Health Physicist - Radiation Safety Officer

Summary Employee will be assigned to Radiation Safety, VA Medical Center, Albany, NY, serving as the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO). The employee is responsible for developing and enforcing radiation safety policies and procedures for the protection of people and the environment from the hazards of radiation. Learn more about this agency Duties ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Duties include, but may not be limited to: Manages a large broad scope radiation safety program involving both radioactive materials and machine-produced radiation (x-rays). Implements a radiation safety program in nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, and in the research departments. Serves as the facility's technical expert in radiation safety and decontamination matters and has direct access to senior management. Designs, establishes, and implements written policies and procedures for a Radiation Safety Program encompassing the clinical and research use of radionuclides and machine produced radiation. Responds to radiation incidents involving patients, employees, or visitors and takes appropriate corrective action(s). Oversees the inventory of radioactive material, and receipt ,disposal, transportation, and shipment of radioactive material. Provides radiological physics support for facility activities involving the use of medical radiation in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Conducts and supervises audits and scientific assessments of all clinical and research radioactive material safety programs to ensure compliance with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and VA regulations. Manages the machine-produced radiation safety program. Maintains compliance with regulations and best practices; and provides radiological physics support for facility activities involving the use of medical radiation in imaging. Participates in the implementation of new diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceutical procedures by obtaining regulatory approval, developing radiation safety protocols, and ensuring implementation of those protocols. Assists in developing policy and procedures for the safe use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Lasers and conducting audits and inventory. Serves on various committees. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Authorized Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Ad-hoc telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Requirements 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 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 dentification 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Basic Education Requirement: Applicants must meet one of the following: A) Successful completion of a Bachelor's degree or higher in natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) -OR- B) A combination of education and experience -- This must include courses as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or other education; or certification as a health physicist by the American Board of Health Physics (copy of certification must be submitted with your application materials), plus appropriate experience and other education that provided an understanding of sciences applicable to health physics comparable to that described in paragraph A. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: In addition to the basic education requirement above, applicants must also meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: Applicants must possess at least one year of specialized experience that equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: managing a radiation safety and x-ray (imaging) program; establishing and implementing written policies and procedures pertaining to radiation; advising senior management on radiation safety and decontamination matters; responding to radiation incidents; and communicating pertinent radiation protection standards and techniques. - OR - Substitution of Education for Experience: Successful completion of three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree with a major in a field appropriate to the work of this position that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of this position is qualifying at the GS-11 grade level.(TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) - OR - Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience as described above may be used to meet total qualification requirements. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion such as long periods of walking and standing while performing audits and surveys and consulting with staff. Time is also spent in formal and informal meetings with many different groups. Additionally, much of the work is administrative in nature and requires sitting in an office and utilizing computers. The decontamination team is very physically demanding and requires wearing a sealed suit with respiratory device. Employee must be medically cleared to participate on the decontamination team. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education IMPORTANT: 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: http://ope.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 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Expand Hide  additional information 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 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. Review our benefits 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.