Lead Incident Investigator

Texas Health & Human Services Commission • Austin, TX

23h • $5,798 - $9,508 • Onsite

About The Position

Performs highly advanced (senior-level) health physics or health physics oversight work. Works under minimal direction, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent professional judgment. Serves as Team Lead for the Incident Investigators and provides day to day technical leadership, guidance, mentoring, and coordination. Coordinates and assists with assigning investigative activities and priorities; monitors the status and progress of investigations; provides technical and procedural guidance; and serves as a primary resource to investigators regarding incident and complaint investigations, radiation control requirements, and establish program procedures. Reviews investigative reports and other work products for technical accuracy, completeness, consistency, and compliance with program requirements and provides feedback and direction for necessary corrections. Performs independent evaluation of incident and complaint reports for adequacy and appropriate mitigation actions. Plans, develops, coordinates, and directs highly advanced technical radiological health projects involving investigations of incidents, complaints, and technical assistance concerning uses of various sources of radiation. Coordinates and directs radiological decontamination oversight activities at sites contaminated with radiation. Writes incident and complaint summaries. Participates in emergency exercise activities as response team member. Participates in the preparations for testifies in enforcement conferences and hearings. Comments on proposed Federal and State radiation regulations and participate in rule making discussion groups.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in health physics, nuclear or environmental engineering, environmental or natural sciences, chemistry, or a related field.
• Experience and education may be substituted for one another; four years of experience may be substituted for education at the discretion of the hiring manager.
• Knowledge of radiation control, radiological health, and environmental laws and regulations, and of radiation safety practices and techniques.
• Knowledge of medical and industrial uses of radioactive materials, x-ray, accelerator and non ionizing sources of radiation.
• Knowledge of types of radiation and their characteristics.
• Knowledge of non-ionizing radiation.
• Knowledge of biological effects of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation including radiological safety practices and techniques.
• Knowledge of internal and external radiation dose calculations including annual limits of intakes (ALI) and derived air concentrations (DAC).
• Knowledge of radiation detection and highly advanced technical analytical equipment.
• Knowledge of investigative practice.
• Knowledge of Texas Regulations for Control of Radiation and federal laws concerning radiation control.
• Knowledge of other local, state, and federal agencies and their general capabilities and areas of authority.
• Knowledge of X-ray equipment used for medical, dental and mammography procedures.
• Skill in the use of radiation detection, monitoring, and measuring instruments; in the collection of environmental samples; in radiological computer applications; and in the use of research techniques.
• Skill in the operation, maintenance, and calibration of radiation detection and highly advanced technical analytical instrumentation.
• Skill in using highly advanced computer models (RESRAD, Stampede, RASCAL, etc.).
• Skill in leading investigations of radiological incidents and complaints.
• Skill in interviewing individuals with knowledge of complaints and incidents.
• Skill in analyzing and interpreting radiation data.
• Skill in technical writing, oral communication and interview techniques.
• Skill in using computer modeling equipment in dose/risk assessment.
• Ability to interpret and use radiation shielding designs and radiological and statistical data; to communicate effectively; to interpret laws and regulations; to apply health physics and other scientific principles; and to detect and evaluate radiation hazards; and to supervise the work of others.
• Ability to conduct inspections, surveys, and studies of radioactive material licenses and registrations of radiation producing machines.
• Ability to establish satisfactory working relationships with coworkers and other agency representatives.
• Ability to perform internal dose calculations using biological models and/or ALI's and DAC's.
• Ability to make independent decisions concerning radiological hazards, risk assessments, and adequate mitigation.
• Ability to independently recommend protective actions based on highly advanced technical data.
• Ability to prepare concise and accurate highly technical reports.
• Ability to evaluate information contained in reports and documents.
• Ability to conduct inspections, surveys, and studies of radioactive material licenses and registrations of radiation producing machines.
• Ability to analyze environmental samples.
• Ability to evaluate information received from surveys, highly advanced analyses, and other data and make independent decisions concerning radiological hazards, risk assessments, and adequate mitigation.
• Ability to plan, design, oversee, and coordinate radiation control projects.

Responsibilities

• Serves as Team Lead for the Incident Investigators and provides day-to-day technical and operational leadership. Coordinates and assigns investigative work; monitors workload, case status, deadlines, and completion; provides technical guidance and direction; reviews work products; mentors and trains investigators; promotes consistency; and elevates significant issues or concerns to management.
• Oversees and coordinates the conduct of complex environmental assessments and radiological investigations to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal radiation control, environmental, and public health laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures. Provides oversight of incidents, complaints, or technical assistance investigations. Plans and conducts inspections and investigations of installed X-ray equipment, nonionizing radiation devices, and facilities where radioactive materials are used or stored. Leads investigation teams, prepares reports of team findings from investigations.
• Prepares and approves correspondence, technical reports or environmental assessments. Writes incident and complaint technical summaries. Performs scientific review of incident databases. Researches and reviews environmental and radiological health documentation. Evaluates highly complex technical information and data to identify trends that impact on rulemaking and changes in the regulatory process. Distributes information within the Agency, to other state and federal agencies, the public, and to the regulated community. Prepares technical reports or presents assessments at technical meetings.
• Actively participate or serve in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery, or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation. Actively participate on the agency’s radiological emergency response team. Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location. On an as-assigned basis, participates in assigned role(s) in public health, COOP, or radiological emergency response drills and events.
• Coordinates major technical incident and complaint investigations with staff from other Divisions or Departments, other Texas agencies, other states, or federal government agencies, as needed. Performs risk assessments based on quantitative relationships between radiation exposure and biological damage. Prepares highly advanced technical reports of findings and conclusions associated with evaluation of statistical and environmental radiation data and interpretation of results. Evaluates and interprets statistical and environmental data and calculates radiation doses from internal and/or external exposure to radiation to determine radiation dose and effects for individuals involved with, and environmental impacts from, radiological accidents or other events. Provides technical assistance and advice to facility management, the public, and/or other interested groups in the application of appropriate state and federal laws and regulations. May provide testimony in legal proceedings on health physics issues related to radioactive materials and/or radiation producing devices.
• Performs review and evaluation of incident and complaint reports to assure mitigation and radiation safety issues are resolved. Assigns, coordinates, and leads investigations of incidents and complaints reported by employees of licensees or registrants, the general public, and other state and federal agencies. May serve as technical spokesperson for media contacts during a radiological accident or event associated with an incident or complaint. Consults and coordinates with representatives of other state and federal radiation control, security, and emergency agencies, special interest groups, the public, or department personnel on radiation and environmental issues.
• Determines when incident or complaint response is complete. Reviews all data and information collected from reports and investigations and independently determines if information is adequate for closure and issuance of appropriate compliance notices.
• Participates in escalated enforcement actions. Independently determines if recommendation of escalated enforcement action is necessary. Reviews incident and complaint history. Makes recommendations through Deputy Director. Participates with other Division staff to prepare administrative penalty actions. Coordinates with legal staff technical reviewer in preparation of preliminary reports. Prepares and provides testimony in administrative hearings and court cases on highly technical radiological health issues. Performs follow-up investigations when necessary.

Benefits

• Insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior