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Safety and Occupational Health Specialist (Mandarin)

U.S. Department of Labor
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Open 10/23/2026 to 10/29/2026

This position is with the U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This position is in the Kansas City's Saint Louis Area Office located in Saint Louis, MO. Must be fluent in Mandarin.

Major duties of this position include but are not limited to:
GS-11:

  • Conducts occupational safety and health inspections within a variety of agricultural, construction, general industry, and maritime business establishments to ensure employer compliance with federal OSHA standards.
  • Conducts investigations involving one or more fatalities, injuries, serious accidents, or other unsafe conditions.
  • Prepares for inspections to become familiar with work processes, operations, and standards applicable to the workplace to be inspected.
  • Conducts opening conferences with management officials and employee representatives concerning the nature and purpose of the inspection, the procedures which will be followed, and employee discrimination rights.
  • Participates in Agency efforts to obtain warrants and to subpoena witnesses and documents, if necessary.
  • Analyses injury and illness data and reviews establishments' occupational safety and health programs.

GS-12

  • Conducts opening conferences with management officials, employees, and employee representatives concerning the nature and purpose of the inspection and the procedures which will be followed.
  • Conducts closing conference with employer, reviewing hazards identified and violations cited.
  • Conducts specific (targeted) outreach activities and provides information on OSHA legislation, regulations, and compliance activities to a variety of different audiences.
  • Conducts investigations of accidents which may involve one or more fatalities, a large number of injuries or serious accidents, or other unsafe conditions.
  • Plans, schedules, and conducts inspections either individually-determined, as assigned or based on complaints received from employees and/or union representatives, in establishments and worksites where there is a strong probability of encountering Hazardous work processes and materials, and unsafe environmental conditions.
  • Inspects worksites, machine and equipment operations, environmental conditions, work practices, protective devices and equipment, and safety procedures.
  • Reviews safety activities for evidence of compliance with prescribed safety requirements.
  • Proposes fiscal penalties.
  • Assists agency attorneys in the preparation of contested cases for hearing before administrative law judges; testifies under examinations conducted by attorneys representing the agency and the employer.
  • Conducts interviews, reviews documents, and researches various sources of information such as equipment manuals, consensus standards, interpretations of standards, court decisions.
  • Identifies violations and hazards, and recommends abatement methods common to the work processes and operations.
  • Documents inspections to support a legally sufficient case.

As the employee progresses, the assignments will become more difficult and complex with less supervision. 

Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Must be at least 16 years old.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Must be fluent in Mandarin.
  • Requires a valid driver's license and ability to operate a motor vehicle.
  • Requires drug test prior to appointment.
  • Requires medical exam and must maintain physical requirements.
  • You will be required to lift items weighing up to 25 pounds.
  • Requires the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Qualifications

 

The Safety and Occupational Health Series has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR):

Education

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- safety or occupational health fields (safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene), or degree in other related fields that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours of study from among the following (or closely related) disciplines: safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, toxicology, public health, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological sciences, engineering, and industrial psychology.

OR

Experience

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience in or related to safety and occupational health that provided the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

  • Managing safety or occupational health program elements.
  • Developing and recommending safety and occupational health policy to higher levels of management.
  • Applying safety and occupational health laws, regulations, principles, theories, practices, and procedures to advise on or resolve technical matters dealing with occupational safety and health requirements.
  • Developing safety and occupational health standards, regulations, practices, and procedures to eliminate or control potential hazards.
  • Developing or implementing programs to reduce the frequency, severity, and cost of accidents and occupational illnesses.
  • Analyzing or evaluating new and existing jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards.
  • Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards.
  • Inspecting or surveying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards and to identify potential new hazards.
  • Training of workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subjects.
  • Work in occupational fields such as industrial hygienist, safety engineer, fire prevention engineer, health physicist, and occupational health nurse.

OR

Certificates: Certification as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), or Certified Health Physicist (CHP), or similar certification that included successful completion of a written examination meets the requirements for GS-5. Applicants may also qualify for higher grade levels based on their education and/or experience. You must meet the IOR and the Specialized Experience to qualify for the Safety and Occupational Health Specialist (Mandarin), as described below.

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service.

Minimum Qualifications:

For the GS-11:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position. Examples of specialized experience include:

  • Inspecting or surveying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards and to identify potential new hazards.
  • Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards.
  • Training of workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health laws, regulations, principles, theories, practices, and procedures to advise on or resolve technical matters dealing with occupational safety and health requirements.

OR

Substitution of experience: Three years of progressively higher level related graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in safety or occupational health or related fields.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience as described below.

For the GS-12:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, in the Federal or Private Sector. Specialized Experience is described as experience that has equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience include:

  • Applying safety and occupational health laws, regulations, principles, theories, practices, and procedures to advise on or resolve unusual and often complicated technical matters dealing with occupational safety and health requirements.
  • Analyzing or evaluating new and existing safety inspection jobs, processes, products, or other systems to determine the existence, severity, probability, and outcome of hazards.
  • Inspecting or surveying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems for compliance with established safety and occupational health policies or standards and to identify potential new hazards.
  • Designing or modifying workplaces, processes, products, or other systems to control or eliminate hazards, or
  • Training of workers, supervisors, managers, or other safety and occupational health personnel in safety or occupational health subjects.

There is no education substitution at the GS-12 grade level.

GS-11: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-09 in the Federal Service.

GS-12: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-11 in the Federal Service.

NOTE: In alignment with the Presidential Memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, applicants may only submit a resume limited to two (2) pages. Only the résumé uploaded under the 'Resume" document type in USAJOBS will be reviewed. If the resume submitted exceeds two (2) pages, the application will be deemed ineligible for further consideration.