Health Physicist

Health Physicist

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): North Chicago, Illinois

Salary Range: $129222 - $167993 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is located at the Captain James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) (556) - a VHA Facility and an affiliated research Medical Center that provides tertiary care treatment of veteran patients. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as the primary Health Physicist/Radiation Safety Officer/Laser Safety Officer providing expert, comprehensive radiation/laser safety oversight for the Medical Center.

Major Duties:

• MAJOR DUTIES: Performs professional or technical work in a clinical, testing, or research laboratory environment. Applies professional knowledge of health physics to the protection of persons and their environment from unwarranted exposure to both ionizing and, in the case of lasers, non- ionizing radiation. IMPLEMENTS RADIATION SAFETY PROGRAM: Implements and evaluates tests, procedures, and reporting mechanisms to ensure proper radiation safety measures within the facility. Assures the overall compliance with safe radiation requirements. Ensures the proper use of radioactive materials. Ensures the proper use of machine produced radiation sources in the medical center. Identifies and evaluate radiation hazards and acts to eliminate or control exposure to those hazards. Assess new or unusual situations and chooses from among several courses of action to solve problems. Operates portable survey instruments, performs wipe tests, and conducts instrument surveys in laboratories and patient care areas to determine levels of radiation and radioactive contamination. Reviews records to determine their adequacy based on Medical Center and The Joint Commission (TJC) regulations. Prepares written summaries of survey findings, citing deficiencies found, and making recommendations for corrective action. Administers the radioactive waste disposal program. Surveys incoming packages of radioactive material for radioactive contamination, excessive radiation levels, and improper packaging. Tests sealed sources of radioactive materials for leakage. Investigates accidents and incidents involving radioactive materials and x-ray producing equipment and recommends corrective action. Responsible for the presentation or provision of educational material on radiation safety to various groups of employees. Monitors portions of the organization's established radiation control programs. Inspects practices, and verifies equipment maintenance and certification for routine use, research, and for clinical use of x-ray producing equipment. Maintain documentation that imaging equipment meets applicable rules and regulations of performance and radiation safety according to federal, professional accreditation agencies and VA standards. RADIATION SAFETY OFFICER (RSO): Functions as the operational component of the radiation safety program to assure that regulatory requirements are followed, and policy is executed. The RSO must have knowledge of the nature and effects of ionizing radiation, principles and techniques of measurement, evaluation of hazards, principles and techniques of quality control, and the administrative organization required to effectively conduct a radiation safety program. The RSO serves as the facility's subject matter expert on ionizing radiation safety and the safety aspects of operating radiation producing equipment. Advises Medical Center staff about methods to reduce radiation exposures to workers, the public, patients, releases of radioactive materials to the environment, and works with Medical Center staff to resolve problems related to radiation safety. The RSO consults with Nuclear Medicine Physicians on all complex therapeutic doses given to veterans. The RSO reviews all written directives to make sure NRC regulations are followed. The RSO will also set release guidelines so the veteran can safely protect others from radiation exposure. LASER SAFETY OFFICER (LSO): Functions as the LSO for the Captain James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center. Directs and evaluates the Laser safety programs. Assists in establishing and reviewing policies and procedures to ensure compliance with applicable rules, regulations, and recommendations (OHSA & ANSI standards). Provides or directs the provision of laser safety training to laser users and those employees who work in laser use areas. Oversees the monitoring of patient and personnel exposure from laser radiation procedures according to regulatory and professional standards. Inspects and evaluates shielding and protective devices to protect workers, patients and the general public from laser radiation produced incidents. ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS: Prepares correspondence, permit amendments, permit renewal applications, registration amendments, medical event reports, and any other such written communications as required with the VHA, NHPP, FDA, OSHA, DOT, and EPA. Maintains written records of all activities of the Radiation Safety Office including training, facility and equipment inspections, calibrations and records required to meet regulatory requirements and demonstrate the implementation of an effective radiation safety program. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 6:00am to 2:30pm. Position Description/PD#: Health Physicist/PD252940

Qualifications: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/15/2026. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) Basic Requirements: Degree: Natural science or engineering that included at least 30 semester hours in health physics, engineering, radiological science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and/or calculus. OR: Combination of education and experience -- courses as shown above, plus appropriate experience or other education; or certification as a health physicist by the American Board of Health Physics, plus appropriate experience and other education that provided an understanding of sciences applicable to health physics comparable to that described above. In addition to the above IOR you must also qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Broad knowledge of the underlying principles of X-ray producing devices and methods of assessing satisfactory performance of these systems including all types of radiographic and fluoroscopic instrumentation. Knowledge of the principles of scintigraphic devices and methods of assessing satisfactory performance of these systems including gamma cameras and sodium iodide well detectors. Automated Information Systems Security: In the performance of official duties, the incumbent has regular access to printed and electronic files containing sensitive information, which must be protected under the provision of the Privacy Act of 1974, the HIPAA implementation, effective April 14, 2003 and other applicable laws and regulations. The incumbent is responsible for (1) protecting that information from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion, and (2) following applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes, etc., as set forth in the Medical Center's Automated Information Systems Users Agreement which the incumbent signs. Information Security and Confidentiality: Manages information security within areas of responsibility to assure that computer system security and confidentiality of sensitive information is maintained, and that incumbent access to sensitive information is limited only to that which the incumbent requires to perform their duties. Acts as necessary to report and address violations of information security. Nuclear Medicine Technologist: The Nuclear Medicine Technologist (Fusion Imaging Technologist) performs technical work in support of the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Care Line, Nuclear Medicine section under the direction of a Nuclear Medicine Physician or Radiologist. The incumbent serves as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist (Fusion Imaging Technologist) with responsibility for a wide variety of nuclear medicine, nuclear cardiology, and PET/CT imaging studies that require specialized knowledge and skill; in-house radiopharmacy; a wide variety of radiopharmaceutical therapies; radiation safety; clinical research; and clinical nuclear medicine technology education in the Nuclear Medicine Service at the Captain James A Lovell FHCC. Has program responsibility for equipment quality control, troubleshooting, and administrative duties of a Nuclear Medicine Technologist (Fusion Imaging Technologist) that include but not limited to Environment of Care (EOC) rounds, Tracer Observation, etc. Original scientific recommendations: Ability to produces these regarding health physics practices covering agency-wide operations. Comprehensive knowledge of federal regulations promulgated by the VHA, NHPP, FDA, OSHA, DOT, and EPA, the Medical Center Radiation Safety Policy and the recommendations of advisory bodies such as the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), International Council on Radiation Protection (ICRP), and the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD). 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/.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12948637. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 05/15/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume: Prioritize most relevant and recent experience Use concise, results focused language Align language from the job announcement Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies Remove outdated or unrelated experience Use the USAJOBS resume builder Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit

Application Deadline: 2026-05-15