Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

NASA•Kennedy Space Center — Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL, US• Contract

Posted 7 hours ago• Business & Finance• Mechanical

Compensation

$62,181–$97,809/year

Job Description

Summary

The Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) Directorate, Institutional Division at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is seeking applicants for a safety and occupational health specialist. The incumbent of this position provides institutional safety support for KSC across a broad range of program areas inclusive of facility inspection, safety consultation, mishap investigation, emergency response, construction safety, contractor insight, and trend analyses.

Open & closing dates

03/04/2026 to 03/10/2026

Salary $62,181 to - $97,809 per year Pay scale & grade GS 9 - 11

Location

Duties

Duties described below are at the highest grade advertised. Duties assigned at lower grade levels will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
Monitors and promotes improvement of safety programs. Assists in ensuring government and contractor compliance with safety requirements.
Assists in ensuring institutional safety compliance with all applicable safety requirements to those program areas requiring remedial action.
Performs analyses of compliance with safety regulations and procedures instituted by OSHA with oversight from a higher graded safety specialist.
Develops, coordinates, and reviews center safety capabilities, authorities, plans, procedures, training, and exercises.
Makes recommendations on any changes or improvements to the current system or systems which will ensure Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) are prepared for any incidents and/or emergencies, mishaps, disasters, etc.
Assists in the implementation of a major agency program dealing with complex hazardous conditions that involve a variety of safety considerations.
Recommends modifications and/or revisions to NASA and contractor safety policies, procedures, and guidelines. Prepares basic instructions to implement newly developed or modified guidance.
Prepares updates to safety regulations, documents, and requirements manuals with assistance from a higher graded safety specialist.

Requirements

This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
This position may require a one-year probationary period. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11. **See Additional Information section**
You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Position subject to pre-employment background investigation or higher-level clearance. Investigation/Clearance may differ and be required based on the duty location/Directorate/Division/Branch requirements.
Financial Disclosure, Drug Testing, and/or the Travel Requirements for this position may differ and be required based on the duty location/Directorate/Division/Branch requirements.

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-09 level, you must have:
a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level:

Applying safety and occupational health laws, regulations, principles, and procedures to assist in resolving technical safety and health issues;
Identifying workplace hazards and recommending corrective actions to ensure compliance with occupational safety and health requirements;
Communicating safety policies, procedures, and requirements to supervisors, facility managers, or employees

OR
b) Completed all requirements for a master's or equivalent graduate degree in an appropriate field
OR
c) Completed 2 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree in an appropriate field
OR
d) LL.B or J.D, 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-11, you must have:
a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level:

Applying safety and occupational health principles, practices, and regulatory requirements to evaluate, develop, or adapt safety procedures and operating practices;
Conducting safety inspections and hazard analyses in areas such as facilities safety, construction safety, institutional safety, risk management, or systems safety;
Identifying hazards, recommending corrective measures, and preparing reports, briefings, or other documentation to advise management on safety and occupational health matters

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.

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.

NASA prohibits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tool in drafting application and assessment responses. Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of AI tools during the application process.

If you are using education completed in the United States to meet the qualification requirements, 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, 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://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

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

Evaluation

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 assessment questionnaire. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or assessment questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

These competencies will be assessed using technical assessments. They may also be evaluated during a structured interview:

Technical Competence
Occupational and Environmental Health
Workplace Safety
Writing
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Flexibility
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reading
Reasoning
Self-Management (Achievement)
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12900447

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.

NASA will not ask you to disclose criminal history record information during the application process or before we make a conditional/tentative offer of employment. If you apply for this position and are selected, NASA will conduct a suitability/security background investigation after you accept a tentative job offer. If you feel you are asked to disclose your criminal history before you accept a tentative offer and wish to file a complaint within 30 days, please contact: [email protected].

Required Documents

All submitted resumes must not exceed two (2) pages in length. Resumes longer than two pages will be rejected by USAJOBS. Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize including experience and relevant qualifications that directly align with the position advertised. All work experience and accomplishments must be associated with dates (month/year) to allow for accurate qualification assessment.

A complete application package includes a resume, required documents and completion of the vacancy announcement questionnaire. Please see this guidance:. Your resume should describe your specialized experience and support your answers to the vacancy announcement questionnaire.

Please note: if any of the following types of information are included on your resume, your application package will be disqualified:

Classified or government sensitive information.
Social Security Number (SSN)
Photos of yourself
Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
Encrypted and digitally signed documents.

If your resume contains any of the above information, you must redact that information prior to the submission of your application.

The following documents are required:

Resume

There may be other supporting documents (licenses, certification, veterans' preference, etc.), depending on your answers to the questionnaire and job announcement description, that you may have to submit, please verify your application. Do not submit an OF-306 with your application.

If you are a surplus or displaced employee (CTAP and ICTAP), submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP. This includes copies of your agency notice, most recent Performance Rating and most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting current position, grade level, and duty location.

If you are a veteran and you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. For more information on veterans' preference and possible other supporting documents that you may have to submit, please visit FedshireVets.

Official documents are required at the time of appointment for verification of eligibility and qualifications.

If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here. (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire)

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.