program on the assigned reservations. Reports to the Supervisory Environmental Health Specialist. Responsibilities Plans, implements and evaluates a comprehensive environmental health program on assigned reservations that emphasizes safe water, solid and hazardous waste management, food protection, occupational health and safety, vector control, community injury prevention, healthy homes, and institutional health. Conducts comprehensive environmental health surveys of all IHS, BIA, and tribal facilities including; schools, head starts, day care centers, gaming facilities, health care, recreational facilities, Industrial operations and drug rehabilitation facilities on assigned reservations. Build tribal capacity to manage environmental health hazards in their community by assisting with the development of environmental health and occupational safety policies, procedures, regulations, employee training programs ad public education materials. Serves as a technical consultant to tribal program managers and leaders by assisting them with environmental health hazard identification and mitigation. Performs epidemiological and infection control investigations to identify environmental factors with the potential for transmission of disease. Serves as the Community Injury Prevention facilitator for assigned reservations by assisting assigned tribes in the development of an interdisciplinary and epidemiological approach to reduce injuries. This position is being re-advertised to solicit additional applications. Applicants who applied previously need not reapply unless submitting updated and/or missing information. The first Cut-off date for receipt/referral of applications to be considered for available vacant positions will be 10 days after the JOA open date. Your resume and any documents submitted will be retained for three months and may be used at any time during this period. After 3 months, you must reapply to this announcement in order to be considered. Certificates will be issued every 10 days until the position is filled. Requirements Conditions of Employment Must pass pre-employment examination. Selectee may be subject to a probationary period U.S. Citizenship is required Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes. Confidential Financial Disclosure Form required. Measles and Rubella immunization required for selectees born after 1957 and seasonal influenza immunization is required for all staff working in Indian Health Service health care facilities. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/. You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you. Background Investigation: If you are selected for this vacancy, you must undergo a pre-employment fingerprint check and background investigation. Fingerprint results and background investigation documentation must be cleared prior to hire. After you begin your employment, your continued employment is contingent upon the outcome of a complete background investigation as determined by the sensitivity level of your position. The investigation must find that you are suitable for Federal employment in your position. If you are found not suitable, you will be terminated after you begin work. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be fired after you begin work; or subject to possible criminal charges. You may be subject to a credit check as a part of the background investigation process. Qualifications To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. 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; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. BASIC REQUIREMENTS, GS-0601: Education: Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. Example of education: Successful completion of a science-based bachelor's degree or higher involving a major study in an academic field related to environmental health that includes separate coursework in the three (3) fundamental areas of epidemiology, statistical methods, and toxicology. Examples of coursework: Environmental health technical topics of air quality, food protection, occupational health & safety, water & waste water, solid & hazardous waste management, and disease prevention. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. (Must submit transcripts.) In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, GS-07: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Examples include: Conduct standardized environmental health inspection and investigative methods to reduce environmentally related illness and injury risks. Contribute to the instruction of environmental health related trainings to reduce communicable diseases and injury. OR Completion of one (1) year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement (SAA) in a field that is directly related to the work of this position (eligibility for SAA is based on one of the following): Class standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision and based on completed courses. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a G.P.A. of: a.) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (''B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or b.) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society - Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed here Association of College Honor Societies. Official transcripts may be required after tentative selection and prior to issuing an official job offer. OR Possess a combination of education and experience that when combined, fully meet the minimum qualifications for this position. The total percentage equals at least 100 percent to qualify for the GS-07 grade level. Only education in excess of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-7 when using the combination option. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, GS-09: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Examples include: Implementation and management of field-based programs designed to identify, assess, and recommend mitigation strategies to prevent and eliminate environmental health hazards. OR Completion of two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or master's equivalent graduate degree, in a field that is directly related to the work of this position. OR A combination of education and experience that when combined fully meet the minimum qualifications for this position. You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement. Education This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation. 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 https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information This position is eligible for workplace flexibilities which may include remote work or telework options, and/or flexible work scheduling. These flexibilities may be requested in accordance with the HHS Workplace Flexibilities policy. https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/asa/ohr/hr-library/990-1/index.html. Additional selection(s) of candidates may be possible within 240 days from the date the certificate of eligibles was issued for this announcement. 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. IHS may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their directly related previous 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. This position is covered by a Bargaining Unit. Recruitment and/or Relocation Incentives may be authorized and is subject to availability and service unit approval. If offered, you will be required to sign a one (1) year service agreement. Failure to fulfill the service agreement will result in repayment of the incentive. The Indian Health Service (IHS), National Health Service Corps (NHSC), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) have student loan repayment programs for qualifying health disciplines. This is a competitive process separate from the hiring process. Opportunities for LRP are based on agency hiring priorities and availability of funds. For additional information please visit: For IHS - https://www.ihs.gov/loanrepayment/ For NHSC - https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/ For HRSA Nurse Corps - https://bhw.hrsa.gov/loansscholarships/nursecorps This position has promotion potential to the GS-09 grade level. Promotion to the next grade level is at management's discretion and is based on your demonstrated ability to perform the higher level duties, the continuing need for the higher level duties, and "Regulatory/Administrative" approval. Promotion to the next higher grade level is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied.
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