Health Physicist (Radiation Safety)

Summary

This position is located at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, SC. This position has the primary responsibility for implementing and managing the medical center's Radiation Safety Program.

Duties

• THE CLOSING DATE FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN EXTENDED. IF YOU HAD PREVIOUSLY APPLIED, YOU DO NOT NEED TO REAPPLY. ***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 are not limited to, the following: Sets up all work and trains in all areas of radiation safety, including, but not limited to, machine-produced radiation and radioactive materials; Implements and evaluates tests, procedures, and reporting mechanisms to ensure proper radiation safety measures within the facility; Consults with facility medical staff and scientists, equipment vendors, and operations personnel to resolve very complex and unprecedented issues arising from clinical uses of radioactivity and radiation-producing equipment, research protocols, new X-ray equipment capabilities, applications, or environments; Plans and implements a radiation safety program for a clinically complex institution and its satellite clinics, which typically include clinical consultation and/or research functions; Represents the organization in agency and peer group committees, as well as the affiliated university, to develop new policies and procedures; Develops and recommends evaluation criteria and guidelines for assessing radiation safety programs; Communicates extensively with all regulatory agencies (i.e., the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), National Health Physics Program (NHPP), State Radiation Control Program, Joint Commission, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Serves as a contractor officer representative; Advises medical center administration on all aspects of health physics, including disaster planning for accidents involving radiation exposure or radioactive contamination; Oversees the use of all radioactive materials and radiation-producing machines within the research and clinical domains, responsible for ensuring the required audits, surveys, and QA evaluations of all radiation-producing equipment utilized across the Medical Center; Designs, implements, and evaluates strategies to improve radiation program assurance and quality management; Instructs personnel in the use of monitoring equipment, safe laboratory practices, decontamination methods, and related procedures; Provides initial education and training to new employees on safety procedures for all personnel using radioactive materials and/or radiation-producing equipment, and continuous training to existing employees, including physicians, nurses, biomedical engineers, technologists, etc.; Evaluates all areas of ionizing radiation use for proper security, shielding integrity, usage, and ventilation in appropriate areas. Develops, implements, and maintains written policies and procedures appropriate for the monitoring, use, and control of radioactive materials and radiation machines; Provides expert, comprehensive quality assurance oversight for imaging to a segment of a large, complex biomedical research facility; Performs other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. 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

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) - 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.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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/.